Crown of Blood

by D G Swank

  I reminded myself that I fully intended to steal their power in a very short time, so what was the difference? The difference was that I could see the fear in their eyes. While two of the mages looked belligerent—big surprise—the other looked nearly as frightened as the witches.

  “Here’s what we’re going to do,” Donall said, yanking me to a halt. “Vince, bring me one of the witches and a mage.”

  Vince dragged one of the belligerent mages forward and the other guard looked between Lisa and the other witch, then pulled the other one forward by the arm. She barely looked a day over eighteen. My panic intensified. I needed to calm down and think this through. Freaking out wouldn’t help anything, and besides, Donall wasn’t totally wrong. However horrific his methods, this would help me understand how to use the orb.

  Too bad I wasn’t buying my own reasoning.

  Vince and the other guards forced the captives to their knees, and the mage lifted his arrogant gaze to Donall. “Take the witch’s magic. Take all the damn witch’s magic, but don’t you fucking touch mine!”

  “Do you dare to tell me what to do, Mark?” Donall asked. “Did you not break the rules by raping the human woman on your last run into town?”

  A sneer twisted his lips. “She was asking for it.”

  “Maybe so,” Donall said in a cool tone, “but you know you’re to leave the humans alone until after we take over Valeria. Then you can do what you like, but for now, you are to lie low and not draw attention to yourself.”

  I tried to hide my horror. Donall didn’t allow rape now because it might expose the Dark Set, but once they took control, all women were fair game.

  Donall put a hand on my shoulder, which caught me by surprise. He chuckled when I jumped, apparently pleased that I feared him, then pushed me in front of the mage and the witch.

  “Touch them if you need to,” Donall whispered into my ear. “But take both of their powers.”

  Although the orb had been in my possession for several days, I had yet to use it for its intended purpose—to absorb the power of a witch or mage.

  You killed a man, Celeste. You can do this.

  Of course, the man in question had been a rogue Dark Set mage who’d stolen my sister’s magic—only after he couldn’t find me—and endangered all of our lives. But even so, taking someone’s power was nothing compared to murder. I could do this. These two had joined the Dark Set. Maybe they deserved this. The man surely did given what Donall had said.

  I held out my right palm, the orb springing to life as though it knew what needed to be done and eagerly anticipated it. My own magic sprang to life too, eager to help. I had no idea how to do this, but the rogue mage had taken Phoebe’s power with the orb, and he hadn’t been special at all.

  I walked over to the mage first. He stared up at me with hate-filled eyes, then spat at my feet, something that was becoming all too common for me lately. “You can’t do this to me, you bitch.”

  My back stiffened. I knew this was more than just a test of my control of the orb. This was a test to see how I would manage disrespectful subjects.

  I tunneled into myself, a coping mechanism I’d used since I was a small child, a way to escape the onslaught of my magic. I gave the mage a withering glare as I told myself again that this mage was typical Dark Set. I would feel no remorse for taking something from him. “You will respect your future queen.”

  He spat again. “Fuck you.”

  I leaned over, bringing my face closer to his. “In your dreams.” Then I pressed the orb against his cheek.

  He screamed as the orb burst into life, draining his magic down to absolutely nothing. I could feel the power suctioning out of him like water from a pool, pure and delicious, unlike the mage who had wrongfully held it. He collapsed onto the ground, and I stared down at him with no emotion, no feeling. He deserved everything he’d gotten and more.

  I stood upright and glanced over my shoulder at Donall.

  He was grinning ear to ear with a malicious gleam in his eyes. He’d very much enjoyed the show.

  And so had my magic. My magic wanted the power in the orb, it longed to suck it down, but it couldn’t figure out how to get it.

  I turned my attention to the witch who was still on her knees, tears streaming down her face.

  “What’s your name?” I asked her in a gentle tone.

  She stared up at me with terror in her eyes.

  “What’s your name?” I repeated.

  She released a sob. “Ashley.”

  “Ashley, what’s your magic?”

  “Horticulture.”

