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And then there was wind.
Icy wind whipped around my face, and the arm around me was gone, and I fell backward onto a cushion of snow. The sun shined above, blinding me.
I tried to lapse to my feet, but two hands closed around my throat, and the weight of a man fell on my chest. As my vision leveled, two brown eyes met mine. I thought it was Lux until I saw the gray in his blond hair and the wrinkles in the corner of his eyes.
Michael.
My oldest nephew.
“This is your fault.” He squeezed tight around my neck. Véa’s voice echoed in my mind, asking what was wrong, but all I could focus on was him. “None of this should’ve ever happened, but it has because, once upon a time, you justhadto fuck the queen.”
I blinked in confusion, struggling to pull in air, fighting with everything I had to free myself from his grasp, to lapse away, but all we only trembled. He was blocking my lapse with his own.
“You ruled Matriaza, and you ruled this world, and those days arefinished. If you would’ve just let the story play out as it was meant to, I would be king, and we wouldn’t have all these fucking souls to care for, but now we do, and I fucking love them, and I have to care for them. If you would’ve just—”
I jammed my knee into his groin.
He groaned, but didn’t budge, only squeezing tighter. “I didn’t want it to come to this, but—”
A spray of hot blood doused my body.
Michael’s head fell to the ground.
His body went down next.
I gasped in a breath and lapsed to my feet.
A hand closed around my shoulder.
I expected to see Pa when I looked up, but it was Rafael. He panted hard, saying something that didn’t register.
“Where are they?” I asked. “Where’s Hana? Where’s Venark? Where’s my father?”
Rafael swallowed, shaking his head. “You need to go.”
“I need to get their souls back into their fucking bodies. I need—”
“Selaphiel vanished.” Rafael spoke quickly. “He has all three of them. Pa and I are gonna find him, and we’ll bring them back, but I need you to get homenow.”
“No, I—”
“They’re about to realize Michael is dead and resurrect him. Then they’re going to come for the rest of you. I just read his mind. That’s their plan, Nix. They’re not going to stop until you all are gone, and they can rule alongside Pa. Go. Go before they kill Véa and your children. Go.Go!”
I shoved him away and lapsed back into the dining room.
All that was left was Lux.
He was on his knees beside Pa, holding him to his chest, rocking back and forth. Sobbing, he looked up at me, shaking his head furiously. “I didn’t plan this. I swear I didn’t plan this.”
“Where’s Hana?” My gaze darted around the floor, as though she’d materialize from the ponds of blood. “Where’s Venark?”
“They took them,” he sobbed. “I-I don’t know what they’re doing. I-I—”
“If you don’t have the body, you can’t put the soul back into it,” Rafael said behind me. “Papa isn’t a leader. Hana and Venark were. We need to find them and get their souls back into their bodies before they destroy them. Once they do, they’re coming for the rest of you, and you’re down to one necromancer. Go, Nix.Go home!”
I couldn’t form words.
I couldn’t pull my eyes from my dead father in my brother’s arms.
