Tova looked back with cold detachment as her fellow disciples fell, but her hands shook as she stepped behind the hulking Guardian.
Around the corner, Steel jumped onto a raised platform to evade half a dozen disciples. With one hand, he formed a liquid javelin and hurled it at an Ignis, dousing his budding flames. With the other, he swung his sword in a shallow arc, leaving a red smile behind on the disciple’s neck.
Ashamed, Mara struggled to her feet. She should be out there, fighting with her friends, but without energy, how much longer could she last?
Halder raced to her side, his quick eyes appraising her exhausted state. “You need to siphon.”
“I can’t. They aren’t giving me an opening.”
“Follow me. I’ll cover you.” He led the way to the fountain, standing back to back with her.
Taking a deep breath, closing her eyes, Mara tamped down her panic as a dozen disciples surrounded them. To the enemy, they must look like easy prey, unarmed and weak. Her eyes snapped open and she smirked. Their mistake.
With Halder protecting her, she reached out and pulled on as many threads as she could, drinking in a flood of power until it overflowed. The disciples cried out, falling to their knees. And her? She was about to explode.
“Get down!” Mara screamed as the power fought to escape her control.
Obediently, Wynn, Steel and Ansel dropped to the ground. Mara and Halder projected a blast of energy that rippled out in a giant wave, pulverizing the enemy force. The disciples flew back, knocked unconscious before they hit the ground.
A rogue fireball engulfed her arm in flames. Mara hissed at the blistering pain, gagging at the smell of burning flesh. Steel diverted a stream of water, dousing the flames before they ruined her arm completely. Enraged, Mara pulled on the air, creating a gust of wind that catapulted the Ignis into a nearby building.
The number of foes dwindled down to ten, and Mara felt a flash of hope. If they could hold on a little longer, they could retreat to safety.
Her hope didn’t last.
Tova motioned to the Guardian. He stepped forward, reaching behind his head and drawing twin swords from their sheaths on his back. Without staying to watch, Tova turned and fled into the Magi’s building, her robe billowing out behind her.
Mara swallowed, frozen in place as the Guardian stalked towards them. Her friend’s faces reflected the paralyzing dread coiling inside her core. How could they beat someone like him?
“Split up! Mara, you and Halder handle the disciples.” Ansel’s jaw clenched as he sank into a defensive stance. Together, Ansel, Wynn and Steel turned to face the Guardian.
Heart in her throat, Mara forced herself to turn away. She blocked out the sounds of her friends, fighting for survival, and nodded at Halder. The remaining disciples rushed at once, attacking with dizzying speed. Her energy flagged to dangerously low levels. Mara reached out, trying to siphon, but they’d adapted to her tricks. The disciples pelted her relentlessly, combining their Gifts with a precision that only came through years of training. It was all she could do to block their attacks.
Something warm and sticky trickled down the side of her head and Mara realized she’d been hit. Her legs wobbled beneath her.
Halder rushed to her side, casting a shield around her. Finally, she was free to attack. She latched onto the first thread she could, draining it dry until the man fell to the ground with a thud. Replenished, she alternated between draining energy and wielding it against the disciples. One by one, they fell, until there were two left.
Mara raised her hands, forming luminescent spheres that swirled in her palms, ready to launch them at the disciples. Halder cried out in pain, and her energy fizzled. Mara whirled around. Halder folded at the waist, clutching his side.
While she had been fighting the two disciples, a third man had slipped around and struck him. By using his energy to protect her, Halder had left himself vulnerable. His attacker raised his sword, readying the killing blow.
“No!” Mara drew her dagger and raced over, cutting down the disciple with a wild swing. She drained the last two disciples before falling to her knees beside Halder, pressing down on his wound to staunch the bleeding.
Halder pushed her hands away, trying to stand up. “Mara, stop. I’m fine.”
“You were stabbed!” She pushed him right back down.
He lifted his tunic, showing her the wound. “See? It’s not that deep. We can bandage it up until we find a Healer.”