  The ability to help plants grow. That seemed like a necessary skill for the Dark Set, especially given the state of the courtyard, but then again, maybe she wasn’t very good. Maybe that’s why she was here.

  I nodded and turned to the mage who was still lying on the ground. “And yours was telekinesis?” I’d felt a glimmer of it as the orb sucked up his magic.

  “You tell me, you bitch!” he shouted.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Ashley started to cry harder as I closed the distance between us. She was hugging her arms around her chest as if that might help her contain her magic.

  “Please, Ms. Whelan,” she pleaded. “My magic is all that I have.”

  “That’s not true,” I said. “You have the Dark Set. Why are you with them?”

  Her shoulders bobbed with her sobs. “My father sent me to stay with them. My magic was weak so he thought…”

  He thought the Dark Set wouldn’t feel threatened by her.

  I lifted my right hand to her cheek, and she started to cry harder.

  I wanted to give her the asshole’s magic, but I wasn’t sure I knew how, and even if I figured it out, Donall would inevitably catch on. Which meant I had to do this. I had no choice.

  “Trust me,” I whispered, pressing the orb softly to her cheek. The witch continued to cry as her magic was sucked into the orb, but she seemed to be stronger than the mage. At least she didn’t fall to the ground.

  “Now give the witch’s power to the mage,” Donall said.

  I glanced back at the disgusting mage, biting my tongue to keep from asking what an asshole like that would do with horticulture magic. The last thing I wanted was to reward him, not that he’d consider a magic like that a reward, but I had more important issues, such as the fact I had no idea how to give it to him, let alone give it back to Ashley.

  “Get him on his knees,” I said, trying hard to hide my disgust.

  The guard called Vince got the angry mage back up on his knees. He stared up at me with pure hatred, gritting his teeth as he breathed heavily.

  “I know you purposely hurt me before,” he said. “Don’t you dare think of doing it again, bitch.”

  I looked down at him with a blank expression. “I treated you both alike. Perhaps your pain tolerance is lower than hers.”

  “Are you suggesting the mage is weaker than the witch, my darling?” Donall asked behind me. His voice was tight with warning.

  I glanced over my shoulder with a slow, deliberate movement as a soft smile lifted the corners of my mouth. “Only making an observation, my love.”

  His eyes were cold.

  I pivoted to face Donall. “The goal is to make this as painless for the mages as possible, am I correct? As you know, this is all new to me. I’m learning and observing as I go, trying to accommodate the needs and goals of the Dark Set.”

  He closed the few feet between us and lifted his hand to my cheek, cupping my face in a brutal grasp. I suppressed a whimper.

  “As long as we’re on the same page, precious,” he said, studying my face. I could tell he’d like nothing more than to break me, especially in front of his men, but my cooperation was too important. He’d already tortured me in Kansas, and we both knew I’d withstood everything he’d thrown at me. He knew that wasn’t the way to bend me to his will. All the more reason to keep my search for my sisters from him. He would be looking
for any sign of weakness to exploit, and I needed to be sure not to give him any.

  “If you prefer,” I said meekly, “I will keep my thoughts and observations to myself. I just thought you’d want to keep track of my progress.”

  His hand tightened and he bent down to give me a tender kiss, a sharp contrast to the pain. It took everything within me not to recoil.

  When his face rose, his eyes lit up with glee. “Do as you see fit, my love.”

  He’d just given me fair warning. I was on dangerous ground.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I turned back to the mage, determined to do as Donall had asked without letting my emotion slip through. I needed to consider the bigger picture. Doing this would bring me closer to my ultimate goal: the destruction of the Dark Set.

  Filled with a new sense of purpose, I lifted the orb to the mage’s cheek. Just like I’d done before, I focused on my environment, looking for the orb’s magic, and tapped into it. Once I did, I asked it to give the mage Ashley’s horticulture magic.

  The orb balked, recognizing that Mark wouldn’t be a good steward of that type of magic, so instead, it rolled through the magics in its possession, then bestowed the power of glamour on the mage.

