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I was the key to reclaiming the magic, which was why so much effort had gone into my creation. Once the magic was inside me, whomever I touched would become permanently bound to me.
Connected, for as long as we lived.
Our magic would combine and grow exponentially, every time I used the power. Every time they used theirs. An unstoppable weapon, building upon itself, until nothing could stand in our way.
I’d already passed the point of no return by killing Ember. Then I’d used the magic on Zor, to transport me to Tempeste. As far as Raziel…he’d taken my virginity, the most powerful blood magic there was.
My arms barely held me when I pushed up off the floor, hardly able to think, to breathe, the consequences of my actions crashing down, with no possibility of escape.
Tavion had been right.
He should have let the king kill me.
I tore the Oracle’s message off the umbilicus—they’d never believe me, not without proof—replacing it with another scroll, then put the display back together, exactly as it was. I was so sick I crawled out of the room on my hands and knees, closed the bookcase, hid the scroll inside my bucket.
Terror echoed every heartbeat as I crept back to my room, changed into my leathers, stuffed the scroll down the front of my jacket.
Slipped a small knife into my boot.
Not that it would help when I was dragged before the king, but I’d learned any weapon was better than nothing.
I threaded my way through the crowded Keep, dodging the extra guards and soldiers, my body shaking, hands clenched to hide my utter panic.
We were all dead. So, so dead.
And if we weren’t, we’d wish we were.
55
ANARIA
I’d forgotten to tell Tavion where to meet me, which had been foolish, given what I’d learned.
I’d transitioned from full blown panic to a dull sort of fear, the kind that gets people killed, and I knew it. I waited in the empty training yard for someone—anyone—to show up, hyper aware of the scroll stuffed between my breasts, aimlessly swinging a sword around so I looked like I was doingsomething.
“You’re hours early.” Zorander stalked out of the back of the barracks, his long legs eating up the space between us, his eyes especially dark against his pale face. “Is…” His steps faltered. “What’s happened?”
I glanced behind him for Tavion or Raz. “Where are the others?”
“It’s just me.”
“Everyone should be here for this.” Not that I knew where to start.
“Sit down before you fall down.” He pointed me toward the trees. “I’ll find Raziel. I don’t know where Tavion is.”
“He was with me earlier.” I explained and Zor’s eyebrows went up. “Only to keep up appearances, nothing more. But we should all be together…for what I just discovered.”
He didn’t interrogate me and I waited, the seconds stretching to minutes while I scanned the field, the army barracks, the back of the Keep, waiting for the king’s soldiers to charge in and drag me away.
How could I have been so careless?
Just because I didn’t get caught didn’t mean I hadn’t endangered us all.
Zor returned, Raz on his heels, covered in sweat. “I was training new recruits.” He waved me away when I reached to check his bloody hand, ran his palms over me, instead. “I’m fine, just a scratch. Are you alright? What happened?”
“No sign of Tavion?”
“Why do we need that fucker…” One look from Zor and Raz snapped his mouth shut. “I expect he’ll be here any minute, youwerean hour early, Anaria.” I paced away, because if I didn’t keep moving, I was going to splinter apart.
