“She viewed it as a game I had won and she had lost,” Magdalina said. “She never got over it, even after she ascended to the throne. Her envy consumed her. A few years afterward, she poisoned my husband in his sleep. He died a bitter death, one void of glory or honor from being defeated in battle. His one wish was to die as a true Arcanea, and yet he perished in his bed, clinging to my side and begging me to save him.”
Lady Magdalina’s eyes grew hollow, and my stomach twisted. I could not imagine her pain, could not bear to think of my mate dying in my arms. It was unfathomable what she went through. I did not know how the loss hadn’t driven her mad. I would’ve certainly lost my mind, had that ever happened to Emma.
She sighed. “When my husband died, my title formally changed from Lady Bianka to Lady Magdalina, and I sat on the Circle in his place. Of course, I could not stand attending council meetings with Queen Antonia, who seemed so smug. All of Malovia knew what she had done, and yet, she had gotten away with it, because she was the wife of the king. Lycus would make excuses on her behalf.”
I frowned. That had always been my father’s mortal flaw. He was constantly getting my mother out of trouble. There was no crime she could commit that he did not wipe away as king. “He was a great ruler, but his love for my mother blinded him.”
“Do not judge your father too harshly, Ethan,” Magdalina told me. “He was distraught after Evonna rejected him. I believe once that happened, he would’ve done whatever it took to ensure another woman never left him.”
“He tolerated her murders, her evil,” I insisted.
“But even so, he is not to blame for her choices,” Magdalina replied. “Eventually, I could no longer stomach it. I challenged Antonia to a sorceress duel. I won, of course. Her magic never was very good. She always had other people do her dirty work for her. Though she’s a skilled alchemist with an expert knowledge of poisons, she couldn’t charm a teacup.”
“I never knew of this,” I marveled. No one had told me of such a thing.
“It was before you were born,” Magdalina replied. “I had the right to kill her, as I won the duel, but I did not end her life. Perhaps I should have.”
“Why did you hold back?” Emma asked.
“Because my husband wouldn’t have wanted it that way,” Magdalina replied. “He was a kind and merciful man, and I wouldn’t have been able to live with the guilt if I took her life, knowing he’d be disappointed in my choice. So I let her run free after humiliating her in court. Shortly after, I received guidance from the gods about your journey as the Worldweaver, Emmaline, and I’ve immersed myself in that experience ever since.”
“I’m so sorry,” Emma hushed. “That experience must’ve been so painful for you.”
“The years have dulled the sting, although my heart still grieves for my mate,” Magdalina replied. “The animosity between Antonia and I has only grown more intense over the years. I think now is the time we finally deal with her.”
Magdalina stood. “But in any case, today is not the day. Both of you must come with me. There is someone you need to meet.”
She led us to the infirmary of the palace. Evonna had been moved here, to recover in private. The best doctors and nurses in the country were working on her care. She would live, but she would bear the scars from the explosion for the rest of her life.
Magdalina pushed open the door to Evonna’s room. She was sitting up in bed, with Arthur at her side. The burn scars on her face stood out prominently against her pale skin, but unlike when I’d seen her before, her eyes were bright, with a light that couldn’t be put out even in the worst of times. Her broken bones had been healed by potions, and for the most part, she appeared much better. Arthur sat on the left side of the bed, appearing vastly uncomfortable.
Emma went completely still beside me. I froze, and my gaze traveled upward to the person sitting by Evonna’s side. I had to lean against the wall to prevent myself from collapsing. “It can’t be.”
And yet it was. My heart ceased to beat as a voice I thought I’d never hear replied, “In all my years, no shifter has managed to successfully kill me. Not even you, Ethan.”
My mind refused to believe it, but I could not deny the truth that was before my very eyes. Beside Evonna was the one person I thought was gone forever.
Lord Lucien.
He rose from his chair, approaching me in a fatherly way I had not hoped to ever experience again. He reached out to grab my shoulders, and I nearly flinched at his touch.
This could not be real— I wouldn’t accept this false reality.
“We… I saw your body burn,” I said. “I felt your life end when my sword pierced your heart.”
“And yet here I am, in the flesh,” Lucien said. He gestured to two chairs, which were beside Arthur. “Please, have a seat and I’ll explain everything.”
Emma was so pale she appeared a ghost. Numbly, we sat beside Arthur, and Lucien spoke. “There was no other way for you to win your trial, Ethan. The Trial by Combat was the only option we had, and I knew I had to sacrifice myself to ensure your survival. However, we also could not afford to allow me to give up my life, due to my knowledge of the Worldweaver and Emma’s prophecy.”
Lucien nodded to Emma, and she said nothing in reply. She was still in shock.
“You knew.” My eyes glanced to Lady Magdalina, and she nodded. “This was your plan.”
“Indeed,” Magdalina said. “Lucien was able to duplicate himself, and that duplicate was the one you fought, Ethan. You killed the duplicate, and the illusion was burned on the pyre after the trial. That is what you saw.”
“Yet you were solid. You spoke to me— youbled. I didn’t realize a duplicate could be so complex,” I said.
“I am a very powerful Companion. My illusions are strong, much stronger than the average fae’s,” Lucien replied. “From a distance, I was able to manipulate the duplicate so that my words became his own, and his form bled and burned just like I would. The effort left me spent— I was ill for days, though I was able to recover while I was in hiding. I could not reveal to anyone that I was still alive, not even you, or Emma. Only Lady Magdalina could know, because it is she who helped to keep my secret. At least, I could not reveal myself with Gabriella still on the throne. Now that you have replaced her and Elijah, I am able to reveal myself again, fully healed and alive.”