  The guard screamed as it filled his body, and I tunneled inward again to deal with my guilt. When it finished, I took a step back and steeled myself. Donall would not be pleased that the orb had disobeyed his order.

  “Well?” Donall asked from behind me. “Does he have it?” He turned toward the mage. “Make a flower grow.”

  The mage looked up in disgust but then focused on the ground. Nothing happened.

  “I can tell it worked. I can feel the magic within you,” Donall snarled. “Use it!”

  “I’m trying!” the mage protested, his face scrunching up as he strained to obey the madman behind me.

  But a new worry hit me. What if he made a flower appear, but it was obvious it was only a glamour? Few people were as talented at glamour as my sister Rowan. Part of me was terrified of what Donall would do.

  “We aren’t born knowing how to use our magic,” I said in a thoughtful tone. “We need to learn to use it when we’re children. Perhaps it’s the same with acquired magic.”

  “Nonsense,” Donall shouted, becoming more agitated. “I could use my acquired magic almost immediately. You must have screwed it up.”

  His face reddened and I could feel his power building. I prepared myself for his attack, but a familiar voice called out, “No. I think she’s right.”

  My heart leaped into my throat. Zane.

  He was walking out of the still-open doors of the building. Several people had streamed out after him, lookie-loos who wanted to see what was going on in the courtyard. I wanted to shout at them that it was a bad idea. For all they knew, they might be the next guinea pigs.

  Donall turned his anger on Zane. “Why are you taking her side? You were the one against using her in the first place. You should be picking her apart. Has all the time you’ve spent with her changed your mind?”

  Zane continued striding toward us, pure rage on his face. I could only hope Donall was too far up his own ass to notice. “I told you she was unstable, and I was correct. Her progress has been jerky and sporadic.”

  “She told me that her progress has been excellent,” Donall said in a growl.

  “What do you expect her to say?” Zane asked in contempt. “Her marriage to you is dependent on her success with her magic and the orb.”

  “You’re saying she lied to me?”

  “For gods’ sakes,” Zane said. “She’s a woman. What would you think she’d do? You can’t trust a single one of them.”

  I shot a glance to Lisa to gauge her reaction, but she remained impassive as she watched her brother.

  While I’m sure I looked impassive too, his words dug in deeper than I would have expected, especially since I suspected he was trying to protect me.

  Donall studied Zane for several seconds. “So what do you suggest? Do we kill her and get one of her sisters to free the orb?”

  I sucked in a breath, trying not to react by his casual reference to the possibility of murdering me. Of course, he wouldn’t get very far if he tried. No matter how much power he’d stolen, I was much stronger than him. And thanks to Zane, I was starting to understand how to better use that strength.

  “No,” Zane said, looking me over with lazy scrutiny. “I’m sure she has other useful purposes. You should let me work with her to find them.”

  Donall’s brow lifted. “You wish to work with her when you view her with such contempt?”

  An evil smile spread across Zane’s face, although it didn’t meet his eyes. “I wish to break the witch and see her beg for mercy.”

  Donall looked pleased with Zane’s answer, but then he turned serious. “That is all well and good, but it doesn’t help me with our master plan. We need the orb to conquer Valeria, and so far, she’s proven useless.”

  “Not useless,” my father called out, sounding breathless as he limped across the courtyard. More people followed him out, obviously wanting to see the show.

  “Donall,” my father continued, “when you acquired your new magics, you added them to your own. Celeste stripped the mage of his power, then added one he wasn’t used to. Perhaps the key is adding to the mage’s existing power.”

  I wondered how my father knew so much since he hadn’t been out here to observe, but perhaps he had a spy who’d told him. While I didn’t exactly want his help, I was grateful for it.

  Donall rubbed his chin. “Perhaps you’re right, Xavier.” He flicked a finger toward Lisa. “Bring her here.”

  Lisa’s eyes flew wide. I could smell the fear oozing from her as one of the guards brought her forward, forcing her to her knees next to Ashley.

