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Rage turned to quiet anger, the kind that made me cold. I tipped my head to match hers, wondering if I could kill her.
If I could kill the king—if that was possible, not another of her lies—perhaps I could kill her, as well.
“But because you seem to require incentive…” She snapped a finger and a great silver wolf appeared out of thin air, struggling against a web of writhing black magic. Everywhere the strands touched, blood seeped through his thick fur. Adele gripped him with a stubborn defiance that might just get her killed.
My mother’s eyes were filled with every emotion swirling through me.
Hate, rage, fear, helplessness.
“Let them go.” I barely recognized my voice, it came out so warped. “Right fucking now.” I could barely see through the haze of consuming rage, could barely think, the urge to rip these bands off my arms and incinerate her almost too much to resist.
Almost.
She bared her black teeth in a parody of a smile. “Oh, I don’t think so, little thief. I’ve learned my lesson with you. Best I keep the upper hand until I get what I want.”
A moment later Tristan thudded to the ground, twisting and cursing, caught in more of the Oracle’s hideous black magic.
A lift of the Oracle’s withered hand had Adele and Tavion floating toward her, my mother’s stick-thin legs kicking, her pale eyes narrowed in fury as she fought.
“I shall have your mother and the wolf keep me company until this is done. I’ll take Lord DeVayne with me as well. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before. You have one day to return to me with good news.”
Adele turned to me, her face twisted in fear, Tavion fighting to escape, to get my mother to freedom, his taloned feet clawing in desperation but finding nothing to dig into.
Somehow, Tristan was on his feet, reaching for his arrows, but she clicked her fingers and his quiver and bow disappeared completely.
“Kill the army, Anaria. I shall be watching. If you fail…well, the land requires blood.” A click of her fingers and Tavion yelped, blood soaking his beautiful, silver fur.
“I shall drain every last drop from these three until there is nothing left.”
The last thing I heard was Adele’s enraged scream when they vanished.
“Fuck.” Zor whirled around. “Fuck.”
I couldn’t say a word, but if I could, I would have echoed Zorander.
My brain was frozen.I was frozen. Helpless, not able to shake this horrid terror that held my muscles still and wiped every thought from my head. I was nothing but shaking, boneless flesh, and I didn’t know what to do next.
“There has to be some way to find them, to rescue them.” Raz’s chest heaved, sweat blooming all over him as our nervous mount snorted, jerking against the reins.
“If we could find where she’s holding them,” Zor growled, but his stare was already focused, determined as he sheathed his sword. “Maybe.Where would she take them?” As one, we looked behind us where the wall separated Solarys from Caladrius.
“Back to Tempeste?” Raz shook his head. “I don’t think so. The city’s burning. Filled with Soul Reapers. We wouldn’t even get close.”
They were both right. With her magic—more powerful than any of ours—she could hide our friends anywhere. We could spend years searching…or we could do her fucking bidding.
“She gave us a day.” I met Zor’s furious, dark gaze and smiled grimly. “We have to find that army and we have to stop them. Before they reach Solarys.”
Because I had no doubt that while she lied to us, she would keep her word on slaughtering innocents.
Chaos, after all, was her specialty.
“That army is ten thousand Reapers strong, Anaria.” I swallowed down my fear. I knew how impossible this was, and yet…we didn’t have a choice. She’d seen to that. “This is too dangerous. Impossible, even for you. How do you know she’s not sending us to our deaths?”
“She could be. But how many innocent lives hang in the balance if we do nothing? A hundred thousand? More?” I shook my head, “Give me another option. Tell me where to find Tavion, Adele, and Tristan and we’ll go free them.
“I don’t want to kill anyone else.” Raz squeezed my thigh, his hand shaking as badly as I was. I laid my hand right over his, tears blurring my eyes. “Give me anything, because I do not want to do this.”
Trapped.
