by Hayley Todd
I was about to speak when she held up a placating hand. “I will tell you, under the assurance that you will not tell your father.”
I gaped at her. Were we children in a schoolyard? But after a long moment, I nodded.
Evelyn sighed, though whether she felt relief or a larger burden, I wasn’t sure. “That prophecy has one of three endings. They speak of the heir to the Magick empire, which would be yourself. They describe different paths that heir might take. The first has been unwritten. It was that the heir would never discover her identity, and would live a human life, growing old, and dying.” She looked me up and down. “Your presence as a vampire eliminates that avenue.”
I could see my father out of the corner of my eye. He was watching Evelyn and I but speaking to another of the council members.
“The second and third paths are derivative, if only barely. The first shows a harmonious power that uses her abilities for good and to right the injustices in our world. The other...well, let’s say that version was tempted by dark magic and power struggles. She gave in to her darker urges and accepted that vast power, damning herself but twisting the world into the image she desired. She became a dictator, ruling with a heavy hand.”
I stared at her for several long seconds, picturing two very different princesses in my mind. One wore pink and frills and was an all-around good person, striving to make the world a better place for all of its inhabitants. The other wore dark, muted tones, black and dark blue and had a wicked glare in her eyes, sitting atop her riches like a selfish, angry ruler. The first was surrounded by friends, allies, and family, the second was all alone, only her guards to accompany her.
Having the power to eliminate threats against my family and friends would be wonderful, but could I accept it at the risk of my own soul? I didn’t think that I could. The thought of hurting innocents to save my own sickened me.
Evelyn had gone quiet, watching me carefully.
“What makes the difference?” I asked her, my eyes on the room as I awaited her response. My father had moved further down the line of council members, and though he wasn’t watching me now, I figured he had continued his curious glances in my direction when I had not been looking.
Evelyn sighed, pressed her palm to my forearm and looked me in the eye. “Remember that when times are difficult and you feel all alone, that those are the moments when you most need to hold on to yourself,” she finally said, cryptically. Then she patted my arm, turned, and dove into the crowd of people, disappearing from sight. I stared after her, puzzling the words in my head. I only hoped that they would become clearer when I needed them to.
I could feel someone’s eyes on me and peered up into the crowd. Damien stood at the other end of the long wooden table, speaking quietly to a few individuals who had been in the crowd. He was staring at me, his eyes wide. He nodded to his companions, stepped away and cleared his throat. Every eye in the room swiveled to him.
“I have just been informed of an attack on our Vampyre brethren. The council has been apprised of the discovery of an ancient artifact and therefore have decided to move forward with the Champion’s Tournament, with the amulet as part of the prize. The first bouts will begin tomorrow.” He spoke sharply, each word accompanying its own punctuation. His eyes never left mine and I suddenly couldn’t remember the last time I had blinked. I felt like I was choking. Damien stared at me until the moment he turned on his heel, and surged away from the room.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I spent that night locked in my room. It turned out that the suite that Anton had brought me to the night that I lost Carson was actually my personal suite. I had never been there since I had always stayed with Carson on previous visits. It was lavish and extravagant and honestly reminded me a bit of my apartment. It was reassuring.
There was a light knock at the door which I pointedly ignored, glaring at my comforter but unable to keep myself from listening in on the sounds beyond. I knew who it was and though I valued his presence, I wasn’t sure that I could bear being with other people right then. It felt as though the life I had grown accustomed to since turning was being ripped from my fingers and I needed to come to terms with that on my own.
He knocked again. “Kyra, I can feel you. I know you’re in there. Please, talk to me,” Anton called through the solid wood. His voice was pained and my heart broke knowing that I was at least partially responsible. I tried to tell myself that he needed me as much as I needed him, but it didn’t turn the hurt off and it didn’t make me any more inclined to be less than alone.
