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Nelle and Titus.
My eyes flicker between them, confusion clouding my mind. I’ve seen how they’ve interacted with each other these last few days, and it’s been strange to say the least. I thought she hated him, but the way she’s clutching him like his life depends on it, obviously shows that’s not the case.
I roll the words that Kallen said over in my mind again—blood of the caster and the greatest sacrifice of all.
That would be a life, but if that was the only way, Titus wouldn’t be alive right now.
“Penelope,” Titus says as though her name is both a blessing and a curse, the reverence in his tone causing the answer to barrel into me like a semi going full speed ahead.
The greatest sacrifice of all …
A mate bond. It has to be. The way they’ve been acting, like despite everything that’s happened between them, they can’t help but be drawn to one another. The way she reacted at him slicing his palm, rushing to his side and trying anything within her power to stop him before he took his own life.
My eyes widen as I look at Titus. It takes him a moment, but I can see exactly when understanding washes over his features. He swallows thickly and shakes his head, panic clear in his eyes as though he’s begging me not to say anything.
He knew, just like my guys knew before I even had a clue. They’re mates. Two souls destined for one another, linked for eternity—but now they’re not. Because something had to be sacrificed to pay the price of the spell, and it seems that Nelle unknowingly offered up their soul bond to pay the toll.
I cover my mouth with a shaky hand and take a staggered breath, not wanting to alert Nelle to anything. Even if she knew of the bond, I’m sure she’d do the same thing, just like I would if I was in her shoes. Trading a soul bond for a life is a trade I would take in a heartbeat.
But the blade...
My attention flashes to the ruby hilt laying by Titus’ side just as Kallen’s hand inches towards it and I call it to me. The blade immediately listens and flashes into my palm, my fingers instinctively wrapping around the hilt. I climb to my feet in one smooth move, letting Max’s hand slip away. He moves to take my place, helping to support Nelle despite how weak he still is from the spell.
Kallen leaps to his feet, his eyes narrowing on me like I’ve done anything fucking wrong. Well who the hell knows, maybe he guessed the thought at the back of my mind, and what I would’ve done to save both Maximus and Titus, even if the latter ended up hating me for it.
I shrug my shoulders, not even a little bit sorry, because I would do anything to help my family, and this god is not part of that equation, not after everything he’s done.
“Are you going to kill me, Olivia?” he asks, lifting a brow in challenge as he sinks into a defensive stance.
I make sure my shield is secured around the people I love and chuckle, really wishing I could, but I owe Titus so much more than sparing this insignificant speck of dirt’s life.
“I should kill you,” I murmur, letting the steel edge of the blade flash as I bring it up in front of me. I can’t help the smile that curls on my lips as his gaze dips to it, a hint of fear creeping into his deep-blue eyes. “If it wasn’t for Titus, I would already be sinking this dagger into your chest. But I owe him, so I’ll give you a five-second head start. But if you’re still here when the clock counts down, your ass is mine. Do you understand?”
I take a threatening step towards him, letting him see the gleam of violence in my eyes. I want to kill him. I want to see that life fade from his eyes for ever putting us in this position. He stole the spell to give to Romulus, helped him form the plan to trap one or more of us, making Titus feel responsible enough that he was going to take his own life in penance.
Well fuck him. He would already be dead if it wasn’t for our brother.
Kallen looks behind me to Titus, regret in his expression for only a moment before it vanishes, and a sneer curls on his lips. “You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would,” I assure him, taking another step forward. “You’re fucking dead to me, Kallen, and I wouldn’t be surprised if after this, the same is true for our brother.”
His eyes widen a fraction at the title I used before he schools his features.
“Your time starts now,” I say in warning. “And trust me, if I see you on the battlefield, I won’t hesitate.”
“Neither will I,” he grinds out, casting an assessing look behind me towards Titus and Nelle.
“Five.”
I bare my teeth at him, shifting to block them out of his line of sight.
“Four.”
He glares at me and rolls his shoulders back, as though he’s considering staying just to have the chance to fight here and now. Fine with me.
“Three.”
I cock a challenging brow at him and let a ripple of black smoke curl around my feet as a bolt of electricity twines around my fingers.
