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“She will trade her freedom for Reilyn’s life if Araki comes to the warehouse to make the trade. Otherwise, she’ll turn this Nala into a vampire.” Klaus’s brows furrowed as he looked up. “Who’s Nala?”
My voice shook as I replied, “My sister.”
Araki held my face and forced me to look at him. “We will get her back, Reilyn. I swear to it.”
My fingers curled into his tunic. “Remove the union spell.”
“No,” Araki refused immediately.
“Please! You have to. Otherwise, she’ll kill me and kill you with me. I can’t let her hurt Nala, Araki. Please. If you remove the Union spell, I won’t be—”
Klaus was the one who stopped me by putting a hand on my shoulder. “Opaline knows Araki wouldn’t simply hand youover when killing you will kill him, Reilyn. She has something else planned… and I would hate to see what sort of vampires and other dark magic she could perform by killing you.”
“Then what are we going to do?” I cried.
Klaus took a seat next to us. “Opaline doesn’t know me. She doesn’t know my fire magic. This is the same warehouse we were attacked before, correct?”
Araki nodded.
“Then here’s what we’re going to do.” Klaus grinned. “We’re going to give her exactly what she wants and more. We’re going to lace the tunnels and warehouse with fire charges. As soon as Araki gets Nala out, Reilyn will use my magic to light the charges and then teleport away.”
My heart beat a little faster. Could it work?
I looked at Araki. His expression was grim and feral all at the same time. He grinned. “Let’s give her hell.”
***
As soon as we had the fire chargers, we headed out. We were quicker working our way to the warehouse this time than previously. But when we got there, it wasn’t empty. A ring of black fire rose in the centre of the room, the flames reaching waist-high. They flickered and danced silently, like shadows that sucked in the light rather than emitting it. A small figure lay at the centre of the flames. Ashen and hunched over as though in pain.
I froze at the doorway as Araki cursed, resting his arm on my shoulder. The figure lifted her head. The shadowy flames died down to only a few inches, letting me see Nala’s face.Blood trickled from her nostrils and ears. One hand reached out, shaking. Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.
I dashed into the warehouse, screaming Nala’s name before I knew what I was doing. I called up the magic in my veins, bringing it to spark at my fingertips. My heart slammed into my ribs, blood pulsing in my ears.
“Nala!” I cried again.
Araki was right behind me. We skidded to a stop just this side of the black flames. No heat seemed to come off them, but they reared higher the closer we got. My hands clenched into fists as I turned to him. But even as I opened my mouth to ask what we should do, I felt something shift around us. Opaline appeared behind Araki. Before I could even scream, a black sword was thrust through his stomach. Fiery pain shot through me as Araki cried out. He grabbed at the sword. It slipped through bloody fingers, and Opaline stepped back with a triumphant grin. I clutched my stomach, then stumbled forward. I caught Araki as he swayed but had no strength. We fell together, hitting the stone floor with a thud.
“I knew I could count on you being sentimental, Reilyn,” Opaline purred as she circled us. “Just like Briggs.”
Blood gushed between Araki’s lips as he gasped noisily. His eyes were wide, the pupils expanding to take nearly the whole iris. I reached for his wrist, but Opaline kicked my arm away. I tumbled weakly to my side, whimpering.
“With the power generated from the boy’s death, I can raise entire graveyards from their death. I will have an army unlike any that has been seen before.” Opaline bent beside me, pushing my hair from my face. Her face softened into the motherly look I knew so well—but I knew it as the lie it was now.“And you can be the queen, just as I promised. Reilyn, queen of the dead, damned and dying.”
She smiled at me, and a bolt of fear went through me. She was going to make me into one of her vampires. I wasn’t going to let this happen. I willed the little strength left in me and threw myself forward, slamming my forehead into her chin. Opaline yelped as something cracked. My bones or hers? My vision blacked out, but I’d bought the time I needed. My fingers closed around Araki’s wrist with one hand as I lunged through the black flame.
It was as though I’d plunged my body straight into ice. Pain flared, making my dark vision turn white. I grabbed Nala’s fingers and teleported us away with the last of my strength. A darkness passed in and out over my vision. Klaus’s face appeared, then disappeared. Heat traced over my skin, a burning ache in my gut. Something touched my lips. At some point, something small pressed into my hand, and I clung to it as though it alone could save me from pitching into this eternal blackness that threatened to engulf me. Araki’s voice echoed in my ears. “Our fates unbound, untwined. Be free.”
And just like that, the pain was gone. I lay on my back, the stars spinning overhead. Panicked voices echoed all around me. A trembling hand clung to mine, and I turned my head. Nala crouched next to me. Her face was bruised, tears streamed down her cheeks, and she dropped next to me, sobbing as she pressed her face into my shoulder.
“Are you hurt?” I groaned.
“Get them to the palace at once,” a voice ordered from my other side.
I turned my head. Klaus held Araki in his arms, hurrying. Guards surrounded us. I knew them. Though the pain was gone, I didn’t have the strength to resist them. Only after one of the guards got me to my feet, holding me against him to support my weight, Nala clutching my hand as she trailed after us, did I understand what this meant. Araki had performed the counter spell. We were no longer bound. Because he was going to die, and with his last breath, he made sure he wouldn’t take me with him.
“No!” No, it couldn’t be happening!” I screamed.
Nala tugged at my hand. “Reilyn. Reilyn—”
