Two guards opened Celine’s cell and pulled her to her feet. She followed them out with her head held high while the prisoners studied her carefully. Were they expecting her to open a portal at any moment? She couldn’t do it.
She reached down deep into her core, where her magic was, but it was still frozen – like the walls in the Everwhite Kingdom. Celine ascended the stairs, wondering if they were leading her to her death. But why wait so long to kill her, and why feed her first? Celine didn’t have much of a plan. She would try to get her tooth back and then open a portal and escape.
She did not want to abandon her followers in the dungeons. Would Dagan help her rescue them? He wouldn’t, as Dagan did not care about them. Saving them could do him no good, and he would focus on going to the Elves once she returned.
The guards brought her to the throne room, where Celine took a moment to admire the large pillars and artwork. The floor was made of thick glass, below which were millions of flowers. The heavy stone doors were closed once she was inside, and the guards let go of her. There was only one entrance, so she could not run away. But even if she could, she wouldn’t. She couldn’t leave this place if her magic was frozen.
In the middle of the room stood the Everblossom Throne, and its flowers filled the air with a sweet scent. On the throne sat a grinning Severin, and on a chain around his neck, in a small bottle, was her tooth. Of course, there was no crown on his head.
Did he expect her to turn around and try to run from him? She refused to let him know that she was scared and approached the throne. Celine stopped when she was a few feet away from it.
“Here I am,” she announced.
“Here you are.” His silver hair hung in his amber eyes, and he rested an arm on each armrest. He had clearly made himself comfortable in her castle. She suspected he was only this confident when he held a position of power.
“You have been sending the assassins to kill me.” Celine was not in the mood for small talk.
“Yes, I have. You pose a threat to my rule, and I wanted to eliminate you.”
“If the assassins killed me, there would be no proof that you gave the order.” The loyal assassin who had lied and blamed Tarragon supported her assertion. “You feared that if there was proof that you had me killed, Dagan would come after you for revenge.”
“If I had you assassinated, and Dagan found out, he would most certainly seek revenge,” Severin said. “It’s no secret that he wants to use you to sit on my throne.”
“Why am I not dead yet?” What could he possibly want to use her for?
“I heard two of the Eternity Princes are rather fond of you,” Severin said. “As you well know, the Eternity Kingdoms have been in chaos since you killed our queen. Someone has to sit on the Eternity Throne. This can only happen if there is a vote between the three princes and the ruler, me. My plan is a simple one: I have informed the three princes that I have you. They have to sign binding documents to accept me as the one true King of the Eternity kingdoms. In return, I will set you free.”
Celine couldn’t help but laugh. She laughed until her stomach hurt and almost wanted to roll around on the ground. “If you think they will hand over their kingdoms for me, you clearly don’t know them.”
Bolt and Celine were not close. They owed each other nothing, and they did not care for each other, so there was no way he would sign the documents. It was no secret that Caynin was romantically interested in her. If anyone were to sign the documents, it would be him . Dagan only cared about what he could gain, so there was no way he would ever give up his kingdom and power for her or anyone else.
“If they won’t sign the documents, I will kill you,” Severin said.
“You’ll kill me even if they sign them.”
“I won’t. The documents are magical and will bind the princes and me to our word.”
Celine raised an eyebrow, “It does not make sense. Why would you let me go? Obviously, I have the magic of the Egress Key – which you want.”
He grinned and touched the bottle that hung around his neck. “I said I would let you go – not your magic.”
“We are one and the same,” she said.
“But you weren’t always,” Severin said. “There must be a way to extract your magic and put it back into a key.”
Celine shivered. If Severin’s plan worked, he would be the most powerful male on Earth. The thought of him ruling the Eternity Kingdoms and wielding the magic of the Egress Key terrified her.
“And how are you going to extract my magic?” she asked.
“I am going to bring you so close to death that the magic will leave your body,” he said. “I’ll have it flow into a key, and I will heal you before you die. That way, I can send you back alive and useless.”
Without the Egress Key’s magic, Celine would indeed be useless. Celine was glad Severin was such a big talker. He hadn’t needed to tell her all his plans, but he was so proud of himself he could not help his gloating. How long had he been waiting to sit on the throne? How long would it take her to get rid of him? She had to get her tooth back. As soon as her magic was free, she could escape and return even stronger.