Over an hour later, he hadn’t spoken again, but I hadn’t heard him walk away either which left me suspecting he was still there. I dug around in my pocket, my inner turmoil getting the best of me. I sagged with relief as my fingers clutched the frail silver chain and lifted it out.
The gemstone was as huge as it always was. It glittered with the same royal blue sheen. But somehow, it felt different, heavier. I knew that it held my most tangible connection to Carson, even if it held darker secrets still. And I knew, with a twist of misery in my gut, that it was very near to being plucked from my fingers.
Damien had hidden away after the council meeting, unavailable for questioning, even to his own daughter. He had been bitter about the announcement exposing the amulet, though I wasn’t sure why. Maybe he was more irate at the rapid acceleration of the tournament. It had originally been a vague, open concept, with weeks, if not months, to prepare. But instead, the fighting would begin tomorrow.
There hadn’t really been anyone that I had wanted to talk to. My mother and Gabrielle had departed, seeking information on the amulet. Will was with Lucas, investigating the attacks on both of our people as well as looking for Carson. Kellic was locked up with a retinue of two dozen guards and not precisely...herself. Carson was heaven only knew where. And Anton was here, begging for my attention, which I just found hard to give right then.
I toyed with the necklace, glaring into the gem. There was definitely something moving there, though I could never seem to get a true look at it. It was like a fleeting shadow, gone every time you tried to stare into it. For such an old artifact, it was in remarkably good condition. The chain and setting were starkly silver, maybe even platinum and didn’t hold even a spot of rust. The gem was solid, with sharp edges that had not been dulled by the passage of time.
After nearly an hour of silence, Anton’s knuckles rapped the door once more. “Kyra, please,” he begged and my heart twisted painfully in my chest. I could hear him press his hand to the door.
I wanted to go to him, I truly did. But, the gargantuan gemstone hung so delicately close. I hadn’t really decided on what I was going to do as I slipped the glimmering chain over my hair. I wanted to comfort Anton, but right at that moment, I couldn’t even comfort myself. I needed Carson. I needed him more than I ever had.
Thoughts of Carson were the last ones I had, as the gemstone came to rest against my collarbone and my vision exploded into a nexus of energy and power and all else came crashing to a halt.
The creamy taste of broccoli and cheddar filled my mouth. It was lukewarm but still pretty good. It had been made with love.
Er, it hadn’t.
Was it love?
I shook my head, my mind ringing with the weight of too many juxtaposed thoughts. The bowl did little to warm my frozen fingers but that was okay too. Everything was okay. Maybe I should want more? No. Okay was okay.
Across a roaring fire between us, sat my mistress, the elegant, long-legged, pale skinned, violet-eyed, Valeria Tulius. She was enjoying her soup with a handmade silver spoon. She scooped a portion, popped it in her mouth, and moaned with pleasure. I wanted to take her in my arms, but at the same moment, a shiver of disgust rolled down my spine.
She peered up at me, her wide violet eyes curious. “Is something the matter, my love?” she asked. She ran a hand through her pale blonde hair, setting her soup aside.
I had to clear my throat, not once, not twice, but
three full times before I could properly speak. “It is nothing, my dear. I am just not feeling well.” I stared into my bowl so that I wouldn’t have to maintain eye contact with her for a moment longer. Something in her gaze left me feeling altered.
She arched forward, sliding from the log she sat on and kneeling in the dirt beside me. She peered up at me and again I want to crush her lips with my own and toss her aside at the same time.
She ran her fingers down my cheek. They were cold and sent a tingle skittering across my face. I shivered but the motion didn’t feel pleasant. I pulled away from her, instead grabbing her fingers and pulling them into my lap.
My eyes burned from the light of the fire, a pulsing shadow lighting my vision. And faintly there, I could’ve sworn that I saw a stunning woman. A woman that was a million times more alluring to me than the woman who knelt before me.
Carson, please. I’m right here. See me, baby. A voice sobbed. It rang through my head like my own thoughts...but...not. The voice was an echo of something, a familiar sound.
