I didn’t run. How could I?
Valencia flicked her finger at me. “I said attack. What good is a puppet unless he obeys commands?”
Jasper groaned and lurched forward, falling to one knee. I took a step, resisting the urge to reach out to help him up. “Fight it, Jasper!”
“He can’t fight it, you stupid girl,” Valencia said. “Not even that silly fiddling your Charmsmaster did can lessen the blood oath. Only one thing can break it.” She smirked. “And you and I both know you’ll never be strong enough to beat me.”
I tried to juke around Jasper. Gritting his teeth, he lunged at me, shattering the wall just above my head with his fist. I could tell he was resisting Valencia’s influence with every fiber of his strength. He was giving me a chance to get away. If I didn’t take it, sooner or later I’d die.
“Jasper, Jasper, Jasper,” Valencia taunted. “I told you, if you don’t kill her, I will. At least if you do it her death will be painless and instant. Trust me, you don’t want me to be the one to end her life.”
Jasper went for me again. Instead of attacking Valencia, I met him halfway. My magic bolstered my strength as we collided, my tiger growling beneath a fury of his punches and kicks. I saw Jasper plant his back foot and pivot. I knew that stance. I’d only been beaten by it three dozen times in the Loft’s sparring ring.
Instead of overreaching like I normally would, I hung back, absorbing the smashing roundhouse kick Jasper delivered a half second later. I followed up with a lunge through his defenses. Flames crawled up my arms as I gripped each of his wrists and held them in place. This was just another sparring training session, that was all. If I kept telling myself that then maybe my heart wouldn’t feel like it was being torn in two with every blow. Maybe we’d both get out of this alive.
“You…remembered that move,” Jasper panted. The barest hint of a smile twitched at the corner of his lips. “It’s about time.”
“Tell me what I need to do to help,” I whispered.
“Get as far away from me as you can.”
“I can’t—”
“You can! This isn’t the time to free me. Gather the Outcasts and try again. That’s the—urgh!” He spat blood as another spasm of pain rocked him. “Go, Riley!”
“I don’t see enough killing, Jasper!” Valencia barked. Jasper winced and yanked away from me. He straightened to his imposing height and glared at Valencia. For a moment I was struck still by the sheer hatred in his eyes, like watching him drive stakes driven straight into her heart. I had no doubt he was imagining every conceivable, agonizing way in which he could end her.
“Kill. Her.” Valencia flicked her hand.
Jasper leapt at me.
I saw him rotate in midair, just enough that Valencia wouldn’t notice, but it was enough. Instead of hitting me with full force he clipped my side. I rolled, covering my body in protective flames as I weaved around Valencia. I tried to strike her but she leapt back, hissing.
Then I’d blown past. I looked back to see Jasper getting to his feet, blood leaking down his chin. He wiped it away and nodded at me. Go. While you have the chance.
I ran and didn’t look back, turning the corner in time to see Iris dispatch the third vampire.
“Riley?”
“Run!”
She immediately sprinted after me without question. Valencia screeched with rage. Jasper’s heavy footfalls followed in hot pursuit. A fork in the tunnel was coming up. Without warning, Iris shoved me to the left. I skidded, trying to slow myself, but she was already throwing herself right, shouting, “Get to the throne and get out! I’ll lead them away!”
She thrust out her hand. An invisible wall collided with me. I tried to fight against it, but it pushed me away until I couldn’t see Iris anymore; couldn’t see Jasper when he inevitably reached the schism and went after her. If he caught her, surely he wouldn’t…he couldn’t…
No! I had to stop thinking like that.
I scrambled to my feet and started running. I’d screwed up royally. Not only had my lame attack failed, I’d also gotten the Order in trouble and potentially doomed my best friend. My safest bet now was to get to the throne. If I reached that and somehow got it to accept me as the real queen that would fix all this. It had to.
The tunnel eventually ended and I found myself back on the streets of the Dead City. Rising above me, perched atop a plateau overlooking the entire city, was the palace, lit like a shining beacon from within.
But my attention was drawn toward the sounds of nearby fighting. Figures rushed through the streets parallel to mine; small packs of shifters snarling as they flashed past; the blurred shadows of vamps as they leapt from rooftop to rooftop. Cries of alarm rose over the din, followed by screamed orders to hold firm. Valencia’s order must have somehow gotten through and the Order was under attack. Hopefully they were in good defensive positions like Iris had said. Hopefully they’d have enough time to get out before being overrun.
