Last Stand (The Black Mage #4)(87)

A moment later, another axe found the corner, a whisper’s width from my head.

Chunks of ice clunked to the floor.

I spun, casting a metal shield as the Black Mage sent out a bolt of ice. How fitting. I sucked in a breath and my defense shifted to a wall of fire before the ice could find a way to my hands.

There was a pool of water at my feet.

“Please…” My words were stuck in my throat, and my hysteria was rising. This wasn’t supposed to be us. “Darren, this isn’t you!”

“You don’t know anything about me.” He spat the words as a hoard of knives rose above his head. “You never did. You only saw someone you could use.”

I threw up my hands and a wall of stone caught his attack. The force of his blow, however, was enough to send a wave of pain down my wrists. Darren wasn’t holding anything back.

Panic flared in the pit of my chest.

“Just listen to me!” I shouted the words as I ran. I would not return his attacks; I couldn’t. “I never lied about the rebels!” I ducked around a formation of ice as a ball of fire hit not two inches from my neck. The flames hissed and sparked as a trickle of water wound down the column of ice.

“Blayne wasn’t who you thought he was! You were always blind to his cruelty—”

The entire barrier shattered like glass, like it was nothing. Little shards of wall crumbled into crystalline studs.

I dove, my heels digging for traction along the ice.

But this time, I wasn’t fast enough.

Darren’s casting caught me in the ribs and slammed me against another column of ice. The impact rattled my bones, hitting along every point in my spine, so hard and so fast that I lost control of my defense. My magic ceased. I choked on my own blood, fighting the upsurge in my stomach, as I dropped to the floor on my knees.

Darren made no motion to follow up his attack; instead, he stood there watching me, two yards away, toying with a bit of cloth he had tied around the slim cut at his wrist.

“I was going to run away with you. Did you know that?”

His confession was so abrupt that every muscle in my body halted in place.

“I didn’t believe a word you said, but I had made up my mind. Paige would get you to the docks, and I was going to come find you after the war. I knew it was wrong… but a part of me just couldn’t let you go.”

“Darren.” My voice cracked. I’d had no idea.

“I was prepared to turn my back on Jerar. My family. The Crown. This robe. Everything I had ever known. For exile with you.” His eyes shot to mine, and I saw twin pools of fire. “I would have died before I let my brother take your life. I would have done everything in my power to save you even after all you had done…” His words shook as his hands fisted at his sides. “And then you took his life instead.”

My whisper was hoarse. “I d-didn’t mean to—”

“You think I enjoy this war, Ryiah?” Darren’s voice rose as he cut me off, echoing along the walls; I felt it right down to my bones. “That I take pleasure in wearing my dead brother’s crown?” He sent off another blast of magic that shook the cavern behind us as he shouted: “You think this was supposed to be me?”

“Then call your army off.” I pulled myself up slowly, wincing, taking an inch at a time. I could see something in his eyes; it was there, that panic, that desperate boy on the cliffs. I just needed to reach him. “You can stop this, Darren.” Please, listen to me. I know you are still there. “Even if you don’t believe in the rebels, we can still end the war.” My next words came out in a tumbling rush. “You don’t have to be king. You never wanted this. You can walk away and let someone else take up the throne.”

Rage contorted his face, and whatever I’d glimpsed was gone. “I will die before a pack of traitors take up the crown.”

“They aren’t traitors.” A plea was seeping into my throat. “Darren, please, they aren’t who you think they are. They sent me to—”

“To distract the king while they play ‘take out the leader?’” His snarl cut the air like a whip. “I know there are others outside, Ryiah. Who do you think taught you that tactic in the first place?”

“That’s not why I—”

“Let me guess.” His lips twisted in a smirk. “You are here for me.” He closed the distance between us; I let him. Darren’s eyes gleamed as he placed himself in front of me, his fingers reaching out to capture a strand of my hair, twirling it in his hand. “They voted to kill the king, but you wanted to reason with him. Surely he would understand if you could just explain.”

“This isn’t a trick!” Why was this so hard? I could see the disbelief in his garnet irises, and it had my pulse thundering in my ears. “Maybe they don’t believe you can be trusted, Darren, but I know they’re wrong. I won’t let anything happen—”

“And you won’t let anything happen after I recall my army.”

My eyes searched his, pleading. “Yes!”

Darren’s grip tightened on my hair until it hurt. “Such a beautiful liar.”

“Darren, p-please…” I knew it was wrong, but I lifted my hand to touch his face. His other hand caught it, slamming my wrist high against the wall.