“Beaumont won’t kill me. He said back in Caelestis that he wasin awe ofthe pure power I carry. He said it wouldsoonbe his.” I shook my head. “Hewon’t kill me. He just said that as a bluff to keep his people free from fear,” I tried to convince everyone along with myself.
“Is that a risk you're really willing to take?” Sawyer asked me specifically.
“For all of you? Yes. Any day. Any time. No matter what.”
“What if we lured him out of the bounds and away from their wards?” Jensen supplied. “Then we could have her compel him with less risk. There would be no one around to fight except for him. Granted, I don’t know how strong his mental shields are, but I suspect she could crack them if we got him flustered enough.”
“And how would we get him away?” Archer asked. “He wouldn't be caught dead without a guard after what happened.”
My posture shuffled upright. “All I know is that sooner or later they are going to come looking for me, and the last thing I want to do is lead them here. Me going back to Draemor and being as far away from Lumosia as possible will be the safest option for the rest of you. I just need a few days to practice?—”
“We aren’t talking about keeping us safe. We're talking aboutyou,” Sebastian enunciated under his breath.
“That’s bullshit. Risking you all just to keep me safe? One life versus eight? That makes no sense!” I shouted in complete awe.
“It makes perfect sense,” Archer cut in. “This kingdom was created for you. It was built by the gods to protectyou. You are the last living piece of Blythe, and if something happens to you, her magic is lost forever. Magic that is needed to cure the chaos left in this world.”
“Maybe it would be for the best.” I shrugged. “No one knows what thischaoseven is, and apart from that, maybe no oneshouldhave access to this kind of power.”
“That’s not true,” Sawyer protested. “You just need to learn how to wield it properly.”
“And how am I supposed to do that?” I snapped, the break of composure giving away my fib about needingjust a few daysto learn. “Do any of you have experience wielding the fucking stars?” I gestured around the room, and when no one answered, spat, “Didn’t think so.”
“None of us knew how to control minds, either, but you learned to do that just fine,” Sawyer pointed out.
“Let’s take a step back,” Kade said calmly, noting my irritation. His golden eyes focused on me. “Don’t go all cosmic-crazy on me, but I agree with Sharpe. I don’t think you should return to Draemor, but hear me out. Beaumont’s goal is tocontainyou, whatever that means. So having you right where he could easily do that would be just plain ignorant. I get that you want revenge or whatever, but you aren’t going to get that by being locked in a cell.”
“Then I won't get caught,” I retorted simply.
“It’s not that simple, and you know that,” Archer stated, and I realized then and there that I was losing this battle. “Not to mention that you didn’t comply when I told you to stay away from the castle grounds. I should have listened to your boy?—”
“Not her boyfriend,” Sebastian interrupted with a raised hand and a slight twinge of pain in his voice. “She has made thatveryclear.”
Archer glanced between us before settling his hooded eyes back on me. “Uh…Right. My bad. Well, I don’t know you that well yet, but I know enough to know that you aren't a rule follower. And in a situation like this, one slip up could get you killed.”
“Kade was the one who told me to enter the grounds,” I argued like a child, pointing an accusatory finger.
“Oh,please. You literally said that you would have gone even if I hadn’t told you to,” Kade drawled with a scoff followed by an eye roll.
“Okay, so Maeve isn’t going. Now that that’s settled?—”
My sharp tone cut Sebastian’s words off. “It isnotsettled.”
“Sounds like it is.” He chuckled arrogantly, all the ache in his voice gone.
“Gods, have you always been this unbearable?” I yelped.
Sebastian fisted his hands on the tabletop, leaning over them. “Unbearable, huh? That’s not what you screamed last time you were underneath me.”
“Enough!” Archer’s voice boomed through the room, his skin turning a faint shade of green. “We need to execute this as soon as possible. And Maeve, you are in no condition to make the journey with your arm.”
“Can’t we wait for Venay to get back?” I pleaded—anything to get his mind to change.
“I have no idea when she will return. Caelestis is not a small kingdom, and the job you tasked her with will surely take weeks.”
I looked to Pia for help. “Can you try and fix it again?”
She brushed her bangs from her eyes as her head rocked side to side. “I couldn’t do it the first time, and I don’t want to botch it. Plus, I don’t want to be the reason you go to Draemor.”
