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Ber’s body chilled instantly, much like the time he’d jumped into an ice-crusted river after his brother had dared him. It had been foolish then, as it was now. But last time had been a bit of youthful fun—not deadly danger. With each step he took, Ber had to stop himself from holding his breath as though he swam for the surface of that winter river again.
Tes stood near Toren, a hard-but-worried expression on her face. “Please,” she said, “I must insist you give me charge of Lord Ilduin’s fate.”
The energy grew impossibly colder. “He ordered the murder of my daughter. He deserves immediate execution.”
“He does,” Tes replied, glaring at Ilduin. “But as the princess of Centoi, it is my right to see him punished for his vile crimes.”
Toren went silent, no sign of his thoughts on his face. But his energy whipped around Ber’s body, threatening to shove him to the floor if he fought the compulsion buried within.Stay—do not fight your imminent death.Yet there was an angry reserve tossing the magic into tumult. Like water, dammed energy wasn’t pleased to be stopped.
“I cannot—”
“Toren!” Ber shouted, interrupting his brother’s denial.
Only to be ignored. “I cannot allow Ilduin to escape justice. I must refuse.”
Despite the magic’s pull, Ber picked up his pace. “No one is saying he should escape,” he insisted.
Slowly, his brother glanced over his shoulder. Ber braced himself for a blank, blind coldness, but Toren’s gaze was sharp. Knowing. Frigid with rage, yes. But his brother wasn’t losing control of his energy—he was unleashing it with purpose. A new kind of shiver ran down Ber’s spine.
When had his brother learned to do this?
“That isn’t quite correct,”Toren sent.“It’s instinct, and my control is…shaky. The desire to kill him for threatening my family…”
“I understand, especially considering my son was in danger, too.”Ber’s hands clenched at the memory.“But Tes is right. Kill Ilduin, and Centoi will claim Llyalia broke the peace first and cast the blame for any future war on you. Let Tes have charge of punishing him, and no one can question your intentions.”
Without a word, his brother turned his cold stare back on Ilduin.I’ve lost him.Ber cursed to himself. The rage, the power—they were too overwhelming to contain. And could he blame Tor for that? The pretend nursemaid had come close to killing Elna and abducting Speran. Far too close. If Ber hadn’t been there…
He fought to keep his breathing even, and his dagger in his sheath.
“I’m not sure I can stop myself,”Toren whispered into his mind.“There’s no easy way to dispel this energy. Neither Mehl nor Ria can handle it. At this point, it may be best to evacuate the throne room.”
In that moment, Tes took another step forward. “I am Princess Etessa of Centoi, soon to be queen, and I give mysolemn vow that Lord Ilduin will be punished. If you’ll have the entire group imprisoned, we may discuss it at our leisure.”
“Tes,”Ber sent, their connection snapping taut from his fear.“Back away. Now.”
She only had time to shoot one surprised look his way before the stone vibrated beneath them, harder than before. Toren’s voice slipped into his mind again.“I can’t…”
A sharpcrackrent the air, and Ber leapt forward, gripping his brother’s shoulders before he could think better of it. Power surged through him, the dam of Toren’s control now shattered. Distantly, Ber caught hints of voices—Tes’s surprised cry, Mehl’s offer of aid, Ria warning Tes back—but he let the words slip by him.
Once again, he channeled.
But this wasn’t like helping Speran, nor did it resemble the kind of aid he’d given his brother when they’d been children. This energy was stronger and made with deadly purpose. The force alone burned behind his eyes like the promise of a headache. Could he slow the power? Or should he hasten the current to get it over with quickly? He couldn’t connect with the magic, but maybe he could direct it.
Ber reached out a mental hand to guide the overwhelming energy—only to have the breath forced from his lungs when the magic flowed into him.Into, not through. He wavered on his feet, only his hold on his brother keeping him upright. His vision became a hazy, white blur, and his heartbeat was the only sound he heard.
I could work a true spell with this.
For the first time in his life, Ber could perform real magic—and he didn’t have a clue what to do with it.
“Let go before you burn yourself out,”Toren demanded.
“No.”Ber’s grip tightened around his brother’s shoulders.“I’m not just dispelling the energy. Tor, I think I can use it.”
Surprise and fear hurtled across their mental link.“I don’t think—”
“I won’t remake the kingdom,”Ber sent, grinning wickedly.“But there’s a simpler spell I rarely have the power to use.”
Then with a wave of his hand, he cast a truth spell around the entire Centoi contingent.
