“You don’t believe that, Opal,” Ez swore. “You’re sad and in pain, but I know you want Marina to live a long life. Taking that life away from her isn’t solving anything. You’re just becoming the person that’s hurting her.”
“Ez, I don’t want her to go through anything like what I did,” Opal whispered.
“I know your father hurt you, and there are pieces of you that are broken beyond repair because of it. But I’m glad that you’re still here, and what we have together is worth fighting for,” Ez promised.
More pleas and bargains went up around the room, from the various couples talking it out or arguing their own points. I drowned in them all, unable to take each voice in. Half of our friends were so emotionally bereft from what they’d seen in the camps, they didn’t care if it all ended. The other half were so pissed off and full of rage they wanted to survive, so they could make the ones who did this pay.
Ava was right about one thing, at least. This world was a cycle of suffering. But did that really mean she had to end it?
“Enough,” I said loudly, and the commotion ceased. “I don’t care what the prophecy says, this is too big of a decision for one person to make on their own.”
“But it’s not, because some of us are agreeing with her.” Eddie spoke up, and I was shocked that he had the courage to stand up to me. “This isn’t just Ava’s choice. Many of us throughout the world would take the same option, if the choice was in our hands.”
“Eddie, you don’t get a choice,” I said forcefully. “You’re my guard, so I order you to follow me. Now, go fetch the inferichite net. Then come with me, and help me search the city so we can bring Ava in.”
Eddie hesitated. “You once told me I could disobey a command if I did not agree with it, and that itself was an orderin which I’m inclined to obey. I do not agree with you or your plans, that you desire to usurp your father and take the world for yourself. Turning the world into a dictatorship isnotwhat I spent my entire life training to do. No, sire. I will not follow you. My allegiance is to the princess, and if this is what she desires, then I will serve her only.”
“Iorderyou to follow me!” I raged. “I command you to bring the inferichite net to me, so we can use it on Ava and stop her from doing this!”
“I have hidden that sick object in a place where you will never find it, and even if you try, Ava will succeed before you are even close,” Eddie spat. “I reject your command. I will not follow your orders. You will not touch our princess, and you will not stop her.”
“I love you, Eddie, but you’re a fool,” Alistair said darkly. “You’ll come to your senses once we put Ava down.”
“If you desire to stop the princess, you’ll have to get through me first,” Eddie vowed. “I am no weak challenger to defeat.”
Footsteps echoed throughout the room. People were taking sides within the throne room, preparing to battle.
If they wanted to fight, so be it. Let the strongest survive, because only those who were willing to fight for whatmyidea of the world should be deserved to be in it. My heartbeat stuttered and picked up the pace inside my chest as I realized couples were starting to face off.
Ivy gave a disgusted scoff. “This is dumb. I’m not here for the latest episode ofcollege kids have a mental breakdown, and it leads to the end of existence.Sorry, but there’s therapy for all that. You guys wanna let your trauma kill you, fine, but mine isn’t gonna kill me, and I won’t let Ava’s trauma put me in the ground, neither. I ain’t stupid enough for that.”
“I don’t wanna fight you, Ives,” Chancey warned, and I heard the rustling of feathers that came from the one wing he still had.
“Then don’t,” Ivy replied coldly. “But if you get in my way, you’re gonna have to.”
“You guys are jumping to conclusions,” Danny yelled. “Everyone needs to slow down and think!”
Danny was the only one who was keeping a cool head. But nobody was listening.
“Pretty girl, please. We just got together. We have our whole lives ahead of us,” Marcus hushed. “Don’t you want to experience more of that? We had so little time. You didn’t come back to me in that alleyway just to give up now.”
“The time we spent together mattered more than you know. But this is bigger than both of us. I have to believe that even if the universe is wiped out, we’ll find our way back to each other somehow,” Kallie promised.
“You can’t beat me, Kallie.” Marcus’ tone was gentle and loving, pleading with her not to do this. I heard him summon a battle orb that he cautiously cradled in his hand. “Witch magic can overpower fae abilities.”
“I don’t have to beat you, Marcus.” Kallie truly sounded defeated— a woman ready to take her last breath and be done with it. “I just have to buy Ava enough time.”
Kallie struck before any more words could be spoken. She cast an illusion spell that went ricocheting by my head, and the entire room broke into chaos. Marcus tossed his battle orb and it exploded near the door, making smoke rise throughout the room. Eddie and Alistair called out gasps of pain as they hurt each other, but neither were backing down. A window broke nearby as Chancey tackled Ivy into a wall. Ivy hissed, and Chancey screamed as I smelled the unmistakable tang of blood spread throughout the room from their fangs.
“Opal, come on!” Ez yelled, and her body slammed into mine as Ez yanked her to the exit.
“Cut it out!” Danny cried over the noise. “This isn’t helping anyone!”
I stood in the middle of it all, observing the destruction around me. Marcus, Ivy, and Alistair had chosen to fight for me, while Kallie, Chancey, and Eddie had taken Ava’s side. Danny was trying to break it all up. Opal and Ez had decided to stay out of it and flee.
This was what villains did— we fought for power and betrayed the people we loved. This couldn’t have ended up any other way.
That’s when the entire castle quaked. A few stones slipped out of the walls and shattered on the floor. I failed to keep my balance and toppled over as the floor beneath me rocked, and the ground gave a shudder that was unmistakable. My Earth magic caught on to it right away.
