She tilted her head, considering the barrier. Beside me, Tempest hissed. She knew Carmine’s mother all right.
“You’ll need to wrap her in your magic,” said Athira. “That’s the only way this might work.”
I had to trick the demon king’s magic.No biggie.
I turned to Tempest and started to layer my magic over her. Actually… I’d accidentally prepared for this moment by learning how to make a copy of myself. I pressed the layers together with my magus magic, and I kept going until Tempest looked—andmagicallylooked—exactly like me.
“That trick came in handy sooner than I thought,” I murmured.
“You’re not through yet,” Athira snapped. “Hurry up. The guards are on the way down.”
Athira reached through and covered Tempest in her magic, then she stood back as we passed through.
“I didn’t think that would work,” she admitted, then peered at Tempest. “That disguise will make it easier to get to the gate, but she can’t go in dungeon rags.”
I stripped, and Tempest donned the boots and pants I’d worn into the Crave Arena, plus the hooded scarf and long-sleeved top that I’d put on before leaving the hideout. Which was an oversight. I should have washed and changed on the way here.
This day had been never-ending.
When I was naked but for my bindings and underwear, and Tempest was dressed, I asked, “What’s your plan?”
Athira held a finger to her lips. Grabbing Tempest’s arm, she then portaled away.
I paused only to magically scrub away our physical presence as much as possible. Some presence of mind had me cast magicback through the barrier to draw the dungeon door of Tempest’s cell closed too.
The rushed efforts wouldn’t pass a magical scan, but Tempest and Athira would only need an hour or two.
Hopefully less.
I portaled to my rooms and took care to drag the sulfurous scent of our presence through with me too.
I stared into the mirror on the opposite wall and took in my wide eyes and the pallor to my usual golden skin. All the secrets of me were visible in my eyes. That I was a mother. That I was a killer. That I’d betrayed my grandfather. That I loved someone more than myself, and that somehow that little someone was still alive after my worst fears had nearly come true today.
I’d seen my own ghost today—my twin.
And she was alive.Whole.
My twin was whole, and she already knew about the demon gates. She was fighting back. If there was anyone on Earth that I had faith in to win a war, it was Tempest.
Carmine had no clue what was coming for him.
24
The breath left me as I landed on my back. Again.
Steth was having the time of her life. Hadn’t she heard that Athira and I were best friends these days? Athira’s lapdog wasn’t hiding any of her enjoyment over kicking my ass.
“You’re distracted. Not trying,” she sneered.
Accurate.Not the trying part. Iwastrying. But my distraction was undeniable. “I raised an arena full of the dead yesterday.”
“You have enough power to fight.”
Also accurate, but she hadn’t factored in a sleepless night where I had showered and dressed after freeing Tempest from the dungeon, then left to check on Adeuto, andthenportaled to speak with my grandfather for the last time.
He’d sank in and out of consciousness, but I hoped he’d heard my assurances of Carmine’s death and of Adeuto’s safety. When I’d left him, he’d been mumbling incoherently about my father.
Athira must have killed him by now.
