“Where would he have taken her?”he snarled in the star’s face.Okab, to his credit, didn’t react.Instead, he placed his hands over Emmeric’s calmly and hoisted himself to his feet.Em hated the look of pity he saw on his face.
“He would take her wherever she wanted to go.He loves her.”
Emmeric scoffed.“Heusedher.That bastard almostkilledher, and you’re trying to tell me he loves her?”
“I’m not saying my brother did the smartest thing—he didn’t.He was a fucking idiot, and I’ve told him that several times.But if she came to him and asked for his help with something, he would have taken her anywhere she asked.So ask yourself, where would she have gone?”
Kaz looked at Emmeric, her eyes wide with fear and understanding.They both realized where she went.Iyana was stubborn at best and recklessly stupid at worst.Emmeric was going to have to have a talk with her.They absolutely could not do this to each other.This was a partnership; they were in this together and they needed to think things through before acting.It was irresponsible of her to run headlong into a known trap.He was so angry that it almost eclipsed his fear.Almost.
Because he could still feel a hint of her emotions through the bond, and she was terrified.Whatever she had been hoping to do, it had gone horribly wrong.
Emmeric glared at Okab.“Take us to Athusia.Now.”
Chapter 56
Zane
Rigilhadbeenright—Iyanacame for them anyway, even though Zane was sure she had known it was a trap.At least he’d gotten to hug Talon one last time before they all died.
Silver magic sparked at Iyana’s fingertips as she stared down the Alpha Centauri.Hadar and Altair glowered at each other like there was a lifetime of wrongs and competition that were about to be thrown into this fight.Rigil simply stood there quietly, his hands in his pockets, the perfect picture of calm.He didn’t even look at the volatile magic dying to break free from the Aztia, as if it was of no concern to him.For all Zane knew, it wasn’t.The emperor inched backwards slowly while shoving Talon behind him, trying to keep out of the way of any errant strikes.If he had a sword, he’d absolutely join the fight.
“Alpha Centauri,” Iyana said, with a small nod of her head.It was more respect than Zane expected her to give to the star.
“The elusive Aztia, at last,” Rigil drawled.“You really have given me quite a lot of trouble with my general here, but I think I understand now after seeing you two together.”He glanced at Altair.“She’s your astalle, isn’t she?”
Altair clenched his jaw and didn’t respond, which evidently was all the confirmation Rigil needed.A broad smile spread across his face, and Hadar broke down in a fit of hysterical laughter.
“Mated to a human,” the Beta said between fits of laughter.“Oh, how the mighty general has fallen.”
“She’s not my mate,” Altair ground out.
“And she’s rejected you as well?”Hadar’s eyes lit up with unbridled glee.“This is just too good.”Rigil slashed a hand towards his unruly second, and Hadar finally shut up, wiping a tear from his eye and still grinning.
“You have something you wish to ask me,” Rigil said to Iyana, who had watched this entire exchange warily.
“I want to offer myself in exchange for the release of my friends.”
Shock rang through Zane at her words.Iyana was the type of person to throw herself into danger for her friends, but he didn’t think she would do something like this.Giving herself up to Rigil was handing their best weapon right to the enemy.Unless she had some plan he wasn’t aware of, Zane absolutely could not let this happen.
“Iyana, you can’t—” Talon started, but Zane elbowed him in the stomach to get him to shut up.It was still better if the attention stayed off of them.
Altair was staring at her like this was very muchnotpart of the original plan, and he wanted to spirit her away as swiftly as possible.“Astalle, don’t,” he murmured to her.The fact that she let his nickname for her slide was extremely telling.
Rigil chuckled.“I don’t negotiate with humans.”
Iyana narrowed her eyes at him.“But you have me, like you wanted.You don’t need to use them as bait anymore.”
“Exactly.”The Alpha’s gaze sharpened.“I don’t need them anymore, and they will die like everyone else that is close to you.”He leaned forward and lowered his voice.“I will hunt down anyone who has ever meant anything to you.If you’ve so much as uttered a nice word to them in passing on the street, they are marked for death.You’ll watch every single one of your friends die until I’ve broken you.”
With a scream of outrage, Iyana flung her hand forward and hurled her silver magic at Rigil.He raised his own hand, shadows streaming forth and breaking apart her attack.But Iyana had rushed at him behind her magic and was almost upon him, a ball of fire in her palm.The Alpha’s eyes widened slightly, and he disappeared, only to reappear mere feet to his left.Far enough for Iyana to miss him.
Iyana’s blast had freed Altair and Hadar from their standoff, and they were now battling each other.Altair had his sword made of fire, and Hadar was wielding two short swords that he hadn’t been wearing before.Zane had no idea where they had come from.The two traded blows, and it was soon apparent they were evenly matched.Altair may have had a slight advantage with his height and reach, but they’d had centuries to train with weaponry, and it showed.
Zane wished that he could help his friend, and he knew Talon felt the same.But they were both weak from their time without consistent food and water, and they didn’t have any weapons.Realistically, what could they do against two stars?
Magic was flying across the small space, enough so that Zane and Tal had to take cover behind one of the cell’s walls.Rigil had crafted a sword out of his shadows and was swinging it at Iyana.The Aztia was only barely able to avoid the blows, and it was clear all the training she’d been doing had been helpful.A few moons before, she never would have been capable of this amount of physical work.It was clear she was tiring, though.The sheer amount of magic she was using, plus having to run around an enclosed area to avoid Rigil’s strikes, was taking its toll.Her silver magic was dimmer and there was less force behind her blows.When she used fire instead, it didn’t appear as bright or as hot.
As Iyana flagged, Altair gained the upper hand on Hadar.He was pushing the smaller star back and had him on the defensive.Zane was observing both fights, trying to find an opening where he could lend some aid.
