Crowned (Beholder #4)(39)

“Everything will work out fine. You’ll see.”

“Yes, my love. You are right. And now, we’ve other worlds to manage.” The word manage had an edge to it that set my teeth chattering. One thing was for certain. I wouldn’t want to be a resident of any of those worlds.

The Lady looped her hand around the Sire’s arm. Meanwhile, a nearby gateway flared with purple light, showing that it was ready to be used. Together, the Sire and Lady stepped through the arch and disappeared.

Once they were gone, I realized a simple fact.

Like Petra, I’d make sure those two paid for what they had done.





Chapter Seventeen




After the Sire and Lady departed, my mind spun through everything I knew of Viktor. Threads of facts move themselves into a larger tapestry. My eyes widened with a realization.

I rounded on the ghostly Kila Kitu. “This is why Viktor created the Changed Ones. It’s all part of his plan.” I scanned the many gateways surrounding the field. They were lined up like so many soldiers, ready to die.

And that’s when I truly understood what Viktor had planned.

“Viktor is going to kill the Sire and Lady,” I went on. “After that, he’ll take over all the gateways. He’s already built a mindless army to protect him while he destroys them.”

“Yes, I fear that is his plan.” Kila Kitu gestured toward my arm. “We should return. You’re bleeding out.”

“Does that mean you’ll give me the Sword?”

“I’m unsure. There’s nothing worthy about handing over the hilt, merely to create another tyrant. You’re not like my Elea. She was gentle and loving.”

“I’m a Grand Mistress Necromancer. Gentle isn’t what we’re trained to be. And even so…” I opened my mouth, searching for the right words. None came out. Years of Necromancer training made me terrible at conversations like this one. “I’ve still got, you now, feelings.”

What a terrible speech.

Kila Kitu glanced at me from the corner of his eye. I’d seen looks like that one before. It was another way of saying sure, you have feelings.

Another argument appeared. “How about Rowan? He’s my mate. That’s proof I can love and care for someone.”

Kila Kitu gestured toward the sky. “The Martyr’s Comet has cycled countless times. In all those eons, you’re the only Elea who’s found a mate. And your Rowan is a Genesis Rex, no less. You love each other, but your bond is not that strong, is it?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” I blinked hard, forcing my mind to focus on the present moment. Blood kept dripping from my hand. My head was turning woozy. “Time is running out. You must give me the Sword hilt. I swear, you can trust me.”

“How can I rely on you when even your own mate won’t? If your bond were true, Rowan would have shared power with you by now. He has not. One tyrant is as good as the next, and at least, I know what to expect from my current set of ruling fiends.”

I opened my mouth again, ready to argue, but Kila Kitu raised his arm toward me. “No. This is over. If you want a way to heal the gateways, use Viktor as the sacrifice.”

“I still need the Sword for that. And what are the chances that I’ll be able to finish him off right when the Martyr’s Comet fades? I can’t risk our world in such a foolhardy manner. I need an alternate plan. That’s hybrid magick.”

“My answer remains the name.”

A burst of purple smoke surrounded us. The charge of magick returned to the air. Within seconds, I found myself transported back into the tall round chamber. Nan and Mrefu waited nearby. Meanwhile, the moss and leaf version of Kila Kitu still stood beside me at the center of the stone platform. A pool of my blood encircled us both. On reflex, I pressed my healthy palm against the open wound.

“What happened?” Nan looked up at me from the chamber floor. “Are you all right?” Her eyes widened as she took in the top of the platform. “Where did all this blood come from?”

I squinted, forcing myself to focus on Nan. It wasn’t easy. “How long have we been gone?”

“No one went anywhere. One moment you were walking toward Kila Kitu, the next you were standing in a pool of blood.” Nan winced. “Is that all yours?”

Mrefu stepped closer, speaking in his strange language. “What did you see?” asked Mrefu. “Can you find the Sword?”

I shook my head, not believing what I was hearing. “Did you just speak to me, Mrefu? And more importantly, did I understand you properly?”

“Yes,” said Mrefu. “All who get touched with Kila Kitu’s magick become gifted with the power to speak and understand our tongue. How do you think Nan learned?”

The world started to turn hazy at the edges. “I see.”

“So, what’s the answer Mrefu’s question?” Nan turned her attention to Kila Kitu. “Will you give her the Sword?”

Kila Kitu stood tall, folding his moss arms over his bark-covered chest. “No.”

“If that’s the case, then there’s nothing more she can do here,” said a voice. I stilled, knowing that tone as well as I knew my own.

It was Rowan. He was here. Before I left with Kila Kitu, I’d thought someone—or a group—were hiding in the darkness above out heads. Turns out, I was right. Rowan was here, waiting to see if I claimed the Sword.