Her eyes meet mine as she realizes what my words mean. “The loyal heir ... No. You aren’t even Atlas’ heir — Thylas is,” she says, shaking her head, grabbing for the dagger in my hand.
“My queen.” I hold her wrist, keeping it from grasping what she wants. “Let me do this. Thylas may be his heir by blood, but it’s me who was loyal to him for so many years. I am the loyal heir. Because until we knew … I would have inherited the throne. Let me keep you safe.”
“Ereon, no ... I can’t lose you too.” She touches her shell and reaches out to touch mine as well. As she does, the shells hum with their brilliant light. The ripples ebbing and flowing between us. “You’re my twin drop. I need you.”
I wish I was a better man, one who deserves her. I wish I could have her in my bed every night, have her bear my children, and be the one with me as we grow old together. But I’m not and my wish is nothing but a dream. I’m not the man she deserves. I never was. That man is in Shaston with my father. Despite what I might have yelled at him before, he was the one who made her his sole focus — she was the sun around which his thoughts orbited. He dared to fight a prince to keep her, and then he surrendered her trembling hand into mine in the hopes that I would be able to keep her safe from the cruel world. And now … I can. This one, final time I can rise above the man I am and become the man she needs. I can do this one thing for us all. I take in the scent of her vanilla and coconut mixing with the salt around us, and I watch as tears slip down her cheeks. She won’t let me do this if I allow her the option. I know I’ll have to act fast so she can’tinterfere.
I pull her close to me, knowing I’ll shove her away before I let the blade slice my throat. It’s the last gift I can give her.
I take Carnaxa in my arms once more when the door to her room breaks away, and thePrelfunnel in.
fifty-nine
Carnaxa
Irefuse to allow him to do this; I cannot bear losing another person I love. I cling to his back, trying to work out a way to stop him from acting on his foolish thoughts. I know the prophecy just as he does, but I refuse to believe that he is the one to fulfill it. The door to my room suddenly breaks open. Ereon lets me go and charges into the room, with me following swiftly behind him.
FivePrelsoldiers storm into the room, weapons drawn. I release a strand of water that wraps around one of the men’s feet and he falls to the floor. Ereon releases his own power against the men thatcharge him. Rhenor has Siphonie in a corner as he fights another to keep her protected.
With his power surging, Ereon runs through the room and rolls across the bed, grabbing for his curved blades that still lay there. Finding them quickly, he stands, drawing them from their sheaths.
The soldier I had knocked to the floor gets up and smirks at me.“I can play like that too.” He faces his palm outward, air rushes through the room and pushes me backwards, forcing me to land on my back.
As if they were waiting for a signal, the others open their palms. Fire, wind, and dirt swirl around the room in a chaotic fury as Ereon and I throw up shields to protect us all. Three of the men set their sights on Ereon. Attacking his shield of ice with swords and magic, Ereon struggles to maintain his defense against the assault. He lashes out, his ice breaking one of the men’s necks as they fall to the floor.
A soldier runs at me, sneering and attempting to grab me. When he nears I let my magic grip around his neck and squeeze until he stops his charge. My magic feels drained, and I know it’s because of my release earlier when I was with my father. I try to summon water as Ereon continues his fight against two men.
Rhenor, seeing that only two remain, runs to help, sword drawn and a menacing look on his face. Siphonie runs out the door. Ereon’s blades twirl in his hands with a graceful and mesmerizing motion.
Siphonie’s screams filter through the air and I quickly look her way. A man seizes Siphonie by her pink locks, dragging herbackwards, and pins her back against his chest. “Now ... now ...” He holds the blade to her tawny neck. “I think that’s enough raucous."
Rhenor turns quickly, his sword held out. “Release her.”
“Why would I do that?” He mocks Rhenor with a laugh. “Seems like she’s good breeding stock. I might keep her to myself. I don’t have an heir yet.”
Rhenor takes a step forward. “Please ... let her go.”
The magic in my veins hums once more, and I beg for it to hurry. “I am Princess Carnaxa of Antalis. This is my home and you are not welcome here,” I say vehemently. “What is the meaning of all this?” Ereon cuts a look at me, but it’s the only thing I know to do. Keep the man talking so he won’t leave the room with her.
“We are here on King Atlas’ orders. He stated that when King Clennom died he would be the ruler of Antalis. So we are here to make sure that happens.”
“I am the ruler of Antalis,” I state, my magic building. “With my father deceased, I am Queen.”
“No. You married our prince. That makes you Shaston’s queen-consort. But that only happens when King Atlas falls. He’s alive and well, so if you don’t mind, Princess … You and your” — he looks around the room — “entourage can come peacefully with us or we can end this now. But speaking of our prince. Where is he?”
“Here on my father’s orders and you don’t even know who I am?” Ereon speaks up, sheathing his blades. The soldier he was fighting turns as if awaiting orders from the one with the knife to Siphonie’s neck. “I wasn’t aware you were here on my father’sorders. He sent me to make sure that we were here when King Clennom died, as witnesses. Sorry for my wife’s mouth ... it’s something we are still working on.”
I look at him, his dark mask that he’s so often worn fully in place, but underneath it I see the true him. The man whom I love and know, my prince and one day ... my king.
“Prince Ereon, welcome,” the soldier says and pushes the blade against Siphonie’s neck once more.
Ereon takes a step toward him and hesitates as the soldier he was fighting still stands a few feet from him. “Let the lady go, and we will come help you prepare Antalis for my father.”
The man that holds Siphonie looks around, weighing his options, and then he releases her, throwing her to Rhenor, who immediately starts checking her for injuries. “I’ll see you later,” the man states as he winks at Siphonie. “Remember my name, it’s Eiim. Maybe I’ll keep you out of theyir supa.”
Eiim walks over to Ereon. “Oh, and Prince, your father sent us with a message for you.” With astonishing swiftness, Eiim spins around, leaving no chance for anyone to halt his actions or mute the sickening squelch of the blade penetrating Ereon’s gut. Eiim redraws the blade, the silver wrapped in the crimson liquid of Ereon’s blood.
I lash out, my powers rolling around the room, and catch the soldiers in a swirling whirlpool, before I throw them so hard their bones break against the marbled walls. Running to Ereon, I drop to my knees. I hold my hands over his wound, applying firm and steady pressure, but he is bleeding too much and it is coming toofast. “No, no, no.” I pull the tunic that clings to his skin away. “I’ll find a way to stop this, I have to.”
