Something about this did not make sense. Had the gods carried their coffins out of the cavern when they’d escaped? But why? What would they need them for? More importantly, who was meant to go in those chains? They were a new addition, only added recently.
I slid my gaze back to Kalen, whose face was unreadable. The storm fae I’d faced in the castle courtyard had said something to me, and his words now echoed in my ears. He’d believed Kalen was the only one who could stop the gods. If he believed that, did Bellicent believe that, too? Did she intend to trap her own son?
“Kalen,” I hissed, my heart pounding as the deep sensation ofwrongnesswashed over me again. “I don’t think we should be here.”
But he kept his gaze forward, still inching around the edge of the platform. Through the bond, I could feel that he’d lost his grip on logic. The vow had consumed him now, forcing his every step forward, forcing him to hunt down his mother, who had to be somewhere nearby.
The familiar scent of lavender drifted into my nose.Oberon’sscent.
I realized what that meant a second too late.
A knife pressed into my throat. “Drop your weapon, my son, or Tessa Baran dies.”
Fifty-Four
Tessa
Alow growl rumbled from Kalen’s throat as he turned to face his mother and the dagger she pressed against my neck, hard enough that it cut the skin. Droplets of warm blood trailed down my skin, but I refused to show her my fear. All he needed was to distract her, just for a moment, and I could reach up and slam my hand against her face before she could slice my neck.
She’d be dust before she even knew what hit her.
My fingers itched by my sides.
“Mother.” Kalen’s hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. “Let her go. She has nothing to do with this.”
“I think not,” she snapped, though her voice sounded muted somehow, as if…her face was covered—protected from my touch.Damn it!“Now drop your weapon. I won’t ask again.”
“I can’t,” he said through gritted teeth. “Because I’m supposed to kill you. But you already knew that, didn’t you? You’ve known it for four hundred fucking years.”
She dug the blade deeper into my neck, and bright stars of pain flashed in my vision. Instead of answering, she said, “I’ll give you one more chance to drop the weapon. It’s up to you, my son. Andromeda would like to keep Tessa around, but not at the expense of my life. I’m far more important.”
Kalen shook, gritting his teeth.
“Kalen,” I whispered to him, forcing out the only words I could manage with that blade digging into my skin. “There are other ways.”
I hoped he could read what I was trying to send to him through the bond. He didn’t need his sword to stop her. Even with the cloth covering Bellicent’s face, I could take her down by calling upon Kalen’s power—she likely had no idea what we could do together. I just needed her to release the pressure on my throat. I could scarcely breathe, and my exhaustion muddied my vision. Still, I tried, but the thread felt too far out of reach.
With a mournful howl, Kalen ripped his hands free of the sword. It clattered onto the ground by his feet, and he slammed his boot against it. The sword flew into the mist, vanishing in the rubble.
He heaved, staring down at her. “There. Let her go now. Your business is with me.”
“Go stand over there by the fire.” She didn’t release the pressure on my throat. More blood dripped down my neck. The pain compounded my exhaustion, making it difficult to think.
“Why?” he ground out.
“I just want to talk to you, my son,” she said, her voice turning soft. “Deep down, I know you want to speak with me, too. It’s been years. Centuries, even. And I know you still love me just as deeply as I love you. Let us talk and figure a way out of this. Do you truly wish to kill me? Because you don’t have to. I release you from your vow.”
Kalen shuddered, pain flaring in the depths of his sapphire eyes. “I know the truth about what you’ve done. You’ve become an anchor for Andromeda. So long as you live, she will be tethered to this world.”
“Yes,” she said. “She tricked me into doing that, and I want to find a way to undo it.”
“You have a knife to my beloved’s throat. I will not talk to you about a fucking thing until you let her go.”
My heart pulsed as Bellicent tensed. And then she jerked me sideways, angling me in the direction of those four onyx pillars. “You’re making this a lot more difficult than it has to be.”
“Me?” Kalen let out a bitter laugh. “Let go of her now, Bellicent Denare. I do not know what it is you’re trying to do, but your words taste and smell like bile. The mother I once loved is dead. Whoever you are, you’re not her. And I will fulfill my end of the vow, no matter what you say to convince me otherwise.” He stalked toward us, his eyes flashing. “Your greatest mistake was threatening the woman I love. So I will say it one more time, and it’s not a request. Let go of my wife.”
Bellicent sighed. “I really didn’t want to have to do it this way.” And then she raised her voice. “Andromeda, I need your help.”
