A guard pulled back the hilt of his sword before turning the almandine blade to her throat, halting her in place. Behind him, Cirny approached her. Rhay seemed torn, but then he stepped forward, curling his hands into fists, just to be pushed aside by another guard coming out of nowhere. Rhay yelled, side-stepping the sword aimed at him.
“Stay still,” Cirny said, drawing her attention away from Rhay. With the sharp edge of the sword pointed at her, Lora couldn’t move. The witch knelt in front of her, holding a vial to Lora’s open chest wound and letting it fill the glass tube. Her wound pinched painfully. There was something different about Cirny, but she couldn’t tell what.
Lora tried to call on her fire, but the almandine grazing her neck increased her exhaustion. When she was done, Cirny and the guard both walked away.
Lora braced her hands in front of her, trying to catch her breath. The cold floor reminded her once again of her time in the cell at the palace when she thought all was lost. When she thought she would die. But it hadn’t beenher.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar figure running towards her. Eyden knelt next to her, his hands on her shoulders, checking her over. His own shirt was bloodied and stained. A bruise had formed above his left eye. His forearm was an angry red. But he was standing, he wasliving.
“What the fuck happened?” he asked before his head turned, glimpsing Karwyn’s motionless body. “Fuck. I’m so sorry, Lora.” She choked on fresh tears, and Eyden pulled her into a hug even with the noise of the ongoing fight still around them.
Lora let his embrace comfort her for a few seconds as she tried to draw strength from it. This wasn’t over. This sacrifice, her mum’slife,couldn’t have been for nothing. Karwyn was gone, but they had another enemy in their midst, an enemy whose motivation they didn’t even know yet. Forcing her pain aside, Lora let the fire inside her burn it all away, turning the ashes torage.
She pushed Eyden back gently, and when he looked into her eyes, she knew he could read her intention. He nodded, helping her up. Her legs felt shaky, her power depleted even though she still felt the zap from the ritual flowing through her veins, scrambling all her emotions. Picking up her forgotten dagger, she marched forward, Eyden beside her.
Lora sliced a guard’s arm on her way, forcing herself to only feel rage. Her gaze briefly locked on Rhay, who seemed to be letting out all his frustrations on a guard himself. Eyden had picked up a sword, cutting through anyone in their path. With Eyden by her side, Lora strode through the crowd.
Not far away, Farren and Elyssa leaned over Amira, who was bleeding heavily. Karwyn’s knife had hit her stomach. Varsha fought a guard with her water power as gracefully as if she was painting.
They approached Tarnan as he accepted the vial of Lora’s blood from Cirny. Lora quickened her steps, but before they reached him, Tarnan unscrewed the vial and drank it. Every last drop.
Lora stopped cold. The sight twisted her stomach. She didn’t know his end goal, but she knew enough to be sure that this was bad.Very bad.
Next to her, Eyden stiffened. “Tarnan doesn’t leave here alive,” he said in her ear, his voice like gravel. They walked until they finally reached Tarnan, who was focused on the witch.
“Everything turned out as promised,” Cirny said to Tarnan, her back to them. “I did my part, now free me.”
Lora and Eyden moved to the side to get a better view, unsure of Tarnan’s next move.
Tarnan smiled at Cirny, but it didn’t seem all that friendly anymore. “Of course. You’ll be free soon enough.”
Cirny’s face brightened, a tear gathering in her eye.
“After all, there’s nothing more freeing than death.”
Eyes widening, Cirny took a step back.
“Kill yourself,” Tarnan growled. His voice sounded different, more powerful. He handed her a knife.
Lora was too shocked to move as Cirny took the knife from him. Her frail hands shook. “Why?” she asked. Her dark eyes swelled. “You promised to free me from the Adelway line.” She briefly glanced over her shoulder at Lora, and something clicked. Karwyn was dead. With him gone, Cirny must now be bound to Lora as the closest Adelway. If she’d asked, Lora would have agreed to free her. Why did she seek out Tarnan?
The witch’s eyes met Tarnan’s, and for a second, Lora thought she’d tell him to go to hell. Why would Cirny listen to his command? Instead, Cirny moved her shaking arm and dragged the knife across her throat swiftly, blood spraying from her neck. She dropped to the ground, her body twitching, and then she didn’t move at all.
“How…” Lora started, looking at Tarnan who wasn’t surprised by their presence. She felt Eyden’s hand next to hers, ready to whisk her away if needed.
“I really have to thank you, Lora,” Tarnan said, a satisfied grin taking over his usually calm face. There was something different about him. His warm, amber eyes turned blood red, shining with intense power. “I could never have lifted the curse without you. Well, you or Karwyn, but between us, I was hoping it’d be you.”
Lora shook her head in confusion. “I don’t understand…”
“Apologies. Where are my manners?” Tarnan cleared his throat. “Let me introduce myself properly. My true name is Tarnan Sartoya, and yes, I’m the heir to the Rubien crown.”
Chapter68
Eyden
Sartoya.The name hit Eyden like a bolt of lightning, taking his breath. Next to him, Lora looked just as taken aback. The children of Variel Sartoya had all perished. There was supposed to be no one left in the Sartoya bloodline.
“You’re lying,” Lora said.
