Crystal Storm (Falling Kingdoms #5)(79)

“I won’t deny it. Life would be much easier for me if that jagged pebble in my shoe was discarded once and for all. But I would never truly wish him dead, because I know that you care for him.”

“Care for him? I love him!” she cried out. “And if he’s really dead, I—”

“What? Will you lose that last sliver of hope you’ve been clinging to? Will you curl up into a ball and die? Please. You have far too much riding on staying alive, fighting, lying, and continuing to shamelessly use me for what I can get you.”

She stared at him, aghast. “Use you?”

Magnus’s expression hardened. “You want power, you want magic. Staying here with me and tolerating my father’s continued existence—you knew that would lead you to what you want. When the Kindred were stolen, especially knowing what we now know about them, what was I to think? That you’d continue to stay here indefinitely? I did what I did for you, to help return your chance for power. Ashur seems to value Nic for reasons I don’t personally understand. If anyone could get through to that crazy Kraeshian, I knew it would be your dearest friend. The same friend who urged Taran to slit my throat, might I remind you.”

He spoke to her like a hateful stranger, not like someone she had come to deeply value in her life. “And now you’re blaming me for this. How dare you!”

He let out a deep breath. “It’s impossible to reason with you.”

“Then don’t even try. You can’t fix this, Magnus. You can’t even start.”

“If Nic is still alive—”

“It won’t matter.” Tears spilled down her cheeks. “This has proven how vastly different we are. You are unrelentingly cruel and manipulative, and I see now that will never change.”

“Quite honestly, princess? I could say the exact same about you. Perhaps you’d prefer I deal with conflict by picking daisies and singing songs, but that’s not me. And you’re damn right: I won’t ever change. And neither will you. One moment you say you love me, but you’d prefer to cut out your own tongue rather than share that dirty little secret, even with your closest friend. Goddess forbid that Nic might have thought you’d sully yourself with the likes of me. Would he hate you for that?”

She pushed her tears off her face, angry at herself for showing such weakness. “Very likely he would.”

“So this proves that you’d choose him over me.”

“In a heartbeat,” she said immediately. “But he’s dead.”

A muscle in his cheek twitched. “Perhaps. And what about Jonas? I couldn’t help but notice you were practically sitting on his lap yesterday, cooing words of romantic encouragement to him.”

“Is that what you—?” Her face flushed. “Jonas is twice the man you’ll ever be. I’d rather share his bed than yours—any day, any time. And no curse could stop me.”

“Damn you, Cleo.” Fury flashed though eyes that had turned to ice. He raised his fist, his teeth clenched in a grimace.

“Go on,” she snarled. “Hit me, just like your father hit my mother. You know you want to.”

“What?” He frowned then and looked at his own fist with surprise before lowering it to his side. “I . . . would never hit you.”

“I’ve had enough,” she said, her voice now only a whisper. “I’m done here. I need to think.” She turned toward the stairs that led up to the bedrooms.

“Cleo . . .” Magnus rasped out. “We’ll find the truth about Nic. I promise you.”

“I already know the truth.”

“I know I can be horrible sometimes. I know it. But . . . I love you. That hasn’t changed.”

Her shoulders tensed. “Love isn’t enough to fix this.”

Without looking back, Cleo walked as calmly and slowly as possible to her room before locking the door behind her.





CHAPTER 22


    JONAS


   PAELSIA



Jonas had to leave the compound before finding Nic. They’d been separated after the rebel uprising. The empress’s audience had panicked and began fighting against each other as well as the swarm of Kraeshian guards

His view of the stage was blocked and he’d been faced with angry Paelsians and the sorceress they wanted dead.

“You can look at me with as much hatred as you want,” Lucia said to him as they swiftly left the riots.

“I appreciate your permission.”

“You hate me. And yet you saved my life.”

“Likely I saved the lives of a dozen Paelsian men who underestimated your ability to kill each one of them where they stood.”

“And you don’t underestimate me?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then I strongly suggest you tell me where my father and brother are so that you won’t have to risk your own life for a moment longer in my company.”

Jonas knew she could make good on this threat if she wanted to. He couldn’t help but shiver at the thought of how powerful this girl was and how much damage and death she was rumored to be responsible for.

“Where is the fire god?” he whispered.

She raised her eyebrows. Jonas could tell she was shocked that he knew who—or rather what—Kyan really was. “I already told you that don’t know.”