Icarus felt his body go cold as he watched the light leave her eyes. There one moment and gone the next, he still reached for her. Her fingertips slid seamlessly away from his as she fell backwards, arching at an unnatural angle before hitting the grand staircase behind her. With a sickening thud, she rolled, tumbling until she came to a rest at the very bottom where a series of screams and gasps erupted through the filled dining hall. On instinct, Icarus rushed forward as if there was something that could be done for his friend, still warm in death, surrounded by a gathering of witches and wizards who searched for the source of her demise.
Before he could call out, he felt the vice of his uncle’s grip clench his arm. His strands of black and crimson magic twisted around Icarus’s insides, coiling beneath his skin, cutting off his cry of shock and any words that might have followed. Cyrus leaned in, a smile in his voice as he whispered, “See what you’ve done, nephew. Traitor. Murderer.”
As though summoned by the act, footsteps raced down the long hall he had come from that led to the landing above the ball below, and three sets of wide eyes fell upon the scene. Seren, Arabella . . . and Lily. Still, Icarus could not cry out. Could not utter a sound. His uncle’s magic boiled within his veins, bolstered now by the omnis stone. He should have known his own rage would not be enough. He should have stopped to see past his anger for just a moment to think of a better plan. The man who had hold of him was not the aging wizard who could be easily dealt with. Paired with the stone, he was a force beyond any magic Icarus had ever encountered.
“W–what’s happened?” Lily stammered, looking between Icarus and Cyrus.
“He’s murdered your aunt, Lilith. Come, see for yourself.” Cyrus’s voice boomed across the crowd as though giving a speech he had rehearsed each night. “See what this cursed traitor has done. I have said it before, and deem it truer still–once a blood traitor, always a blood traitor. We should see him burned for his crime.”
NO,Icarus wanted to roar, but Cyrus’s magic continued to slice through him, hot and acidic in its nature. As if he were burning from the inside out already. Mixed with the cold shock of seeing his dearest friend cast to her death, it was a wonder he was still upright. That he could do anything but crumble under the weight of it all.
Though Seren tried to grab her arm, Lily stepped forward, trembling, to see over the rail. At the bottom her aunt sprawled lifelessly, blood pouring from her nose and eyes. Lily’s hand rose to cover her mouth as she released a silent scream and a burst of bright purple magic soared out around her, knocking all of them off their feet.
“No,” she trembled. “No, no, no. This can’t be true. I can fix her. I can fix her!” Lily tried to go forward, but Cyrus was there, blocking her way. He released Icarus physically, but his power held tight. The room around him started to dim as the dark spell ravaged him.
“I am afraid you cannot, child. She is beyond saving thanks to this man. Icarus Atwood attacked Headmistress Sinclair in cold blood.” His voice rang out above the masses before he turned with words on his lips that were for their small group alone. “You tried to help your aunt, dear Lilith. You did everything right . . . Your aunt was only trying to do what was best for your homeland, and Icarus killed her for it. Let us see what happens to those who cross a blood witch.”
NO!The thought roared along with his magic that slammed against his uncle's relentless hold, but there was only a twitch of his fingers to show for it.
Lily fell to her knees, but a fury like no other shone within the deep amethyst of her eyes. A promise of blood and magic.
“Just think about this, Lily,” Seren called out, staring between him and her friend who was surrounded by the beginnings of an amethyst cyclone of magic. Despite Seren’s words for pause, dark lightning crackled over her skin, eating at the thinner lace of her dress.
“Hekilledmy aunt. What is there to think about, Seren?” Her voice cracked with the threat of unshed tears, her magic continued to gather, and Icarus felt the blood beneath his skin begin to rush uncomfortably fast as she turned her gaze onto him. Her fury was almost as potent as Cyrus’s amplified curse, binding him in silence and agony. Those below were calling up encouragement to the young woman; what seemed like everyone but a figure with striking red hair who fought to reach the front near Sidonia’s body.
“Icarus wouldn’t have done that, please Lily, he wouldn’t,” Seren begged, stepping closer. Arabella, at her back, mirrored the movement, a growing anxiety in her eyes as she watched them all. His vision pulsed in and out, but Icarus could still see the calculation there–that she would be willing to do what Seren could not to the only friend she had at Calami Tower. “Please, Lily, let him go.” He watched Seren break like a dark tempest splitting across a sea. She dropped to her knees beside her friend, lightning sputtering out. “Whatever happened, we can make this right.”
“There is no making this right. The only thing left is justice.” Reaching for her boot, she summoned a small silver blade and slit the length of her palm before speaking a chant in a language even Icarus did not recognize.
More pain, an agony like a thousand knives exploded across his skin. His augure-bearing arm could not be lifted to defend himself as it was wrapped once more within Cyrus’s clutches and his power was still bound tight. Seren cried out, reaching for Lily but Arabella’s magic found her first, blasting her sideways in a burst of that encompassing white light. Lilith let out a screech and Cyrus hissed in pain and surprise.
In a great rush, several things happened at once. His overwhelming pain dulled and the crowd below surged forward, witches and wizards alike rushing up the stairs to come to the aid of their fallen leaders.
A sharp snapping sounded and Cal appeared, blinking into existence for only a second as he grabbed for the three of them. Hands everywhere pulled at Icarus’s weakened body that had been razed by both Cyrus and Lilith’s power. He could feel the warmth of Seren’s and the furious counter-pull of his uncle’s, grappling to recover from Ara’s powerful spell. In the mix, there was Cal, giving a great yank towards his green portal. They had all linked hands, ready to pass through together, carrying Icarus whose body was so weak he was practically useless in the struggle. When it seemed they might not win in their terrible game of tug-of-war, he felt Seren’s grip go slack only to close around Cyrus’s arm to administer a fierce dose of black lightning.
All at once, a great pulling overtook Icarus, followed by the dizzying whirl of time and space that always came with portaling. Swirls of green magic and darkness fought for dominance in his vision and he felt the bodies of the other three struggling to find a footing as they landed with his weight in their arms. When at last the portal spins cleared, Icarus blinked into the dark, dense forest that surrounded them.
In the distance, furious screams rang out and the light of Calami Tower burned bright against a black sky.
Chapter thirty-two
Seren Marudas
Theworldwashollowand foreign all at once. The Whispering Woods stretched around them as wind blew through the trees whispering dark secrets better left unsaid. Seren struggled to center her mind as chaotic thoughts engulfed her.
“What the actual fuck just happened?” Calder said as he wrapped her sister in an embrace.
Ara wept into his shoulder and Seren was jealous of her sister's ability to release the emotion that was crowding Seren’s thoughts.
“Icarus!” Calder’s forceful voice snapped Seren from her revelry.
She turned to find Icarus staring at Calami, his handsome face haunted and empty. She understood the meaning of Calder’s intonation when she saw the hollowness radiating from him. He was drowning in the past and the present, unable to come up for air. Lily’s betrayal would have to wait.
Seren reached for him, threading her hand into his and placing her other on his chest. She closed her eyes, feeling the steady beat of his heart. Tonight could have ended much differently, and she relished the feel of him alive beneath her hand.
“Icarus,” She said gently.
He only stared ahead seeing ghosts and demons congregating in a dark dance. She lifted the hand that had been threaded in his and gently brushed it against his cheek, the stubble of his beard pricking against her.
