A scream interrupted her thoughts. Whirling around, Amira’s gaze snapped to the bloody knife plunged into Lora’s upper arm. Karwyn had freed himself from his shackles. His bloodied hand squeezed Lora’s injury. Lora’s eyes widened in horror as their blood mixed together. Where had Karwyn gotten that knife?
Out of nowhere, a force stronger than Karwyn’s air magic threw Amira to the hard stone ground. She bit her lip as her head slammed against the floor. Pain radiated through her already weakened body. Farren fell next to her, breathing hard, cradling his arm to his chest.
Dizzy, Amira looked up to see a large transparent dome had appeared around the two cousins. It looked like it was made of electricity, the shimmer making it barely visible. Karwyn threw a violent gust of wind at Lora, pushing her to the edge of the dome. When Lora’s body crushed into the dome, she yelped like she had burned herself and stepped back quickly.
Karwyn let out an insane laugh. He had removed the gag. “The merge has begun, and it will only end when one of us wins. And if you refuse to fight, you know who will pay the price.”
“No!” Eyden yelled as he launched himself at the dome. But the force field pushed him back, singeing his sleeve and forearm. Lora stared at him, clearly terrified.
The smell of burned flesh infiltrated Amira’s nostrils, making her gag. It reminded her too much of her brother’s terrible executions and Elyssa’s burn wound.
Karwyn didn’t wait to launch himself at Lora. She hit him back with her fire that he countered with air.
“We have to do something!” Elyssa yelled.
“Can you do another spell?” Varsha suggested.
“Maybe if we use the talisman, we can break the force field,” Farren suggested, helping Amira up with his good arm.
“Try it!” Eyden yelled, panicked, still close to the force field surrounding Lora and Karwyn. Everyone was talking over one another, freaking out. It was pure chaos.
In the midst of desperate suggestions, one person had remained silent. Amira turned to face Tarnan, about to ask for his advice. But the King of Carnylen’s eyes were unlike Amira had ever seen. Gone was the familiar warmth. In its place grew twisted satisfaction.
All of a sudden, the door burst open, and dozens of guards filled the room, Layken and Saydren along with them.
“Right on time,” Tarnan said. He pointed at everyone except Amira. What was he doing? Why did he suddenly sound sodifferent?“They have betrayed your king.”
“What are you doing? Are you siding with Karwyn?” Amira managed to ask as her heart dropped in her chest. It didn’t make sense. Tarnan was like a father to her. He wasn’t like Wryen, he wasn’t like Karwyn. Or was he?
Tarnan let out a warm laugh, a sound Amira had found endearing before. Now, it sounded like torture, slithering over her skin and crushing her spirit. “Of course not. I’m onmyside.”
Amira’s blood seemed to slow as her world spun upside down. Trapped in her mind, Amira had blocked out the guards until Elyssa pulled her back as they attacked.
“Stay with Farren,” Elyssa said, “try to bring the field down. We’ll hold the guards back.” Without letting her reply, Elyssa planted a fiery kiss on Amira’s lips and launched herself at a guard. Tarnan retreated into a corner as he stared at the fight unfolding.
By Caelo, she despised him. She had been sostupidto assume Tarnan was honest in his intentions. That hecared.He was just like her brother, using her for his own gain. Why did he betray her? Did he want to start the ritual? Butwhy?
Amira’s hands twitched. She felt her remaining magic wanting to escape, to punish Tarnan, to protect everyone.
Cirny stepped forward, joining Tarnan’s side. Amira was close enough to catch her words. “My work here is done. The border has fallen, as I have promised you, my king.” The barrier between the fae world and the human world had fallen? It was going to be utter chaos.
Cirny bowed to Tarnan and took something out of her pocket. Another talisman, similar to the one they had retrieved in the Parae temple, only this one was embedded with a turquoise crystal in its centre. It had to be the second artefact. How had Tarnan managed to get it from the human land?
“I thought you cared about humans,” Amira stuttered, unable to see the full picture.
“I do. They make good slaves,” Tarnan said, matter-of-factly. He turned to Saydren. “Go check and report back to me.” Saydren, always whispering in Karwyn’s ear, was Tarnan’sspy?The royal healer swiftly left.
In shock from the betrayal, Amira barely reacted when Farren took her hand. “I still have our talisman, let’s bring this force field down. We haven’t lost yet.”
Behind them, Lora screamed in pain, drawing Amira’s attention. Karwyn had used his air magic to throw Lora against the force field. Lora’s fire was aimed at Karwyn. But her fire didn’t reach Karwyn. Instead, he lodged his knife between Lora’s ribs.
“Lora!” Eyden’s desperate voice rose above the chaos.
Lora’s gaze dropped to the knife in her flesh, blood staining her satin dress.
Amira tried to calm her erratic breathing. She had to focus. They needed her.
In the midst of all the chaos, Amira closed her eyes. She had been used by Tarnan. She had been abused by Karwyn and Wryen.
