Crowned (Beholder #4)(55)

Rowan approached me, and I didn’t even try to fight him. Leaning over, he quickly tied a rough cord around my wrists. I scanned his face, looking for any sign that he knew he was my mate. There was nothing; I still couldn’t accept that.

“I’ll convince you of who I am,” I said in a low voice. “Believe me.”

“Is that what you think?” Rowan shook his head. “That’s impossible.”

“Why? I still have a half day before the Martyr’s Comet disappears, and the Sword is now in one piece. Where there is time, there is hope.”

Rowan stepped back and eyed me carefully. He still kept a firm grip on the rope between us. “What are you playing at?”

“This is no game. I meant precisely what I said.”

“You just spent six hours in that gateway with Viktor. The Martyr’s Comet is about ready to vanish from the sky.”

“Six hours?” Every muscle in my body seemed to stiffen. “That’s not possible.”

Rowan’s full mouth thinned with a look of disgust. “What a sad lie. You’re a Grand Mistress Necromancer. You know how mages can alter the perception of time. Didn’t you sense any magick when you went to visit him?”

“Of course, but…”

Rowan folded his arms over his chest. “Please. Continue lying. I enjoy how you waste my time.”

I knew my mate well enough to realize he could sense any untruth. I’d started to tell him something, and now I had to complete the thought. “I knew Viktor was casting a spell, but he’d told me that I was his sister. That news had me so overwhelmed, I didn’t think through what he could be doing.”

Rowan’s stare turned intense. “You believe that, don’t you?”

“I am his sister. The Sire and Lady are my parents. And you are my mate. That’s all true.”

A flicker of doubt shone in Rowan’s green eyes, but it was gone too quickly to be certain. “Come along, crazy goddess.” Rowan tugged on the ropes that held my hands secured. “It’s time to meet your fate.”

I followed him through the gateway, my heat pounding in my chest. One way or another, this would all be over soon.





Chapter Twenty-Six




I stepped out of the gateway and onto a familiar landscape. A long rectangular green stretched out before me, the grass colored in a checkerboard pattern of red and blue. Tall arches lined the space for as far as the eye could see, all of them glowing with a faint purple light.

The Meadow of Many Gateways.

Angling up my gaze, I scanned the skies, hoping that Rowan had somehow made an error. But there was no mistake. The Martyr’s Comet hung low by the horizon line. It was almost ready to burst with light and power before it disappeared.

By any measure, I might only have a few minutes left to live.

I’d better make them count.

Suddenly, all the gateways glowed with pale purple light. Figures stepped out from the arches and onto the meadow. The Sire of Souls marched out first, followed by his massive army of knights in black armor. Next, the Lady of Creation emerged, along wither her company of warriors in battle leathers. Each of her fighters was ethereally beautiful and accompanied by an animal familiar such as a massive lion, eagle, or serpent.

I fought back the urge to gasp. Such a formidable army, and they are all focused on one death. Mine.

Next, battalions of battle mages paraded out onto the field. My stomach lurched with recognition. All of these were Necromancers who had skull markings on their faces.

No question who their leader would be.

Sure enough, my one-time Mother Superior Petra strode in front of her Necromancer force. Since I’d last seen her, the lines in Petra’s face had deepened, but the gleam in the elderly woman’s eyes had only intensified. No doubt about it. Petra thought this was her great chance to serve the Sire and Lady. Her mind had been rotted out with ambition. She’d do nothing to help me.

Across the meadow, Rowan’s Caster army strode through another gateway, taking their place beside the mortal Necromancer army. They all wore battle leathers and grim looks on their faces. I glanced over my shoulder at Rowan; he was eyeing his troops carefully.

“They look marvelous,” I said in a low voice. “Kade has done well with them.” About a month ago, Kade launched a new training program for their field fighters. The changes showed.

A muscle flicked by Rowan’s jaw. “How would you know anything about that?”

“When Kade fell in love with my best friend, it changed him. He no longer thought it was glorious to lose your life in battle, especially when you consider the pain inflicted on the loved ones left behind. As a result, he’s training them harder. You can even see it in the precision of their march. And the palace mages fight alongside them now as well. That’s rather smart. I’m proud of Kade. This is sure to decrease casualties.”

“Don’t cast your—”

“I know, I know. I should keep my witchy powers to myself and not cast spells to see into your personal life.”

“Right.”

“I swear, you and your brothers have egos the size of Nyumbani. Do you really think the minutiae of Kade’s love life is that interesting?”

For a moment, I saw the hint of a smile curl across Rowan’s lips. It was gone too soon to be sure, though.