I wanted to see her.
My eyes searched for her, looking past this woman crouched beside me, uninterested in her distasteful displays of affection. It was eerie. I felt as though this woman had been my mate for my entire existence, while also still holding this feeling that she was a stranger to me.
There!
When I turned my gaze just right, she appeared, like an overlay before me. I looked up at her, standing across the flickering flames from me. She turned her head, staring down at me with gorgeous blue eyes and tear-stained cheeks. Those tears called to me, leaving an ache carved through my chest. I wanted to shove this violet-eyed woman away and take this beautiful girl into my arms.
The woman beside me looked up sharply, her eyes searching in the darkness. I felt a trickle of alarm pass down my spine. But, why? This woman was opaque, like a ghost. What point would there be in finding her?
Valeria leapt to her feet, growling low in her chest toward the apparition. The young woman turned her eyes from me for only a moment, flicking them toward the woman like noticing a fly buzzing around the room, insignificant. Her gaze settled on me again.
“You!” Valeria spat, seething. She hurled herself over the first and passed through the woman as though she didn’t exist.
The figure side-stepped several instants too late though it hadn’t mattered. She looked down at Valeria heaped into a mess of struggling limbs in the dirt. Her eyes, which had been so haunted and broken staring into mine, turned hard. Her lips drew back from her teeth and her entire demeanor changed.
“Valeria,” she hissed, glaring down at the prone woman.
Valeria lurched up, brushing the dust from her body. “Get out!” she screamed, making no move to try to attack the girl again.
I stayed frozen, as though I had been paralyzed. I couldn’t take my eyes off of this sapphire eyed goddess. I felt like Icarus, ready to soar into the sun if only to have one touch of her lips. Let me be ignited, if only I could have a moment with her.
Suddenly, the woman flickered, her fury seeming to fill her out more. Her silhouette pulsed, struggling to become permanent and solid, until she no longer appeared as a faded memory and appeared in reality, her bare feet planting small footprints into the dirt.
“K-Kyra,” I gasped, knowing not where the name came from but loving the roll of the syllables across my tongue.
He uttered my name in a breathless tone and my eyes shifted to him again. He looked entirely dumbfounded, an adorable sense of confusion painted on his face. He watched me with wide, curious eyes. A quick flick of my gaze proved Valeria to be watching me as well, though her expression was filled with hatred.
“Get out!” Valeria hissed for the second time. I ignored her, stepping around the flaming obstruction between Carson and I and leaning near him. I opened my mouth to speak to him just as he grabbed me about the shoulders and tugged me toward him, crushing my chest into his, and slamming his mouth onto mine.
Like it always had been, the kiss was effortless. Our lips and tongues entwined, needing each other, begging for each other. He felt natural and perfect against me. Oh God, I had missed him.
Another set of hands clasped onto the back of my shirt, a simple tanktop that I had put on before sitting in bed and twisted, yanking me away from him and dragging me backward through the dirt. I was surprised and a little intrigued to find that it hurt. The rocks and broken plant life beneath my spine scraped along my skin, scoring my flesh.
“Get off of him!” Valeria shrieked like a banshee in the empty night air. Flecks of spittle exploded from her lips. She stood over me, her violet eyes blazing with energy. Okay, two could play that game.
I drew energy into me, blue orbs pulling over my palms. She staggered back a step, her gaze warier now.
“How are you here?” she asked me, taking several steps away.
“I don’t know,” was my only reply. “What did you do to him?” I asked, gazing at the man I loved and feeling a pain pang through my torso at his lost expression.
She laughed and a fury rose in my belly. “He’s mine,” she replied.
It may not have been wise, but I turned, clenching down on that power I had built and thrust my fist into her chin. Her head snapped to the side with an audible crack and blood spewed from her lips. She fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, not moving.
Carson stood, staring at her, then me. “Who are you?” he asked and it doubled the pain already inside of me. Curiously enough, his eyes never left mine, as though he didn’t care at all about the woman at his feet, whose neck I had just snapped with a solid blow.
