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She saw the fire Kindred standing just beyond the blocked wall of flames. “What have you done?” he demanded.
The ring—this had been the key all along. It held far more secrets, more power, than she’d ever imagined. This is what had allowed Eva to safely handle the Kindred in their crystal forms, while all other Watchers, like Valoria and Cleiona, were corrupted by them. For Lucia, the ring brought balance to the eternal conflict brought by being a sorceress trapped within a mortal shell.
And today this ring had protected her—and the life growing inside her—from the wrath of an immortal god.
The firestorm grew smaller as the glow around her grew brighter, expanding outward until it touched Kyan.
The ethereal halo transformed into strands of glowing purple that moved over him like chains, restraining his fire, restraining his rage. They wrapped themselves around him until Lucia couldn’t see any flames beneath them.
Kyan started to shrink, smaller and smaller, until he returned to his usual height. But then the light only grew brighter.
Brighter still, until Kyan screamed and the light exploded into a million violet shards.
And then the world around Lucia turned to cool, endless darkness.
• • •
She woke to the scent of warm, green grass and apple blossoms. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find that she lay in the middle of a meadow—the very same meadow where both Alexius and Timotheus had met her in her dreams.
“Am I dreaming?” she whispered.
No one answered her, no beautiful golden boy appeared before her. No hawk took perch in the apple tree. In her previous dreams, everything here had appeared jewel-like, the grass like strands of emeralds, the apples as red as rubies.
But now the meadow appeared to consist of only soft green grass, and though the trees were tall and beautiful, they were no different from what she might find in Auranos.
Beyond the meadow was a huge stone wheel she remembered from her dreams. And in the distance, across green hills and valleys, lay a crystal city that sparkled like diamonds under the sun.
She was in the Sanctuary. The actual Sanctuary.
How was this possible? Alexius had told her that mortals couldn’t come here. Had he lied? Or had something happened to Lucia that made her an exception to that rule?
Lucia turned in a circle, as if the answer might magically appear to her.
And then she knew.
Her unborn child. A baby who was half mortal, half Watcher. And she, a sorceress with the power to vanquish the god of fire. These two extraordinary developments combined had given her the ability to be here.
She didn’t know where Kyan had gone or if he’d return. But if he did, she knew he had to be imprisoned again. And his siblings—they could never be released from their crystal orbs. Kyan had been the most dangerous creature she’d ever seen. She could only imagine how much worse things would get once he reunited with his family.
Had Timotheus foreseen this? She would ask him as soon as she found him.
She had to make right what she’d helped go horribly wrong.
Lucia took a deep breath, summoned every last remaining scrap of her courage, and began to walk toward the crystal city.
CHAPTER 33
CLEO
LIMEROS
This time, when Cleo woke, she knew exactly where she was.
And with whom.
For her first waking moment, all she could do was stare at him as he continued to sleep beside her.
The events of the night had unfolded very unexpectedly. He’d come after her, he’d risked his life to try to find her.
