“A blessing?” I exclaim, rage embedded in my disbelief. “This whole thing has been acurse.”
“You might view it that way, and in some capacity, I can understand.” No, she can’t. There’s no way she could. “If your mother hadn’t done what she did—”
“I would’ve died a long time ago,” I deadpan.
“That’s not what I’m saying. Your mother loved you very much. That is clear by the treason. She hid you for years, faked your death, Kalliope. Don’t you understand? The prophecy never died out. Somehow, it knew you were still with us, and you were going to be the one to save us all.” Her words start getting quieter, eyes glazing over like she’s had an epiphany. “This was all supposed to happen. Do you see that?”
Flames still at the ready, I give her a once-over before sharply shaking my head.
“You just said if you had stayed, you would’ve died. Your mother didn’t hide you just to save you. She did it to save us all.” She covers her mouth as the last word cracks. The wall pulsesagain, brighter this time, and as if she didn’t see it the first time, her head whips to it, then back to me. “It’s been a pleasure, Kalliope.”
“Kallie,” I correct.
“There’s greatness in your future, should you choose right.” Her hand grazes the gray stone behind her, and the lights spiderweb out. Purple slithers over cracks, turning and twisting until it’s complete. A beautiful fluorescent purple poppy is drawn, and as the bulb, the necklace I’ve never taken off, the one I felt so attached to all these years, lays waiting.
Celene reaches out and plucks it from the wall. The light slowly fades, and she suddenly looks up, as if the heavens are speaking to her. Actually, they probably are. Without another word, she glides closer and hands me the necklace.
Extinguishing the flames, I hold my hand out, and she gently places it, wrapping my fingers around the amulet as hers wrap over mine. “I don’t understand. You’re just giving it to me?”
“As you can imagine, I can’t say much, but yes. This is yours, and I—we—know you’ll take very good care of it.” We were literally just in a stand-off, and now she’s just going to hand it over?
“What’s the catch?”
“There’s no catch. Take it. You and your friends must be on your way. But I shall warn you, do not let that fall into the wrong hands, or else this would’ve all been for nothing.” Before my eyes, she vanishes, slowly fading, dimming until I’m alone in the cave.
Unfolding my fingers, I stare at the necklace I’ve stared at thousands of times, and without hesitation, I secure it around my neck, the weight feeling heavier than it ever has before.
I let out a long, steady breath, and my eyes shut, gripping the amulet in my palm as I soak in everything Celene said and allow it to take hold. I guess I relaxed a little too much, the effects ofthe exhaustion showing, because the wall between Voraxis and me slips open.
Kallie? Are you okay?His voice is laced in worry, and I feel terrible for shutting him out.
I’m okay.
The sigh of relief he releases skates down the bond and causes goosebumps to cover my arms.We’ve been trying to get through, but clearly we’ve been unsuccessful.
Fuck, how long have I been in here?I’m coming back.I look toward the way I came, thinking if all goes according to plan, I should be able to just walk back through.
I got the necklace.
TWENTY-SIX
KingAmbroyss
Slowly but surely, the basement has begun filling with candidates—unwilling, of course, but candidates, nonetheless. Days have passed since 763’s departure, taking some of my best soldiers with him in order to retrieve my daughter. Still, it’s hard to believe she was tucked away all this time, hiding somewhere so close but so far away. I should’ve known something was amiss. Elizabeth was always too smart for her own good, always had something up her sleeve.
Plans have come to a nearly screeching halt since Kalliope escaped. She’s the key to making all my dreams a reality, and all those responsible for letting her slip away will be dealt with…in time. However, that’s a later issue. Right now, I have to get all my little ducks in a row for when she makes her return.
Descending the staircase, my shoes echo as they pound against each cement step, allowing me deeper under the castle. The lowest level is where we’ve been keeping the most unruly ofthem. Higher security measures have been put into place since Kalliope’s escape, and to my dismay, there are a few guests putting up more of a fight than anticipated.
All of them…so ungrateful. Not an ounce of appreciation for me or what I’m doingforthem. This is all for the greater good, for the people of Siderium. Soon they will understand. Soon they will worship at my feet.
Reaching the bottom, I’m greeted by the unmistakable clank of buckets ricocheting off the bars down the hall. I told them they were supposed to be reinforced inallthe cells. Pressing my fingers to my forehead, I can already feel the tension headache brewing. Letting out a long, heavy sigh, I deviate from where I was originally going and head in the direction of the chaos.
The steel door sticks a bit as I pull it open, sending out a high-pitched squeak and announcing my arrival. Upon entering, I’m shocked to see Katerina standing in the middle of the room.
“Daddy!” she exclaims, rushing toward me.
I hold out my arm to stop her advance. “What are you doing in here?”