For a moment I was split between running into the fray or continuing toward the palace. I couldn’t face the entire onslaught of angry paranormals, but I had to do something.
Yeah, you can get to that palace.
But my parents…
Know what they’re doing. Get. To. That. Palace.
Good pep talk. A part of Iris must have rubbed off on me.
Staying low and silent, I started to skirt around the worst of the action. I stopped as a pack of wolves ran past, tongues flopping, eyes glowing yellow. A howl ripped through the air and sent shivers down my back. To my right, someone gave an anguished cry, swiftly cut off.
I clenched my eyes shut until the nearest action had faded and I felt it was safe. I couldn’t stay still for long. There was no time.
The street eventually dead-ended at a sheer cliff. I searched for a way around until I found a barely used path winding up the right side. I’d be exposed, but I was in the shadows of the palace, and everyone else’s focus was on fighting.
I hurried up. My lungs were starting to burn. My legs ached. The bruises where Jasper had attacked me throbbed. I cautiously crept up to the palace columns at the top of the path and peered through them. I’d expected this part to be the most difficult with shifters and vamps spread out everywhere; maybe even Lukas and Onora camped out beside the throne, sitting on it every ten minutes to see if it’d work for them now.
I slipped past the columns and stuck to the outside edges of the room. On the floor in the center was a faint dark stain. I winced, remembering Jasper bleeding out there after Lukas had attacked him. That’d been our second, and arguably most useful, kiss. The one that’d kept him alive.
Focus!
Despite my earlier worry, the inside of the palace was oddly vacant. I made it without issue to the second door leading into the throne room and peeked inside.
The throne sat empty. The room was vacant.
I closed my eyes and pushed out with my magic. Though I didn’t have the ability to pick up on charms and spells like Sienna or Sawyer, I was getting better at picking out any irregularities in nearby magic. This way, I might be able to tell if there were any traps ready to spring the moment I stepped foot inside. The only downside was that anyone waiting for me would also know I was here.
My magic reached out and touched the far edge of the room then came back. Nothing. This wasn’t making any sense. I knew Onora didn’t care about the throne; she had prepared her own personal brand of wanton destruction with the titan. Valencia obviously wasn’t going to be here, but Lukas had been fixated on getting the throne for himself since finding out it existed. So where was he?
I took a breath and stepped inside the room. No alarm blared. Nothing exploded in my face. Seemed I was in the clear.
Without wasting any more time I rushed over to the throne.
“Okay,” I breathed, standing before it. “Let’s see if this works.”
I made it up the dais in two steps, braced my hands on the cold arms of the onyx throne, and sat.
It was just as cold as I remembered. I didn’t feel any tingle of magic race up my arms or epic voices declaring that I was now ruler. Was I doing something wrong—
“Oh. Wait.”
I turned my forearm over and focused on the glowing outline of the crown etched beneath my skin. “Now would be a great time to show up.”
And just like that, the cool weight of the crown settled atop my head. I reached up and gingerly touched the woven metal. Crown, check. Throne, check. Now, would this throne be a solution to all my problems…?
I reclined farther back in the seat. Crossed my legs. Straightened up in an attempt to look more regal. What was the deal? Did I have to pose in a position of authority? Utter some magic words? Vulcan had said I should use the crown when the time was right. There wasn’t a righter time than now.
After sitting there for another minute—feeling like a total idiot—and listening to the distant sounds of fighting slowly taper off, I let out an exasperated huff. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go! I’d done everything the prophecy had said, followed every rule, even when nobody else did. How much more did it need for me to do?
Unless…Adam?
Could he have something to do with this? By showing up and stating his intention to take the throne had that somehow screwed something up?
And if it had, what could I do about it? I’d meant what I said before: I’d felt a certain connection with him as one of the only other elementals. I didn’t want to—I wouldn’t—kill him. But what if something had to be done to free the throne up again?
I pulled off the crown with a defeated sigh. It immediately dissolved into dust that filtered back into the glowing etching in my forearm. I hung my head between my knees. I was tired of guessing. So, so tired of playing these sorts of games. What was the purpose of all of it? To prepare me for the sorts of fights I’d face once I was finally queen? That made sense, but it didn’t seem fair. Couldn’t I learn all of that after everything had calmed down?
That’s not how it works, a voice in my head teased. If you don’t want to fight anymore, you could always give it up to Adam. He’d probably do a better job—
No. Way.
“It’s disappointing, isn’t it?”