Mara pulled him in for a hug, dropping her arms at his hiss of pain. “Sorry. And . . . thank you.”
“I’d say it was my pleasure, but . . .” He gestured to his side with a smile.
A cheer arose from the other side of the courtyard. Mara turned in time to see the Guardian slump over, Ansel’s sword skewering him through the stomach.
Was it over? Mara sagged against Halder, breathing a sigh of relief.
Ansel caught her eye across the courtyard and flashed her a triumphant smile. Mara beamed back, fiercely proud. He’d be insufferable the next few months, bragging about how he defeated a legendary Guardian.
“Come on, let’s get out of here while we can.” She stood, laughing, and offered Halder a hand up.
She didn’t even have time to scream.
Mara watched in horror as the glint of a sword appeared through Ansel’s ribs. He looked down, confused, as a crimson stain blossomed across his chest.
Ansel’s eyes widened, locking on hers one last time. Then, his body slipped from the sword in slow motion, collapsing to the ground.
Blood rushed to her ears, muffling all sound, as though she were underwater. She vaguely registered her friends, desperately pulling her away.
She stared at Ansel’s lifeless form in disbelief.
White hot rage seared her vision, consuming her entire being. These monsters had killed her best friend.
And now they would pay.
29
Mara’s body vibrated, seconds away from losing control. She screamed at her friends to run. Stubbornly, they stayed, failing to understand that they were in danger—not from the Order, but from her. If they didn’t listen, she would kill them all. She just lost Ansel . . . she couldn’t lose them, too.
Her powers churned beneath her skin, fighting against her restraint in an agitated coil. It wanted revenge. Mara clamped down, refusing to surrender, but it was only a matter of time before her iron grip shattered.
She turned to Halder, speaking through clenched teeth. “Halder, get them out of here. Now!”
Cracks appeared in the bricks below her feet, shooting off in a fractured web. The wind swirled around her, whipping at her disheveled hair.
Halder’s eyes widened and he took a step back. He bent low at the waist, knuckling his forehead. “We will return for you.”
A sob escaped her lips as her restraint crumbled. She couldn’t even turn her head to watch them leave, to make sure they escaped. She was out of time.
The Guardian stood over Ansel’s body, clutching his abdomen where it had been impaled, taunting her with a contemptuous grin. How was he still alive? Boots thudded as one hundred disciples flooded the courtyard, surrounding her. They shouted at her to surrender. They thought they had won.
What a pity.
She smiled at the Guardian. Then, she gave in to the seductive power of her Gift.
Mara exploded in a seismic blast that shook the very foundations of the compound, blowing the disciples away like leaves it the wind. Stones shattered, cutting through flesh like shears through paper. The disciples’ cries of pain were her lullaby.
Channeling her focus on the Guardian, Mara bombarded him with a constant stream of pure energy. Had it really been difficult? It was as easy as breathing. With one last blow, he vaporized as though he had never existed.
Balancing orbs of energy in her fists, Mara spun to face the recovering disciples. She reveled in the fear she inspired, in the moment they realized they were staring death in the face. The
smart ones screamed and fled. The stupid ones stood with shaking hands and soiled robes.
“Oh gods . . . her eyes are glowing.”
Mara scoffed. She wasn’t a god. She was a goddess, and she would bring them to their knees.
She threw her arms to the side, siphoning indiscriminately. She absorbed as much energy as she could hold, then she pulled more. A shield, thick and impenetrable, manifested around her with a thought, deflecting everything they threw at her.
Mara screamed, fueling her attack with her pain and her grief and her sorrow. With a sweep of her hands, she drew on the energy within the earth, rending a massive chasm in the ground that swallowed the fountain and disciples whole.
A small voice inside told her to stop. This wasn’t who she is, and she would regret everything once the dust blew away.
She ignored it, determined to keep going until Order Headquarters was leveled to the ground. With one hand, she drew energy from her surroundings. The other pointed at the Guardian building, directing an attack that ruined the very integrity of the foundation.
