A Kingdom of Blood and Betrayal (Stars and Shadows #2)(69)

“Let her father go.” His voice was the command of a ruler. This was the crowned prince that was meant to be. “You want a trade and you’ll have one, but you will not take her.”

“What?” My stomach tightened, and Thalia called out his name.

“Let her father go, and I will go with you willingly.”

“I need her to fulfill the prophecy.” Gavril nodded toward me.

“One will defeat, one will cower.” Evren recited part of the prophecy aloud for us all to hear. “I will go willingly as your prisoner. I will cower to you in order to save her. It is her fate that will begin your rule.”

Gavril stared at his brother for a long time before he looked up at me, and I couldn’t quit thinking about what Sorin had once told me. Queen Kaida needed my hand or Evren’s head.

“No.” I shook my head and tried to move forward, but Evren’s magic slammed into me like a wall. “No!”

Evren held out his hand toward his brother and black magic trailed from his fingers. “You let her father go, she remains in the safety of the Blood kingdom, and I will go with you without a fight.”

Gavril looked down at his hand before he slowly lowered the sword from my father, and I could hardly see as tears began trailing down my face.

“No, Evren!” I shot my magic into his, but it hardly made a difference.

“You said a life for a life.” Evren was completely ignoring me as he spoke to his brother. “I am the crowned prince of the Blood kingdom. Take my life for his.”

I searched for Sorin and Jorah, and I could see the panic in their eyes. I hurried toward them and wrapped my hands around Sorin’s arms.

“Stop him,” I begged, and Sorin looked down at me with pity filling his gaze. “Do not let him do this, Sorin.”

“I made a promise to him.” Sorin reached forward and wiped the moisture from my face. “I will protect you no matter the cost.”

“Swear it,” Gavril held out his hand toward Evren, and I could feel his own magic radiating from his skin even though I couldn’t see it. There wasn’t a single visible sign of his magic. “Swear it, and I’ll let him go.”

I moved out of Sorin’s touch and looked for my friend. “Thalia!”

A deal sealed in magic couldn’t simply be undone. If Evren took his hand, if he swore to his brother while his magic sealed his words, there would be nothing we could do.

Thalia’s panicked gaze slammed into mine, and her bright blue magic slipped through her fingers as she tried to penetrate the wall that Evren’s magic was holding up. She was blocked as easily as I had been, and I watched in horror as Gavril took Evren’s hand in his.

“I swear.” Evren’s magic wrapped around Gavril’s wrist, and I could feel their magic mixing together as their deal began sealing between the two of them. My chest felt like it was caving in as I watched them. My magic swelled inside of me as I made my decision.

They spoke of me as if I was the key to saving their kingdom, but they were wrong. It wasn’t me this world needed. It was him.

It always had been.

I gathered every bit of my power I could before letting it pour from my fingers in a wave of magic. It shot into Evren’s magic and bent to my will. I didn’t stop until my power hit him full force.

It shot into him when he wasn’t expecting it and knocked him away from his brother. His hand fell from Gavril’s before either could seal with their magic between them, and Evren’s gaze shot to mine.

There was confusion and panic staring back at me, but I didn’t stop. I moved toward him as I pushed my power harder, and Evren hit the ground as my black inky magic poured from me and slammed into him.

“You will take me.” I looked up at Gavril, and I could see the shock in his own eyes. “Swear that you will take me instead of him, and I will go with you willingly. I am the key to the prophecy. Not him. He is not to be harmed.”

He looked back and forth between his brother and me, and he knew the truth of my words. Taking his brother wouldn’t get him me. It wouldn’t give him what he truly wanted.

He would have nothing but a dead brother and a betrothed he was still unable to touch.

“I swear it.” He nodded once, and I sent a trickle of my magic in his direction.

He watched every move it made as it wrapped around his hand and wrist, and I kept my magic pushed hard against Evren.

Gavril’s magic mixed with my own, and he nodded once. I could feel it lock into place, the deal between us, and I could barely hear Evren as he screamed out my name.

I looked back at him and slammed my magic harder and harder until he stopped fighting against me. Then I pushed harder. I forced my magic into him until I feared that it would be too much.

I had no idea what I was doing, but I remembered what he told me. We were mates which meant our magic was linked. He had said that it was legend that one mate could pull from another, and I didn’t have time to figure out how it worked. I poured my magic into him harder and harder until I could feel it draining from me.

Evren shook his head, but he couldn’t stop me. Not now. Not when so much of my magic was already pouring into him. I felt it the moment he opened up, the moment he accepted what I gave him, and I didn’t stop until I could feel myself draining fully.

“I thought you wanted him unharmed.” Gavril laughed as he wrapped his fingers around my bicep and tugged me into his side. “It looks like you’re going to do the job for me, Starblessed.”