“Why did you send me food in the dungeons?” Celine wondered.
Severin smiled wickedly, and she instantly regretted asking. Dagan always told her to eat so that her magic would recharge... Severin rose and approached her, his shoes squeaking on the glass floor. He was not nearly as tall as Caynin, as intimidating as Dagan, or as scary as Tarragon. She didn’t fear him nearly as much as she feared what he would do with her power. Although her heart was hammering, Celine refused to flee.
“I have not used the key in so long…” Severin said.
He grabbed Celine’s hand, and she was unable to pull away. She hit him, but he gave no sign of feeling it.
“You can’t open a portal! You’ll let more Prenumbras in!” she cried.
“I already made that mistake once before,” Severin told her “Never again.”
With her tooth around his neck, he was in control. He twisted her hand, and her magic stirred. She was as powerless as a puppet on strings.
“You’ll have to forgive me,” Severin said. “I can’t help myself. I just have to feel that magic…”
He gripped her wrist so hard he would leave a bruise. Then she felt him opening a portal. He did not open it on Earth, he opened it on Erken and to Moon World.
Celine had never been to Moon World, so she did not know how to open a portal leading there. She also didn’t know how to open portals on worlds when she was this far away. She had not advanced that far with her magic, but Severin was using her magic as if it were a key, and it obeyed.
“Stop! What if you send a Prenumbra to the Elves? They could die!”
“Who cares?” Severin responded. “They did not come aid us when Prenumbras attacked Erken. They deserve to die.”
Celine could not pull free, and hitting Severin with her free hand wasn’t doing any harm. Abruptly, she grabbed the bottle and pulled it free from his neck. She tossed the bottle out of Severin’s reach.
The portal from Erken to Moon World closed, and for a moment Celine had control of her power again. Then Severin’s fist collided with her jaw, and she fell to the ground, clutching her face. She blinked through the sparks of pain until she saw Severin rushing toward the bottle. The moment he picked it up, her magic was bound again.
“I underestimated your will,” Severin said, panting, “but no harm is done.”
Celine glared at him and pressed both hands against her jaw. Slowly, she got to her feet. This was why he wanted to put the key’s magic into an object. An object was much easier to control than a person.
“The important thing is, the Egress Key’s magic works, and I can control it,” Severin stated.
Celine pulled together everything he had said.
“I have not used the key in so long…”
“You can’t open a portal! You’ll let more Prenumbras in!”
“I already made that mistake once before. Never again.”
The Egress Key had broken seventeen years ago. Before Celine opened the door behind the waterfall, the last time it had been used was when her parents had died. For years, Tarragon had tried to figure out who had used it to open a portal in her bedroom. What if the guilty one had been right under his nose all along? What if it was someone he had trusted and would never suspect?
“You opened the portal in my room, seventeen years ago,” Celine said.
“How did you know that?” Severin wondered.
That was all the confession she needed. A new spark of rage ignited inside her. If this knowledge came out, Dagan would certainly come after Severin for revenge. By killing her parents, Severin had taken the throne from Dagan. Tarragon would also come for him. For the first time, Celine wished Tarragon was free and that she could watch him tear Severin to pieces.
“Don’t look so angry. It’s not personal,” Severin said.
“You blamed the opening of the portal on an innocent servant,” Celine said.
“And everyone believed it.” He grinned.
Severin clutched the bottle tightly and returned to Celine. She hated that he towered over her, that he was stronger than her, and that he was standing so close. Without thinking, Celine slammed her head into his chin. Severin cried out in pain and stepped backward. Blood dripped from his lower gums, and Celine felt lightheaded.
She was too dizzy to try to dodge when Severin hit her. His hard fist sent her sprawling onto the ground, where he kicked her soft, frail human body. She absorbed every blow in silence. She should only pick fights she could win.
It had been stupid to attack Severin, but it had felt so good for the short time it lasted.
Finally, Severin stopped kicking her and motioned for the guards to take her away. They grabbed her arms and pulled her toward the dungeon. Her feet dragged on the ground, and she was too hurt to try to fight.
It would not be long before the documents returned, unsigned. Then Severin would surely kill her and extract her magic.
No matter how hard Celine tried, she was not a hero. She couldn’t help and save everyone. She couldn’t even help or save herself.
Would the Fata in the dungeon lose all faith in her once they saw that Severin had beaten her to a pulp?