Gritting her teeth at the first signs of strain, Mara siphoned even more energy. Her back felt like it would split in two from the pressure and her arms trembled. With a satisfying crack, the building crumbled in an avalanche of debris, falling into the chasm with a thunderous crash and a chorus of terrified screams.
The remaining disciples fled, giving her a brief reprieve. Mara panted, leaning over to rest with her hands on her knees. Her energy dwindled, but that wasn’t a concern anymore. She could always pull more with a thought. She shook her head, trying to clear the pounding behind her eyes.
Mara stood, shaking off her fatigue. She spun in a slow circle, trying to decide which building should fall next. Perhaps the Magi’s wing? Yes, that one should do nicely. Poetic, even.
A lone figure appeared in the doorway, watching her. What an idiot. Didn’t he see what she could do? His chin-length hair was as silver as his sparkling robes. The man stared at her with curious black eyes, tilting his head to the side. “Unless you plan on killing everyone here, I suggest that you stop.”
“That is the plan, actually. Would you like to be next?”
“Not particularly. I’m merely wondering how much more you need to destroy before you’re satisfied.”
“All of it. The Order is evil and corrupt. It doesn’t deserve to exist.” Mara stepped back, folding her arms across her chest. “Who are you?”
“My name is Cadmus, the Head Magi of this evil, corrupt establishment.” He strolled into the ruined courtyard, surveying the damage impassively, showing no sign of fear. “You might wish to know that the building you destroyed nearly crushed our nursery wing. There are one hundred and twenty-six nursing infants living there with their mothers. Do you make a habit of slaughtering innocent children, or are they merely collateral damage to you?”
His words snapped Mara out of her righteous anger in an instant. She sank to her knees, horrified by what she’d done. By what she almost did. Gods… how many people did she just kill? Mara stared wide-eyed at the carnage around her, then leaned over and retched.
Cadmus signaled to his disciples. They surrounded Mara, pulling her to her feet and binding her arms behind her back.
She’d almost crushed a building full of children.
She was the villain. A monster.
30
The disciples dragged Mara deep beneath the Magi building. She tried counting the stairs, but quickly lost track until they reached the bottom. The stale air smelled of old blood and refuse. Rows of cells lined the stone walls that wept mildew and mold. The disciples opened a cell and tossed her inside, clamping her wrists in irons. Her connection with her Gift faded until she could barely feel it. Were these the same cuffs that Tomar had used in Kearar? A disciple wrenched open her mouth and poured an elixir down her throat. The last grasp she had on her Gift vanished.
Mara didn’t bother to struggle, not even when her captors stole the Augeo from around her neck. If anything, its absence was a relief—she didn’t deserve to wear it anyway. It was too dangerous. She dangled limply from the chains, squeezing her eyes shut as though it would ease her guilt.
The gate slammed shut with a resonating clang as the disciples left. The light from their torches retreated down the hall until finally, she was bathed in darkness. Mara sank to the floor of her cell, burying her head on her knees. What would happen to her now? Did it even matter? She’d killed without mercy, treating life like it was garbage. She deserved whatever punishment Cadmus decided, even death.
Sobs wracked her body. Ansel . . . how could he be gone? He had just learned how to really use his Gift. He was going to settle down and start a family. How could it be over already? And her friends. Did they get away in time, or were they just another casualty of her recklessness? They should never have come. Why didn’t Opal warn them that it was a trap?
In the oppressive solitude, she gradually lost track of time. Would they let her rot down here? Her only company was the constant scratching of rats. When the rodents realized that she wouldn’t fight back, they grew brave, biting at her arms and legs.
Voices trickled down the hall, growing louder as they approached. She squinted, her eyes adjusting to the flickering torchlight. Cadmus stood outside her cell, staring down at her with a gloating expression. “I must say that it is an absolute pleasure having you here, my dear. You’ve managed to throw our home into a bit of chaos, it seems.” He chuckled, resting an arm on the bars.
Mara stared back at him, silent.
