I thrash against the chains, unable to move more than a few inches.
“For our plans to unfold, we needed your father out of the picture. See, he thought we were helping him—we truly don’t want Kalix here, we want Carobon. And having both Great Wiitches on this realm won’t end well, I’m afraid. But things will get interesting in the meantime.”
My eyes shift toward my axes, the gold blades signing in the candlelight. “Calia, my father poured lies into your head. You don’t have to do this.”
She laughs. “Are you insinuating that he corrupted me? Sweetheart, who do you think brought him the crystal five years ago to begin the testing on you and your mother? Who do you think aided in the destruction of my kingdom, Cammon? I did, searching for the crystal, and now that I have it, I don’t minddestroying your kingdom either. I’ve lost everything for this and it’s time I get them back.”
I look in the opposite direction, noticing the blood dripping from the walls. Rigils drawn in blood glow faintly on the stone. I snap my head back toward her, trying to calm my racing heart.
“I’m offended you think he came up with this plan. You see, Thatcher was successful in completing all the rituals. Well, almost successful. We got close to failing in the third trial, but you helped us out by saving Rohhit’s life. We felt the shockwave of magic in the castle, and we knew something much stronger than Thatcher assisted with that. With the power flowing through this kingdom right now, we could raise an army of the dead to finish our plans.”
My wrists sting in pain, the chains cutting into my flesh as I move against the restraints, trying to feel if the crystal is still in my possession. “We seem to have a common goal, Calia,” I say, my voice deathly calm. “I don’t want this darkness in me either. I’ll gladly send Kalix back to her shadowy grave.”
My drained shadows flinch at my words as if Kalix barks in protest.
Calia stalks closer, a wide grin on her face. “Good. We were hoping you were going to feel that way. Then this should be easy,” she says, clapping her hands. “Once you are dead, we can use your blood to move forward with our ritual. Your blood is probably the most potent blood across all realms. People would pay handsomely to get their hands on you for ritual purposes.”
They are going to kill me.
The chains cling to my struggle as a thought enters my mind—I never told Maines or Silas about the room I found Rose in. Finding me will be impossible.
“If Kalix needed a vessel, who is Carobon’s? My father searched for Kalix’s vessel his whole life and was never truly successful,” I snap.
“Your father was a fool. Drunk off power and lust and was blind to who lived under his nose. He poured his magic for years into research and rituals. Look where he ended up, Briar. Weak, drained, and dead at the hands of the person he so desperately searched for,” she hisses over her shoulder as she continues to work around the ritual site.
I gaze toward Elrod. He’s not moving, standing motionless in the corner of the room, his blank stare fixated on me. I motion toward him with the little movement I have, but he doesn’t seem to truly see me, even though his gaze nearly burns a hole in my body. I continue to twist against the restraints, my left arm nearly free. Peeling my glare from him, I shift my eyes around the room.
“We believe we have found a vessel for Carobon. Or at least we are willing to try. I believe you know him well,” Calia’s voice slithers around the room once more.
Sweat forms on my brow, and the vagueness twists my nerves in my gut.
“Who?” I ask plainly, afraid to know the answer. Although I know who it is—my nightmares showed me hours earlier.
Calia glides to the door, her demeanor snake-like. She swings it open, the hinges hissing from the force. Nolan walks through, pushing Rohhit forward as he stumbles across the threshold. He is no longer injured but too drained of magic to fight back.
“Hello, Prince,” Calia bows. “Thank you for meeting us here.”
Through his haze, Rohhit makes eye contact with me, strapped to the stone altar, blood trickling down my wrists and ankles from the tight chains.
“What the fuck is going on?” Rohhit slurs, his eyes fluttering.
Calia laughs, tipping her head back. “Nolan, how much Dyisen did you give him? He didn’t tell you, Prince? We have plans for you—a way to guarantee the safety of Eddris and Lumor Wielders for all time.”
Rohhit’s eyes sluggishly move to Nolan’s. “What… what is she talking about?”
I can smell the drugs and panic on him—he’s helpless and not fully aware because of the medication coursing through his system, causing confusion and draining his magic. He was unconscious for most of the final battle and had no idea what I announced. He doesn’t realize Kalix is within me. My stomach twists with fear at what he might think about this. About me.
Nolan holds him upright. “Rohhit, this is the right thing to do. You’ve seen what Shadow Wielders can do, the magic they possess.” He throws his head in my direction. “You will protect many Lumor Wielders by doing this. It’s a sacrifice you should be willing to make for your people.”
My mouth hangs open. Just as I feared, they will use Rohhit as the vessel for Carobon. I try to sit up, failing to do so. “You all are insane if you think you can control Carobon. Getting the Great Wiitch to do any of your bidding is foolish. He will take over once more as he did all those years ago and many people—your people—will die!” My words come out harsh and sure. “You must trust me, Calia. I’ve seen what will come if you continue this.”
My mind snaps to the dreams I’ve had for so many years. The destruction all around, the chaos, the death. It was a vision of what is to come if this comes to fruition.
She turns her attention back to my defenseless body. “Ah, I thought you might start to ask questions and put things together, Briar. You are a smart woman. But you see, this is where you come in handy. Carobon will be gracious if we offer him something he’s always wanted, someone he’s always wanted revenge on—Kalix. And she just so happens to be here! Your blood will be very appetizing for him as a first meal.”
Calia’s hands move over the ritual site. Crystals, Rigils, and blood line the walls. Her ghostly figure looks haunting in thecandlelight as she’s draped in a long black dress coated with charged jewels. A vision of death, a bringer of chaos, and I’m horrified. The color drains from my face. Calia is serious about all of this. She will attempt this one way or another because she’s worked on this for years and truly lost everything. She has nothing to lose.
I move my eyes back in Elrod’s direction—he’s still standing there, not even blinking. “What have you done to him?”