  Zane barely gave his sister a glance, seemingly disinterested in the new turn of events, but I knew better. He had to be seething inside.

  Donall grabbed a handful of my thick blond hair and gave it sharp tug as he lowered his face to mine again.

  I steeled myself, retreating deeper inside so I could hide my pain.

  “You are to take the healer’s magic and give it to Mark.”

  I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from voicing my protest. This was a bad idea on so many levels. “As you wish, my lord,” I said instead, lowering my gaze as a sign of subservience.

  Zane was here. Surely he would jump in to protect his sister.

  But he didn’t utter a word, or even move, as I lifted my right hand to Lisa’s cheek. Was he really okay with this? Was he expecting me to come to her defense?

  My eyes burned and Lisa’s face became blurry, but I could see the compassion in her eyes and read her lips as she mouthed, It’s okay.

  It wasn’t okay. None of this was okay. Why in the seven hells was I here? Why had I believed I could do this by myself?

  “Wait,” I said, lowering my hand. I noticed Lisa’s slight release of breath, but I didn’t allow myself to be distracted. “If you want this to work, then we need a fresh mage to receive Lisa’s magic. Someone who hasn’t already been stripped of his magic.”

  “You dare to question my judgment?” Donall asked, his voice shaking with rage.

  “She’s right,” my father said, sounding a little too desperate. Was it because he wanted this to work or because he hoped to save me from punishment?

  “You would do anything to save your precious daughter,” Donall spat.

  I turned to face Donall, tunneling deeper into myself to maintain my impassive expression. “We can try it your way, my love, but how many healers do you possess? Would it not be better to use a mage who is more likely to accept the power and be able to use it? Or perhaps we should save the healer for later. After I’ve perfected the exchange.”

  “You dare to question my decision?” Donall asked, seething.

  “No,” I said, trying to look meek, but I was struggling. He was clearly a hot-headed fool, and the only reason h
e was in charge was because of the power he’d stolen from others. Maybe he needed to take the power of a witch who was known for her genius. “I’m trying to help you understand reason.”

  I was prepared for the first slap, but the second one made me stagger. It obviously enraged him that I was still standing. He wanted me broken and bowed at his feet. I knew I should save myself and give him what he wanted, but something deep inside me wouldn’t do it. I couldn’t let him get the better of me. Nor could I turn my back on Lisa.

  My mother would be so disappointed.

  “Do you know what your problem is, Celeste?” Donall sneered, glee and anger twisted into a grotesque mask on his face.

  “I’m sure you’re ready to tell me,” I said, but the words were slurred due to my already swelling and bleeding lips.

  My retort brought another blow, much stronger than the previous ones, so hard it made my ears ring, even though I could still hear Ashley’s sobs and Lisa’s gasps. I fell to my knees, lifting my chin to stare up at him with an aloof expression, as if daring him to hit me again.

  He didn’t disappoint.

  I was still on my knees after several more blows. Releasing a frustrated growl, he kicked me hard enough in the gut to make me crumple over. I tunneled deeper and deeper inside, burrowing into my magic. My magic protected me, but it begged me to fight back, to destroy them all—it could certainly destroy him—but what little was left of my mind wouldn’t let it go. If Donall died, another one would take over. The only way to destroy the Dark Set completely was to pull out all the roots.

  We can still salvage this, the voice of reason said even as my magic absorbed a fresh round of pain.

  No, the magic said. We will kill him. He will suffer for this.

  The orb throbbed in my hand, offering to help. Offering to absorb the power that he’d stolen from others.

  I grabbed hold of reason, even though it sharpened the pain. If we kill him, others will rise to take his place. We wait. But I knew my pride had blown my chance at using the wedding as the Dark Set’s swan song. Donall would never marry me now.

  The world around me started to fill in again. I could still hear Ashley sobbing and Lisa had joined her. My father was shouting his protest, but everyone else remained silent until I heard Zane’s bored voice. “Do you intend to kill her, Donall? Do you really think that’s wise?”