My gaze snapped back to the scene of the battle. The pews were empty and abandoned now. Kaine and Alzira had driven the Avengers toward the door, standing protectively between them and my sister. Leaving her alone with the Blood Duchess. Ysabel crouched down, about to heal the duchess.
I had no idea what was about to happen, only instinct. I screamed, “Yzzy, stop! It’s a trap!”
Ysabel froze. But I’d spoken a fraction of a second too late. The Blood Duchess sat up and slashed a dagger at my sister’s wrist.
Alzira leapt forward and yanked Ysabel backward.
Duchess Hedri shook a drop of blood off the dagger into her mouth. “You fool. I’ve won.” Her injury completely faded away. The sword through her chest vanished, too, as if it had never existed.
Wasn’t it a bit soon for her to be declaring victory? Hadn’t I stopped whatever had been her trap?
Alzira made a strange croaking sound, then sank to her knees. I’d never be able to forget that wounded, confused expression as she gazed up at the only person she was completely unable to hurt. Her own blade had been shoved into her gut, and my sister held the sword. For a moment, I thought it must be another illusion. Ysabel would never have stabbed her own beloved friend. Then I saw the glazed look in my sister’s eyes.
Control. The duchess’s gift was control. That was how she’d killed Araceli’s family so long ago, how she’d risen to such a powerful position from her start as minor nobility, how she’d convinced the Conclave of her real identity and to back her move for power, and therealreason why she drank blood. No wonder she’d hid it. The gift wouldhave been useful in the World Games, but it was far, far more useful as a secret, allowing her to puppeteer powerful people behind the scenes and get away with any crimes she pleased. Now I understood her plan. But I was too late.
“Ari,” I screamed. “The Blood Duchess is controlling my sister. You have to stop her!”
“I hate when someone gives away the surprise ending.” Duchess Hedri pouted. “Holy Maiden Ysabel, kill yourself if anyone attacks me.”
Blank-eyed, Ysabel put the sword to her own throat.
Every muscle in my body stopped at once. This couldn’t be happening. Not my sister. Not Ysabel, who was always so perfect and implacable and took care of both of us. The world took on an unreal and blurry quality. Why hadn’t I stopped Ysabel from trying to heal my body? I’d already given up on becoming Bora again. If I’d just stopped her sooner, this never would have happened.
It was all my fault.
I didn’t dare take one step forward with my sister’s life at stake. My fingers gripped Ari’s sleeve to stop him, but he’d frozen, too. Kaine, about to lunge, stopped in midair so fast he must have used magic on himself. Agony filled his face. There was no one else left to do anything. The Avengers had already been taken down by Kaine and the room had been evacuated except for Donya, standing by the door as she helped the last elder through. Alzira was bleeding out on the floor, and I couldn’t even lift a finger to help her. I was useless yet again.
“My dear shadow, toss me your real weapon,” Duchess Hedri called. As she spoke, she twisted the smoky quartz ring on her finger. It flashed black. The ring must be a relic, and all along the shadow must have been a tool controlled by her.
The Living Shadow threw a sword to her. Red dots gleamed on it. I hoped that wasn’t Kaine’s blood.
My hopes were dashed when Duchess Hedri licked the blade. Kaine’s eyes took on the same glassy sheen as Ysabel’s as he fell under the duchess’s control. “Ah-ha! The man with thousands of gifts is mine! The power rush feels amazing.” Her eyes gleamed in the shadowyroom. She threw back her head and laughed. “Kaine, you could have conquered the world, if you hadn’t fallen for a woman too weak to use you properly. Now you’ll turnmeinto the final Dark Lord, the one who wins and claims everything.”
Most of the Avengers were already unconscious under Kaine and Alzira’s assault. Those trapped in the net looked stunned by the betrayal of the Living Shadow.
Duchess Hedri smirked and petted the shadow at her side. “You lot of revenge-seeking fools never realized why you were so ineffectual. Maybe you shouldn’t have trusted my own servant to aid in your plans to kill me. The shadow was never a person. It was always me talking to you through it, enjoying your pathetic attempts at revenge.”
Over the Duchess’s triumphant laughter, I barely made out a scraping on the floor. My eyes snapped over to the sound. Donya had slipped through the room, ducking low to hide under the pews, and grabbed Alzira’s body. As quietly as she could, she dragged Alzira toward the door.
The duchess hadn’t ordered my sister to kill herself if anyone tried to leave, but of course that could easily change. I had to distract the duchess before she noticed in order to give Donya time to save Alzira. Although the injury didn’t look fatal, Alzira needed immediate medical treatment, and if the Blood Duchess took control of Alzira too, it really would be all over for the world.
“I still have your body! I’ll kill myself if you don’t surrender!” I shouted.
This was definitely a bluff. I didn’t seriously expect it to work. Still, I was surprised when the duchess laughed in my face. (Withmy face, too. That was so annoying.) Duchess Hedri looked unconcerned. “If you don’t kill that worthless body, then I’ll murder it myself. I forced you to reveal your true identity because I’m planning to stay in this body forever.”
That didn’t sound good. Only my extensive experience careening from crisis to crisis was keeping me from panicking. Groping for ways to keep her talking, I said, “And you don’t care if anyone finds out about your crimes because you’re going full dark lord.”
She shrugged. “With Kaine’s power, I’ll crush the Conclave beneath my high heels.”
“Very ambitious, I admire that. But aren’t you sad about not getting your body back?”
“You can keep that old sack of bones. I want this younger, hotter body.” Duchess Hedri placed a hand on her chest.
I gasped. “Do you really think I’m hotter? That’s crazy. I thought you were more beautiful than me from the moment I laid eyes on you.” To be honest, this was largely me babbling and doing a desperate imitation of flattery to distract Duchess Hedri, as Donya had nearly made it to the door. It was true, though. I’d never been much of a liar. “Do I have poor self-esteem? Do webothhave poor self-esteem? Is this about how Falael used to insult your body? Because the man is an ass. He got into my head so badly that he made me start throwing up my food. Don’t listen to him! You’re gorgeous!”
“How nice of you to say, but I’m still going to kill you and everyone you love. Wait, are you trying to distract me?”
“I’m sorry, I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity. I did mean every word I said about your beauty. Never believe otherwise.”