I peered up at him, knowing the words were going to be painful before I even said them. “I’m Kyra,” I replied, “I’m...your mate.”
The words dangled in the air as he stared at me, confused, but not surprised. He nodded slowly after several seconds of thought. “Okay,” he replied, the word dragged out, “and who is she?” He gestured with one hand to the unconscious woman before him.
“Valeria,” I said and couldn’t hold back the sneer in my tone. “She has kidnapped you and done something to your mind. Only a few days ago, we lived together. You’re my boyfriend and I’m your girlfriend,” I explained, hating the way the words sounded as they came out.
He stared at me as though he were trying to draw the memories from the deepest depths of himself but not succeeding. His head jerked up, suddenly and he leaned forward, running his finger across my upper lip. It came away sticky with blood. I lifted a hand to my mouth with the same result, crimson gushing from my nose and covering my lips. His eyes turned to me with a worried look.
Something tugged at me, pulling me away from this place. “No!” I cried, falling to my knees. I looked up at him, unable to do much else. He knelt beside me and pulled me into his arms like he always had. He felt comfortable and warm. He felt like home. “I love you,” I whispered, the words painfully dragging from my lips.
He pressed a cheek to my hair, cradling me against him. “I can tell,” he replied, his tone laced with sorrow. He pulled away slightly, looking down at me. “I will try to remember,” he assured me, a sad smile on his lips.
“Please,” I moaned, the tugging becoming more insistent. “I need you, Carson.”
I began to fade, feeling his touch less and less until my hands passed completely through him and I fell endlessly from his grip.
“I...I think I need you too,” were the last words I heard, as my love faded away and I found myself crashing into a cold blackness.
Chapter Twenty-Six
I exploded from the blackness, breathing hard, my chest heaving painfully. Anton was screaming, cursing, and clutching my hands in his. The necklace was laying on the comforter between my crossed legs, looking innocent and lovely as any article of jewelry would.
The door to the room had been completely ripped from its hinges and lay against the carpeted floor. The unassuming hallway beyond was dark.
“Kyra,”
Anton begged. He sat in front of me on the bed, one hand shaking my shoulder, the other cupped beneath my face and filled with blood.
I could immediately tell when he realized I had come back to myself. I glanced up at him and he relaxed, his shoulders sagging and his cries ceasing. I gasped around the room for several moments, trying to orient myself once more. My chest ached at the few precious seconds I had gotten with Carson. It had been everything but not nearly enough. I didn’t know what Valeria has done to his mind but he didn’t seem to remember me and yet, knew me anyway.
“—kay?” Anton was saying. I shook myself, my head swimming with convoluted images of my surroundings.
“What?” I asked, gazing up at his fiery amber eyes. He peered down at me, his eyes rolling over the exposed curves of my body.
He took a deep breath and forced himself to look back up at me. “Are you okay?” he repeated, looking as though he were struggling to contain himself. He looked me over again, this time with concern instead of that predatory haze. He gently held my chin between his fingers, turning my face to either side.
“You don’t look right,” he finally said.
I forced a laugh but was disappointed to hear how fake it sounded. “Thanks,” I said, dryly.
He shook his head, sending his short auburn hair spinning about his face. “When was the last time you ate?” he asked.
My stomach twisted painfully at his words. I must not have held off the grimace that twisted my face because he sagged as though that were answer enough. “You can’t just not eat. Carson wouldn’t be okay with that,” he said, moving off of his spot on my bed and leaving the room for only a moment.
I lifted the amulet from the comforter, gazing into its tumultuous depths. I was still peering at it when Anton reappeared, a wine glass filled with a crimson liquid clutched in his hand.
He sat on the foot of the bed, holding the glass to me with one hand and gesturing toward the necklace with the other. I stared at it for a moment longer before pressing the chain into his palm and taking he glass.