As if she had just noticed the presence of our allies in white gathered around where the portal had previously stood open, Celanea’s golden eyes brightened with glee. Valik was nowhere in sight. “Ah, my brothers and sisters. Fancy seeing you come out of hiding at last. I would say I’m honored, but betrayal is just something I can’t forgive.”
The tall woman with the chestnut hair stepped forward. “What is your plan when you’ve drained everything for your existence, Celanea? Then what will you do?”
Celanea shrugged. “There’s always Elysium. I hear the Angels are quite powerful…” Her gaze shifted to Slate, a hunger gleaming in her smile. “Perhaps I should test it out now.”
“I’m not an Angel,” Slate responded, fearless in his strong tone and poised stance.
“Nonetheless. Your aura is so strong. The power that wafts from you is delectable.” The Tempest Queen giggled. “I can’t wait to sample it.”
I’d heard enough. I wasn’t sure if it was due to everything that had happened recently, or it was because I was already falling into devolution, but the anger that consumed me was blinding. This woman had taken so much from me in recent months. She had to be stopped.
I flung my electricity at her while she was distracted with my Guardian, blue volts wavering in the dim lighting of dawn. I lunged to run for her, but Chrome snatched me back by my wrist. Too late. My vision was already red.
“Gray…no. Trust me,” Chrome urged, his metallic eyes swirling with anxiety.
It only pissed me off more. How could he stop me? Heneverstopped me.
I scoffed at him, yanking my wrist free. “Don’t tell me what to do. Or have you forgotten that?”
“Timing, Princess. It’s all about timing.”
I looked back at Celanea. My magic engulfed her in a blue blanket that matched Royal’s hair. She seemed completely unaffected.
In a blink, she pirouetted to stand behind Smokey, seizing onto his throat. “Try anything else, and the traitor dies.”
I straightened and scanned the area to assess the entire situation. Our strengths, our weaknesses. Chrome knew more than any of us what Celanea was capable of, so I trusted his direction. It appeared that our allies in white had some history with her. Slate had some Angel lineage, but who knew how far that power stretched for him.Chrome was recovering from death. And me? I was a rioting mess on the inside and already feeling the physical effects of devolution.
Apparently, Kinetic and Elemental magic weren’t effective on her. She was essentially immortal. Infernals surrounded us with varying psychic abilities. It made me wonder why Chrome hadn’t possessed that when he’d been Infernal.
Onyx stepped forward. “Take me instead.”
Chrome and I moved to protest, but Smokey shook his head. “No, son. You lived. Keep living, my boy. I love you.” And in a move that only a Supreme Trainer could master, he spun around, snatching the knife harnessed on Celanea’s waist, stabbing it in the space between her ribs.
Celanea gasped, but the sound of Smokey’s neck loudly snapping pierced the suspended silence over the courtyard. She flashed a seething grimace, making her appear feral and wild, then yanked the blade from her flesh only to jam it into Smokey’s chest. She kicked the hilt with the bottom of her boot, shoving it as deep as the knife would go.
My hand covered my mouth as I watched the Supreme Trainer collapse onto his side, lifeless.
Onyx’s nostrils flared, his amber eyes nearly igniting to the color of flames as he stared at his father’s dead body. Cotton stepped forward, wrapping his fingers around Onyx’s biceps. Onyx didn’t move.
Cotton kept his eyes pinned on his father, his jaw set. Sage Sjodin remained bound on his knees, closing his eyes as Onyx’s father lay before him.
“Well, shall we proceed?” Celanea shrugged, not bothering to retrieve her knife. “I must admit, when Forest brought me these two, I didn’t see their value at first. But after he revealed that they’re wonderful instruments to contain a restless fire, I have to say, I was wrong in my initial assumptions. These two are proving to be worth it.”
“Now, Celanea…Your Majesty…” Shadow crooned, a smile crooked on one side of his face, identical to the one that Onyx flashed when he was being mischievous. “I think you gave my father too much credit.”
My brows raised, then I looked at Chrome. What the hell was he doing?
Onyx balled his fists at his side, searing Shadow with a fiery stare. The only thing stopping him from his coiled stance from springing at his half-brother was Cotton, who held him firm from behind around his chest.
Shadow swaggered forward, striding with confidence toward the Tempest queen until he stood before her and dropped to a knee. “Any parent of mine would’ve pledged their loyalty to you. I know my mother would’ve. But Forest never gave her the chance, and she was killed before she was able to.” He angled his head to spear Chrome with eyes filled with icy shards. “By Chrome.”
“Pity.” Celanea didn’t sound apologetic at all, even as she assessed the man bowing at her feet.
“Fucking traitor,” Chrome hissed beside me under his breath. “I’ll kill him myself.”
Celanea appraised Shadow. “You’re handsome, very much like my little pet, Chrome, over there. I’m sad to say that I’ve lost too many people this evening. It can’t hurt to replenish my ranks with a half-breed Celestial. I believe I can make our bond special…” She licked her bottom lip, forming a predatory smile.
Shadow returned it with a flirtatious grin. “I know when I’m fighting on the losing side. And you’re just too beautiful and superior to ignore. I go where the power resides. I will serve you faithfully, my queen.” He bowed his head.
