Closing his eyes, he thought about Rory, how she laughed with her friends and cried over her mother. The reminder of sending her away flooded his memories, and his anger and anguish overrode his other emotions.
“Stop,” Sam commanded, and when Caius opened his eyes, they widened.
A small boulder sat before them, and black veins coated his hands. Pushing up his sleeves confirmed his suspicions; the veins stretched to his elbow.
Sam grabbed Caius’ wrist and turned it over, examining his skin. “You do not look surprised by these.”
“You do.” An ancientAngelbeing surprised by anything couldn’t be good, but he wasn’t focused on that. He was focused on the boulder.He’d done it.
“This has not happened to others who havecreated,” Sam observed, still studying the veins. “But they wereSeraphim, and you are only a mystic.”
“Can my body handle this much power?” Caius would cover himself in scars if it meant saving his mate, but if he died breaking free, it defeated the purpose.
“I don’t think so. Do you have more of these?” Sam asked, flicking his eyes over Caius’ tall frame. “This has happened before, yes?”
He flipped his arm over, looking at the veins. “Yes, on my hands, but they faded quickly.”
They didn’t hurt or itch as they appeared on his arms; they burned, but not in the physical, painful sense. It was an icy fire that heightened his anger, fanning the flames.
The veins were the living embodiment of his fury, strengthening him. It was euphoric.
“They are not fading now,” Sam remarked. “You need to find a different way. I do not know what this means.”
Caius yanked his sleeve down. “This is the only way.”
The commander stepped back, shaking his head. “I will not helpyou kill yourself. If Lauren and I must try to kill Gedeon ourselves, we will.”
They would die trying.
“I’ve succeeded,” Caius said, motioning to the boulder. “I can practice on my own. Gedeon is powerful, and I will not risk you or Lauren.”
“And what good will you be if you are dead?” Sam demanded, his wings spreading wide.
Caius used shadows to push the boulder off the arrowball field. “We don’t know if it’s going to kill me. It makes my veins darker, nothing else,” he lied.
“It looks like poison.” They left the field, walking around the pond and through the garden. “This could be what the prophecy meant, Caius. You cannot risk it.”
“I can, and I will.”
28
ERDIKOA
Sera,Dume, Rory, and Lauren rode in Lauren’s vehicle, while Keith and Kordie met them at the compound in Keith’s truck. Rory called Keith and Kordie earlier and explained everything. They were shocked but agreed to do whatever they could to help.
Keith pulled up to the security gate first, giving them their names and his parents’ names, and after presenting them with their mystic cards, the gate opened, allowing them through.
Keith used Rory’s new name, which made Rory stare at Lo. She couldn’t believe she named her after her cat form.
This was really happening.Rory might leave the compound with her memories today, and the idea both terrified and excited her.
As they piled out of their cars at Keith’s parents’ house, Rory trembled.
Dume’s hand squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“She drank a mystery potion. I think having aMunintry is safer than that,” Sera piped up.
Dume frowned. “I’m still not happy about that.”
