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Kalon stepped to his brother’s side, wearing the stench of burnt hair, his charred clothes proof of what my magic could do, even though his body had already healed. “Asland will see this as an act of war.” His low voice resonated through me.
I may have gotten in a good hit first, but he was getting the last laugh. I just didn’t know how yet.
“Enough,” Sargon barked, showing his darker side he kept hidden behind the charm. “Who did this?”
“Nobody leaves this foyer,” Kalon shouted, his voice echoing around the room. “We will get to the bottom of this,” he assured Sargon.
I prayed behind the darkness of my closed eyes that Erianna had hidden and Kalon hadn’t gotten to her first. In the little time I’d known her, she’d become more like family to me than most felt in a lifetime. Her kindness and strength were a rarity in this world, and against her nature and position, she had made me feel cared for.
If she died, I couldn’t forgive myself for not pressing Sebastian harder to stop this plot and leave. My intuition had screamed at me that he knew, but I ignored it against my better judgment, and for once, I hated being proven right.
I didn’t want to think about what Sargon would do to them, or worse, what punishment Kalon would whisper is most appropriate. My chest sank when I realized that not only was Sebastian somewhere up on these staircases when the princess was thrown off one, but so was Draven.
The princess’s eyes flung open, a loud gasp escaping her lips. She reached around the ground, sitting upright with panicked breaths. When she opened her mouth, fangs protruded through her gums.
“Who did this to you?” Sargon demanded.
I stepped back through the crowd, gliding to be out of sight as quickly as possible when the immortal words left the princess's lip, stunning me to the spot.
“Sebastian Vangard,” she spluttered. “H-he fed me his blood and pushed me off the staircase.”
I turned slowly, watching her performance through the cracks in the crowd. She pointed a shaky finger at Kalon, tears in her brown eyes. “He was trying to frame you.”
Sargon’s shoulders slumped, his crown catching the light from the chandelier when his own wings expanded in a glory of purple and silver. “Then he will die for it.”
“No,” I shouted, turning everyone’s heads in my direction.
Kalon raised his voice, pointing at me with a sneer. “She was an accomplice. Seize her.”
My magic pulsated under my skin, ready at my fingertips. “You can try.” I poised to attack, planting my feet apart. Sebastian stepped out from the shadows of the staircase, his hands in his pockets as if all this was no big deal.
“There’s no need, love.” His eyes slid over me, moving to meet Sargon’s fury. “She had nothing to do with it.”
“Neither did you,” I snapped, but no one was paying attention. What was he playing at?
“Take them both to the dungeons.” Sargon’s voice lost power as his sentence slowed. “To await their execution.”
“No.” My eyes bulged, and when two sangaree flew at me, I willed all my power into their chest, pushing my hands against the guard’s breastbone. Electricity tore through his body, disintegrating his clothes into ash.
“Don’t touch her.” Sebastian’s roar pierced my heart, and I fought back against the second vampire who tied my wrists at my back. Magic flamed through my veins, pouring out into the guard who fell backward, screeching.
A third guard ran toward me, and my powers faltered, only for a second. “Move.” The word belonged to Erianna, who appeared from the steps behind us and whizzed an ax through the air. It cut deep into the vampire's neck, nearly detaching it from his body.
“Seize them all,” Sargon boomed, and twenty of his military rushed the three of us.
An arrow ripped the wing of one, and Zach ran at the speed of light, reaching us in seconds. The fight blurred against my mortal senses, and before I could grab one of them, a chain was wrapped around my neck.
Suddenly, my magic faded, numbed deep into my center. I found my mom amongst the chaos, the lines around her eyes deepening. Warning circled my eyes. If she intervened now, it would be obvious who I was. It was bad enough she helped me to my feet after I’d torched Kalon.
“Erianna,” I called through a panicked breath when I saw her dragged down to the ground, chains tightening around her arms and legs.
Behind her, Sebastian was cuffed, forced to his knees.
“Sebastian,” I said breathlessly when Azia appeared before us, his arm extending closer. I closed my eyes, feeling his finger touch my forehead, muddying my mind, weakening my body until blackness consumed me and all the fight in me evaporated.
TWENTY-NINE
Icy winds slithered under the heavy metal door of the dungeon, sliding between the crevices of the stone walls. Sebastian’s broken body emerged from the shadows of the room as an aniccipere opened the door, flickering candlelight into the space. He was taken three hours ago for questioning by a soul vampire with a desire for violence.
