Mine to Fear (Mine #3)(66)

The Grand Chancellor.





Chapter Fifty-Two





Moments later, the Grand Chancellor strides out onto the field, Chancellor Ryan on one side, Chancellor Stephen on the other.

“I want my son,” Stephen shouts.

How did he know? I glance at the girls, all of whom have gone pale.

“You only have daughters,” Cynthia yells.

“Not anymore. And I want him. Now.”

We must have a spy in our midst. How else would Stephen know? We've known all along it was a possibility. But who would possibly betray us. Phyllis. One of the few people who refused to come fight. Of course it's her. Only it's Theodore that steps forward. “Your son is back at their hiding spot in the caves with the mother and daughters. I'll take you to him if you promise my safety.”

Immediately, I want to zap the traitor with a hex. To think I healed him. “How could you?” I yell.

He smirks at me. “You didn't really think I'd want to free a bunch of women, did you?”

Stupidly, I did.

“You have a deal,” Stephen says, ignoring me.

The traitor walks over to join the Chancellors and Grand Chancellor. I want to hex all three of them with the most powerful spell I have. But the way the Grand Chancellor carries himself like he has no fear of our entire rebellion stays my hand. Why does he not fear us? Or…is it possible? Could he be about to surrender to us?

But then why is he grinning?

He raises his hands, and I just barely have time to throw a shield up before a black with crimson and gold streaked spell flies at our entire group. It slams against my protective spell with a burst of black, darkening my world.

My power wanes fighting against his, becoming weak inside me. I need rest. We all need rest.

The Grand Chancellor smiles, a viscous, hungry smile that says he wants all our deaths. He holds both arms out to the side, and his Chancellors step forward, one on either side of him.

My throat chokes up, but at least he's sending Ryan and Stephen, though I can't help but wonder how the girls will handle fighting against their own father, even if he is a jerk.

Several hexes fling our way, crimson light smashing against our shields. I shove a cutting spell out, straight at Stephen. His shield is thrown up a little too late, leaving cuts on his arms.

Ryan spits a hex out, glittering with red and black. It's headed straight for me. I don't have enough energy left for a shield. No time to move. Then something slams into me, knocking me to the ground with a painful thud.

Chadwick lays next to me, groaning. He just saved me from Chancellor Ryan. Ryan! I jump to my feet and cast a vicious burgundy hex toward his heart. It misses, hitting the side of his shield instead. He laughs and aims his hand at me.

Cynthia flashes a black spell straight at Chancellor Ryan. It smashes into him, and the whole field goes silent as he falls to the ground.

I run to Chadwick, his leg twisted wrong. He coughs.

“Just hang on. I'll heal you right up.”

He coughs again, this time with some blood. “It's too late for me.”

“No, it can't be!”

He puts a hand on my cheek before I can start to heal him, drawing my gaze to his. “Be happy with Jack. He'll treat you well.”

“But you have to stick around to fight with me.” My tears run onto his hand.

“I love you.”

His hand goes slack. I check his pulse.

Nothing.

Chadwick is dead.





Chapter Fifty-Three





The world grows dark. Cold. Without Chadwick, it will never be the same. Zade will be beside himself when he finds out his best friend died to save me. I want to shrivel up into a ball and never come out. But there's not time to think of it. The Grand Chancellor is raging toward Cynthia.

She stares him down like he's nothing more than a bug in her way.

He raises his hands, but before he can cast a spell, Nathaniel comes running out of the house. “Wait! Father, wait!”

He runs right up to the Grand Chancellor like he doesn't care that he's the most powerful man in the county, maybe even the world.

“You can't harm them.”

“What?” The Grand Chancellor's voice is low, but threatening.

“They are just trying to get their freedom. You can't hurt them over that.”

“You should be out here helping me, not stopping me.”

“But—”

The Grand Chancellor throws a silver spell at his own son. Someone nearby gasps as Nathaniel is raised in the air, wrapped in that silver spell, and flown back into the house out of sight.

The Grand Chancellor turns back to us, his expression disturbingly calm. “I don't tolerate disobedience. Not from anyone.”

A spell the color of an angry cloud flies from him. Cynthia blocks it as best she can, while we help. Tawny is too close to the battle. Too close to the Grand Chancellor. The Queen is going to have my head and hers. If the Grand Chancellor doesn't get us first.

My power is so weak. Faint. No one else must be doing much better as another spell crashes into our shield. The pure wall cracks.

“Retreat,” I call, heart heavier than our loss.

As one, we move backward, working to escape while still maintaining the spell. The spell grows weaker. As I look around, I realize that not everyone retreating is interested in helping us all retreat. They're already gone.