“Not in the mood to chat? It’s no matter. I’m more than comfortable picking up the slack for the both of us. Would you care for some food? Some water?”
She frowned, confused by his cavalier attitude, and kept her mouth shut.
“Come now, you must want something. A glass of wine, perhaps? Or a proper set of bedding? I hear it can get rather cold down here.”
After everything she’d done, why would he want her alive and comfortable? He should be screaming, cursing her for destroying his home and killing his people. She looked back into his black eyes and a shiver ran down her spine. “Why are you being nice to me?”
“Ah, she talks! I was beginning to wonder if you’d forgotten how.”
“Why don’t you just kill me?”
“What good would that do?” His lips twitched in a smirk. “It will be so much more fun breaking you.”
“And yet you offer to feed me? That seems counterproductive if you want me broken, don’t you think? What’s to stop me from escaping and hunting you down? Opal warned me about you...” Mara watched his reaction carefully. He didn’t even flinch at her mention of the Seer. Did they have a history?
“Did she now? And what did she say, exactly? That I’m an evil, soulless man who wants nothing but power? Seers are so . . . short-sighted.” He laughed at his own joke. “As far as escaping goes, you’re welcome to try. Actually, please do. Running the Order tends to be a bit tedious, and I could use some entertainment. Unfortunately for you, it would prove futile, I’m afraid. The chains you wear are Deleos, designed to drain your Gift. Furthermore, my disciples have fed you enough suppressive elixir to keep you compliant for a few weeks, at least.”
“Why? Why bother to keep me alive after everything I’ve done?”
“You’re right. I should kill you. Or perhaps I should bring a Guardian down here and strip you of your Gift. Your existence is proof that some people are simply too dangerous to be Gifted. But that would be a waste.”
“What do you want from me?” Mara whispered.
“I want you to serve the Order,” Cadmus replied in a matter-of-fact voice. “Whether on a battlefield or on your back, it makes little difference to me.”
Mara recoiled, and bile burned her throat. “As a breeder? Never!”
Cadmus shrugged, as if her rejection wasn’t a concern. “Suit yourself. Never tends to last a long time, but I am a patient man. Mark my words, my dear, you will obey ev
entually.” He paused before turning away, looking over his shoulder. “One last thing. The Augeo you wore is positively lovely. I look forward to reaping its benefits in the future.”
Heart thudding in her chest, Mara watched as Cadmus disappeared down the darkening hallway. A Magi could already see glimpses of the future. How much more powerful would he become with the Augeo? Something told her that she didn’t want to wait and find out. She needed to get out of this cell and warn Opal.
Mara pulled on her chains, trying desperately to break them. The cuffs bit into her wrists, opening the blisters on her burned arm. She hissed, trying to ease the pressure, and sat back against the wall. It was useless. Without her Gift, she had no chance of escaping by herself.
A tall, hooded figure stood outside of her cell, watching her in silence.
“Hello?” Mara scooted back as far as she could, the cold stone bleeding through her tunic. “Who’s there?”
The stranger cocked his head, but his face remained obscured beneath the hood. “A friend.” The voice sounded familiar, and distinctly masculine.
“Did Halder send you?” She moved forward, suddenly hopeful. “Are you here to rescue me?”
Without answering, he slowly pulled back the hood of his robe to reveal long, black hair and a face she hated with every fiber of her being.
Mara launched herself at the bars, the chains jerking to a stop. She spat, “Murderer!”
Ethan huffed, gripping the bars of her cell until his knuckles turned white. “That’s hypocritical, coming from you. You and your little rag-tag group of miscreants just slaughtered two hundred disciples. So please, spare me your righteous anger.”
Shame flooded through Mara, tying her stomach in knots. She swallowed and blinked back tears. “You’re right . . .”
“Look,” Ethan said, pinching the bridge of his nose, “for what it’s worth, I’m sorry about what happened to Tobias. He was a good man, and he didn’t deserve to die like that. I tried my best to spare him pain by giving him a quick death.”
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