Despite my anticipation, hearing Lukas so close still caused me to tense. I clenched my forearms and rearranged my expression into one if unconcern before sitting up. He stood not ten feet in front of the throne. Close enough to have attacked me if he’d wanted to.
Despite every cell in my body screaming at me to stand, I forced myself to lean back. I was the picture of feigned nonchalance. My throne. My palace. Nothing could hurt me here.
“Perhaps it’s disappointing for somebody who doesn’t belong,” I said. “I’m perfectly comfortable up here.”
“We both know that’s a lie. It’s a throne made of rock.” Lukas’ usual leering grin made an appearance. “And it’s not accepting you either.”
“I have the throne and the crown. I won the trial. I’ve done everything right.”
I had, and still, still he was right. I didn’t feel anything different. Light wasn’t shooting out of the ground and putting a stop to all the fighting. It was just me, alone, sitting across from a killer.
“The Order is going to wish they’d never interfered,” Lukas said. “And as for you…”
I tensed as he reached out a clawed hand. I was stronger now, but a one-on-one fight with Lukas was something I’d wanted to avoid if at all possible. He didn’t possess any spells or charms, and yet his sheer ferocity was enough to terrify me. I’d seen the merciless way he’d taken down Rasesh and others. If he chose to attack, I’d do whatever I could to defend myself.
I just didn’t know if it’d be enough.
Yet still Lukas kept reaching out…reaching out…
He stopped. His hand hovered in place. It almost looked as though he’d hit an invisible barrier. Like he was struggling to hold himself back from something.
Whatever was going on with him, it was buying me time. I needed to keep him distracted from ripping my throat out. “What’s your plan now, huh? You’ve had all the time you needed with the throne and nothing happened. Are you finally going to give up?”
Lukas still didn’t answer. This was getting weird. I’d never pegged him as the contemplative type. He was a shifter prone to talk with violence rather than words. Even the few times I’d seen the more human side of him—when he’d bandaged Iris’s wound, when he’d taught the children in the tombs—it’d been done with a feral edge. He knew what he wanted and he destroyed anything in his way to get it.
But here I was, on his supposed throne, away from anyone or anything that could help me, and he looked to be fighting with himself.
“Did you know Iris and I were there, with my parents, when you went to visit the Order?” I said.
Lukas smirked but didn’t answer. Now I was getting angry. He had known. I could see it. That somehow made it worse. He should have turned us in. An angry, violent Lukas I knew how to deal with. But this one…?
Lukas dropped his hands. For the first time I noticed he looked like he hadn’t gotten any sleep in a week. Maybe a month. His golden-yellow eyes were tinged with red. His leather jacket and shirt beneath were askew and dirty. Even the lines of his face were more prominent. He wasn’t old, not by a long shot, but he sure looked it.
“What did you do to me?”
He spoke so softly I almost didn’t hear it. I scooted forward on the throne, ready to jump up if I needed to. “What?”
“I used to want to rip your pretty little head from your pretty little shoulders,” Lukas said, louder, and I tensed, waiting for him to do just that. “You, a pathetic nobody, who shows up claiming to be some savior sent by the witches and a useless prophecy. There was no way—there is no way—you’re meant to rule.
“But then you found the throne and awakened the Dead City. And despite everything you made it through the trials. And I began to wonder…I began to doubt…”
Lukas pointed a claw at me again. “And then you did the one thing I couldn’t stand. Something worse than anything else.”
“What was that?” I asked, my words barely louder than a breath. “What did I do?”
Lukas snarled as he turned away. I jumped as he let out a savage howl that rattled through the ceiling and shook me to my bones. Now I was on my feet, heart pounding.
“Onora is coming,” Lukas said. “She’ll be here soon, and she’ll have her forces with her.”
I stepped off the dais. I waited for Lukas to try to stop me, but he kept his back to me. Was he…letting me go?
I knew I was pushing my luck, but I said, “I know Onora has a titan. I’m not entirely sure what it will do when it finally awakens, but I know it won’t be good for any of us.”
Lukas remained silent.
“I’m sure you could care less either way—whatever gets you your throne, right? But if that thing is bad, like, really bad, then it could do a lot more than kill me. None of us can be ruler if there’s nothing to rule over.”
There. I’d said what I’d needed to say. I was out of time.
I hurried from the throne and walked away as quickly as I could without breaking into a full out sprint. I knew I should have felt relief, but all I felt was utter confusion.
“When we meet again…”
Lukas’s voice stopped me. His eyes—those spiteful, hate-filled eyes—drove straight through me. “You won’t be so lucky.”