Only this time, I know I’m truly alone. We’re deep in the woods, and no one will be able to get to us in time. Even my familiar has vanished.
The king’s smile grows, and bile rises in my throat at the sight.
“You’ve realized it, haven’t you?” He tilts his head. “No one is coming for you this time. There is nothing you can do or say that will stop me. I will complete my Harvest, and if you’re a good little Given and do what you’re told, I will make sure your sisters die quick deaths.”
Marie wails beneath her gag, and Violet trembles in the king’s grasp.
Like the bloodthirsty, loathsome man he is, the kinglaughs. Fucking suns, that might be the worst sound I’ve ever heard. Worse than Amelia’s final scream. Worse than the thud of Kadyn’s body hitting the floor when he sacrificed himself for me. Worse even than Gabriel’s cries when he’s caught in the throes of a nightmare.
“Why are you doing this?” The question slips from my lips as I step towards the girls. My plan is still little more than fragments of an idea, but there’s no time to waste, no time to think it through.
“Why?” He has the gall to look affronted. “Why do birds fly? Why do the suns shine? The Harvest is normal. Natural, even. If too many people have power, it becomes diluted and loses itspotency. Harvests allow the gods’ magic to be used in the way it was always intended, to keep the rest of the kingdom in check.”
Everything he says rings false, a stark contrast to the history books I read in the seer’s study.
“No, you’re wrong.” I inch closer. “The gods never intended for magic to be Harvested. It’s a gift meant to help others.”
I think of the way my magic healed Skyler and the way the People of the Wilting Roses use their magic to stay hidden and keep their community running. None of the Marked Ones in this place keep their magic for themselves—they use it to help others, to uplift and protect everyone. I am certain this was how it was always meant to be.
That’s why they call us Blessed, I realize. Because in the right hands, used for the right reasons, magic can truly be a blessing. Not just for the bearer, but for everyone they come in contact with.
But in the hands of someone like the king...
He scoffs. “A fucking gift? No. You’re a naïve little girl. True power is meant to be in the hands of a few, not many. A land without a strong leader is a broken, lawless one.”
Is it, though? Even though the People of the Wilting Roses respect Evelyn, the seer isn’t their leader. They have several, and from what I can tell, their lives are much better off than most of the people in Myreth. Especially since they don’t ritually sacrifice a portion of their citizens when they turn twenty.
I move closer to the king but stop when he shifts the angle of his dagger. “That’s close enough. Tell me your decision. Will you come willingly, or do you require more... encouragement?”
He trails the crimson blade down Violet’s neck, slicing through the top of her tunic. It falls away, exposing her collarbone, and tears stream down her cheeks. “Such beautiful skin. I’d hate to have to carve it up in order to get what I want.”
Violet whimpers, and that sound solidifies the scraps of my plan. I can’t save myself—my magic isn’t nearly strong enough for that, I can’t compete with the king—but maybe I can help the girls.
Maybe I can still save them.
There’s a sharp burning in the center of my palm and a twisting in my gut, but I ignore it.
I love you, Gabriel. I focus on our newly sealed connection, trying to send the words through it. If there is a higher power out there who cares about me at all, they will let him hear them.Thank you for showing me what life could look like.
I am no longer the same person I was when I slipped out of my parents’ house the night before my Giving Ceremony. I have met many people and seen many things. I have learned there is so much more to the world than what I was taught, and I have experienced far more than I was ever meant to.
I have lived, and thanks to the Hunter and the way he steadfastly worked his way into my heart, I haveloved. My life has been far more than it was intended to be, and while it feels far too short, it will have to be enough.
Meeting the king’s crimson gaze, I swallow roughly. My next words are quiet, yet they reverberate all around me. “If you release my sisters and allow them to leave unharmed, I will be your willing captive.”
His eyes narrow, and a long beat of silence passes. “Why in Esyn’s name would I do that? I already have you here.”
That’s a great question.
I raise my left hand, the one with the flame flickering above it, and curl my fingers. The fire snuffs out as if it never existed. My Mark heats, and I know it’s a glowing star, a reminder of why I’m being hunted in the first place.
When I die, will the blue light of my magic cover the crimson that pours from my body? Or will my lifeblood stain everything in sight?
My blood chills, but I force those thoughts away. I need to focus on this moment, on my sisters. I am doomed, but Marie and Violet are not. I can still save them, and in doing so, give meaning to my death.
“I stole magic from you,” I remind the king as if he could’ve forgotten Kadyn’s sacrifice. I certainly haven’t. “I took what was rightfully yours.”
The lie tastes bitter in the back of my mouth, but when the king stiffens, I know I’m on the right track.
