Dax raised his open palm. Now I had to be the one not to interrupt.
“Because if you accept that reality, you’ll know where to strike to rid Malhaven of them. Which doors to open and not let what you find behind them shatter you. Because youwillsee the worst–” His tone darkened. “–and they need to pay for what they’ve done. Their tactics will never be fair, their principles even less so. Your principles are strong. Good. Selfless. But you need to learn how to play better than them in order to triumph.”
The words stirred my lesser impulses, already soaked by the alcohol. The ones Grandpa Constantine had tried so hard to weed before they’d even taken root.
They wanted vengeance at all costs.
Victory.
Then the screams began echoing again and I found the courage to come back to my senses.
“I don’t believe that,” I said and meant it. “I don’t think the goal justifies the means.”
My life would have probably been much easier, albeit heinous, if I did. At the end of the day, goodness and kindness should always prevail. I couldn’t allow myself that.
“Let’s hope you’ll never be forced to second guess yourself on that matter.” Dax shrugged and the gravity in him dissipated, replaced with that lightness he wore so well. He squinted at the portal. “I don’t know who’s more depressing, us or them.”
“Us.” It was always us, for some godsforsaken reason.
“Gods, they sure love their gold, don’t they?” He wrinkled his nose. “And we thought the Serpents were excessive.”
I tilted my head to the side. “All the gold in that room could fill up at least a quarter of our vaults.”
“And the necklace on that one.” He leaned toward the oval, which now showed a gilded woman with a frozen smile nobodyshould trust. “I wonder how that thin neck of hers doesn’t break.”
“I think that’s Valuta.” I grimaced. “I wonder if some of our gold bought those jewels of hers.”
“You really think the plot is that big?” He handed me the flask again.
I took another ungraceful swig that probably would have made Mrs. Thornbrew tsk at me. “Bigger.”
The alcohol caught in my throat as glimpses of the Dragon began flashing. He somehow looked deadlier thundering up the aisle at his own wedding than he had back on Sanctua Sirena. He seemed angry.
Raging.
A distant roar blared in my ears.
“What’s crawled up his royal behind?” Dax asked as we both drew our chairs closer to the palaver, backs hunched, eyes tracking every image we saw.
The Dragon’s dark eyes steeled as he stopped at the altar, looking ready for murder. Again.
I kept seeking Ryker’s sparking eyes in the crowd, but all I saw was a sea of red.
The drums in the background erupted in a forceful rhythm better suited for a charge, not a wedding.
I gripped Dax’s shoulder tightly.
This was it.
The moment Evie became more powerful than all of us.
Shewould be able to open all the doors and shine all the light to fight the darkness.
Once that crown was on her head, we could finally allow ourselves to dream about taking back Aquila.
She could help right all the wrongs I couldn’t fix.
The temple doors burst open to reveal a hazy figure clad in a gargantuan dress that probably weighed more than everything in my closet.
