“I’m pretty sure I’ll always want you here.” My body filled with the calmness of their souls coaxing mine.
There was a time when I wouldn’t have wanted anyone around, but that time had long since passed. I knew that not only did Iwantcompany during my immortal life, but Ineededit.
The door opened, and Emperor Lloyd stepped in hesitantly before walking toward the bed and stopping in front of it with his hands tucked in front of him. “I’m glad you’re all finally awake. You’ve been asleep for thirteen hours.”
Emperor Lloyd reminded me of his great-grandfather—well,of Matthieu. But I thought that was because I wanted to see the resemblance. I wanted a reason to not trust him, but I needed a genuine reason for that. His crown sat atop his auburn short hair, and his brown eyes twinkled with worry. I could smell the ash scent lingering around him, something most fire mages had.
He only reminded me of his great-grandfather in appearance and appearance alone.
“Thank you for seeing to us,” Silas mumbled, running his hand over his face. “Bless, we have atonof shit to tell you.”
“Why don’t we start with the unknown monster destroying everything in its path that can’t be killed?” Emperor Lloyd quirked a brow, his lips thinned into a line.
“That would be Matthieu,” I said in a croaked voice, my throat still tight from the panic of waking up somewhere unfamiliar after facing him.
At least his outside form finally matched the black spirit tied to his vessel.
Emperor Lloyd shook his head slowly, and his hand trembled as he removed his crown and held it at his side. “That’s impossible, Master Fawn. Mages don’t turn into monsters.”
“He took a potion, and then he transformed into that…thing,” Silas spat, getting up to stand in front of the emperor, who looked at him with a mix of emotions raging across his face. “He and Fawn were fighting, and as soon as she got the upper hand, he downed something that turned him into a monster. I wouldn’t believe it either if I hadn’t seen it with my own two eyes.”
“Why would they fight?” His eyes snapped to mine. “I sent you torescuehim.”
“He didn’t need rescuing!” I shouted, pushing up off the bed and standing toe-to-toe with the emperor. “Matthieu’s the power-hungry bone mage we’ve been looking for! He wants chaos and destruction, and he succeeded in tearing down the Revivium Empire withyourhelp, knowingly or not!”
He blinked at me in disbelief, taking a small step back. “What are you talking about?”
“He killed Emperor and Empress Hayes, and he demolished the palace! The Revivium Empire has fallen completely!”
“I know it fell, but I didn’t know that the emperor and empress…” Emperor Lloyd pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a stream of air.
“You knew about him, though, didn’t you?” Tears streamed down my cheeks, but I held onto the fury raging through my veins.
“Knew what, exactly?” He thinned his lips into a line. “Because I don’t entirely believe your story of Matthieu being the one behind this.”
“Matthieu’simmortal, like me, and he’s been biding his time fuckingperfectly. He killed your great-whatever grandfather and took his place, morphing into him. Then he gotme.”My heart raced painfully as the memories of Matthieu having us locked in the damned dungeon as he allowed hordes of monsters to wreak havoc on the palace flooded back.
His dark spirit was truly monstrous. His amused but cold eyes were just like the emperor he’d morphed into all those centuries ago, but the evil spirit behind the vessel had been the same.
“He failed to do what he wanted, which was bonding our souls,” I continued, with venom in my tone. “Something he only had a chance to try because ofyou! Now, he’s on arampageas a grotesque monster, the likes of which I’ve never seen before in my life!”
The emperor’s face twisted into shock, and he opened and closed his mouth like a fish for a moment before finally speaking. “I don’t believe it. Matthieu has been a loyal family member for centuries, guiding our bloodline as he kept his immortality a secret. There is no way he would do such a thing. Irefuseto accept it!”
“Youdidknow about his immortality…” I said barely above a whisper. “You knew he was the same emperor who turned me into…this.”
The emperor looked away for a few seconds before nodding his head slowly in agreement. “I concede that, but he let you go to live your life for years. There was absolutely no indication that you were more than a tool to tear down the monsters. Why would he turn into a monster himself?”
Silas placed a hand on my shoulder, squeezing, before glancing at Bastian. “Do you have a truth serum on you?”
Bastian nodded, grabbing a potion from his rune and tossing it toward Silas. “Here ya go.”
“Wait.” Emperor Lloyd lifted his hand and sent his magic forth toward the potion, verifying that it was indeed a truth serum before dropping his arm to his side with a nod. “Proceed.”
Silas turned toward the emperor and flicked the top off the vial before drinking it and meeting his gaze with a fierce look of determination. “Everything Fawn just said was the truth. When we reached the palace, it was a damnedblood bathwith monsters against mages. Monsters were winning over the mages like nothing I’d ever seen before. We battled alongside the mages, but Fawn went ahead to find Matthieu peryour orders. When we finally caught up with her, she was bloodied and bruised. AndMatthieucame out of nowhere and sprayed potion that nullified our powers for forty-eight hours.”
“Which means the potion would probably last longer on a magenottied to Hexarium,” I mumbled, crossing my arms.
“He tortured us relentlessly without actually killing us,” Silas spat, anger burning in his gaze as his shoulders trembled. “He skinned Casper and Jasper’s faces off, gave Aimon a potion that made him upchuck all the toxins in his body, melted the flesh off Bastian’s hands, choked me until I blacked out, and he had a spirit mage try to break our bonds so he could bond Fawn’s soul to his. He also sliced her body up with a dagger and reminded her of all the shit she’s suppressed over the years. Matthieu ismore thanevil. He’s finally turned into the monster he actually is.”
