“Arthur, Emma, you can become even more powerful. Because the two of you are twins, and share a bond, you can exchange and store magic within each other, even infuse your magic together to become stronger,” Vocheck said. “Try it.”
Emma and Arthur looked at each other. In one movement, they conjured a black fireball. As they pushed the two balls of energy together, the magic grew bigger and bigger, until it was twelve feet across and they could no longer control it. They fired it off, and it whizzed across the room, exploding on the other side. The result left a hole in the wall of the illusion Vocheck had conjured, giving us a window into the real basement beneath the house.
“Excellent,” Vocheck said. “If you have harnessed your Unseelie magic to the limits of its potential, you will be able to break the illusions of others with ease with just a touch of your magic. That is the goal in any sort of fae duel.”
Being able to break the illusions of other fae was a serious benefit in battle. It would practically render the other party useless. This was a skill we had no choice but to master.
We conjured various illusions all day, then experimented on how we could break them using Unseelie magic. Arthur, Emma and I remained at her grandparents’ house late, practicing until we were long past tired. We pocketed handfuls of teeth, scales and feathers to take back with us, to draw from if we needed to. I hoped we wouldn’t have to resort to using them, but these days, it was better to be prepared.
When night fell, we wandered back to the palace, and Emma and I separated. She had a final exam essay to finish, and I had to get a few things in place for the graduation ceremony next week.
As of now, I was packing my things to move out of my dormitory for the last time. It felt strangely melancholy. Arcanea University had been my home for the past four years, and now I was saying goodbye. Where I went from here, I wasn’t quite sure. I was staying at the Slasky mansion, just so I could have a roof over my head, but I knew I couldn’t remain there forever. If Emma and I were to be married and start a life together, I had to find my place in this world, whatever it may be.
I was about to shower and go to bed, before there was a knock on my dorm room door. Odette was outside, chewing her lip and wringing her hands.
“Is something wrong?” I asked.
“I need to talk with you,” Odette said. She stepped inside, and I took it as a sign this would be a private conversation. I shut the door behind her.
“I haven’t been honest,” Odette began. “I’ve been keeping something from you, and I think you deserve to know.”
“You had a vision.” I’d guessed as much from her odd behavior around me, but didn’t wish to pry.
“Yes. I haven’t told anyone about it, not even Theo— except for Emma,” Odette confessed. “This was months ago, before we exorcised the leshane. I can’t keep quiet about it anymore. It pertains to Emma’s prophecy. Mydrycaancestors wanted me to keep it a secret from everyone but her, but it’s been eating away at me inside, and I just can’t hold it in any longer.”
“What did you see?” I gestured for her to sit down, but she didn’t. Instead, she began to pace.
“It was horrible.” Odette shivered. “It happened when we were at the Pool of Memory. I put my hand into the water, and I saw Emma on a path. There were two roads to take. She could’ve allowed the demon to take your life. If this happened, she would’ve lived.”
Odette shook. “But she didn’t take that path. She chose to save you from the demon, and spare your life. On this path, shealwaysdies. I saw it— blood and ruin and her corpse. Somehow, someway, you led the Hidden King right to her. And he caused her death.”
I felt my face drain of color, and my stomach rolled with fear. “And she didn’t tell me of this?”
“She knew that you would beg her to let the demon have you, and she couldn’t bear to give you up,” Odette said. “Yet I knew if you remained alive, that she would die. She can’t survive if you live, because you’ll bring the Hidden King into her life.”
“Is there no way around this?” I insisted.
“None that I can see. And it’s too late now. Her fate has already been sealed,” Odette said. “Because you live, she will not.”
Nausea gripped my insides. The hag had prophesied Emma would die, but I was determined to do everything in my power to stop that from happening. Whatever the case, I would not let Odette’s vision come true.
“Are you sure that I led the Hidden King to Emma? That I caused her death?” I asked.
“Yes. I saw it.” Odette bobbed her head. “I was willing to do anything to stop it. At the time, I wanted her to let the leshane have you.”
Odette frowned guiltily. “I’m sorry I tried to convince her to let you die.”
“It’s fine, Odette. I understand.” I’d sacrifice my existence every time in Emma’s place, because as a shifter, that was my duty. “Do you have details on how, or when?”
“No.” She shook her head. “It was more of an…impressionthan an actual vision. I foresaw Emma, dead in your arms, and you crying that it was your fault, that it was because of the Hidden King. Your words were clear as day. You said you were the key to Emma’s destruction by the Hidden King himself.”
Her words made my blood run cold. “Elijah is the leader of the Black Claw, the cult’s Hidden King. We can stop this vision if we stop him,” I said.
Odette let out a noise of frustration. “Why haven’t they handed the griffin stone over to him yet? What are they waiting for?”
“There are always dissenters within a group, and I’m certain whatever cultist has it is a greedy bastard that doesn’t want to give up such a powerful artifact. But sooner or later, one of the cultists will tell Elijah that they have the griffin stone,” I said. “Elijah privately admitted to Gabby that the Black Claw proclaimed him to be their leader, before the King’s Contest began. The cult is actively working for them. There is no one else who the Hidden Kingcouldbe.”
“We know Elijah is the Hidden King, that’s for sure. That means you’ll have to kill your cousin to save Emma’s life,” Odette said. “Ethan, can you do that?”
