Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)(65)

Sabina backhanded him hard across the scarred side of his face. “Watch your mouth, boy.”

“Or what?” He touched the corner of his mouth and came away with blood on his fingertips. He cast a dark look at her.

“Don’t you dare touch him!” Lucia snarled. Seeing Magnus struck by this nasty woman had summoned a wave of anger from deep inside her, anger unlike anything she’d felt before.

No—that was wrong. She’d felt it before. One time, three years ago, when she’d hidden behind a corner while Magnus had been reprimanded by their father for talking back to him in public. Magnus had tried to rise up and hit his father back, but he’d been beaten down. Her brother had finally run from the room and gone straight to his chambers. Lucia had followed him and found Magnus curled up in the corner, a frozen look of pain on his bloodied face that went much deeper than physical. She’d sat down next to him and put her head on his shoulder. Hadn’t said a word, just sat with him and listened to his quiet sobs until they finally faded away to nothing.

She’d wanted Magnus to kill their father for hurting him.

No, that was wrong too. She had wanted to kill him herself.

“I dare,” Sabina said. “With the full permission of your father, the king. I can strike your brother whenever I want. I can do whatever I want. Just watch me, little girl.”

She lashed out and hit Magnus again. He snarled at her; his fist was so tight that Lucia was certain he would strike back. If Sabina was not a woman, she was certain he wouldn’t have hesitated.

Lucia had no such problems with gallantry. She lashed her hand through the air in a flicking motion. Sabina’s head moved as if she’d been slapped, even though she stood six paces away. The witch pressed her palm to her reddened cheek, her eyes wide but glowing with excitement.

“My darling girl,” she exclaimed. “Very good! Yes, just like that. So it’s anger that helps you grasp hold of your magic, is it? Perhaps it will be anger that can fully awaken it.”

“Stop this,” Magnus hissed. “I don’t want this.”

“Nobody asked you.” Sabina grinned, even though a trickle of blood slid down the corner of her mouth. She drew out a dagger from beneath her skirts, from a leather sheath strapped to her thigh. Then she moved so fast that Lucia could barely follow her.

Suddenly, Sabina was behind Magnus, digging the tip of her dagger under his chin so sharply that blood slid down his throat.

“Magnus!” Lucia shrieked.

“I...can’t...move...” Magnus managed with effort.

“The elementia a common witch like me can summon takes great effort or sacrifice,” Sabina said calmly. Blood now trickled from her nose. “But I can do a little when necessary. Air can bind. Air can suffocate.”

“Don’t hurt him!” Lucia’s stomach clenched. She was both furious and deeply frightened—two opposite emotions that raged against each other.

“I wish to test your earth magic tonight,” Sabina said. “When I slit your brother’s throat, you’ll have just enough time to summon the magic required to heal him and save his life. Delving into your powers that deeply will help awaken all of them. Gaius will understand that I had to use extreme measures. I’m saving him precious time.”

Healing? Earth magic? Lucia had never even attempted anything like that before.

Sabina wasn’t bluffing. The witch was going to slit Magnus’s throat. Blood already streaked down his skin. With despair, she watched the tip of the knife sink deeper into her brother’s skin. Pain flashed across his expression.

Fury exploded from within her.

Lucia didn’t think. She simply acted, now blind with rage and fear.

She screamed and thrust both hands toward Sabina, forcing the magic that slept deep inside to the surface.

Sabina flew backward and slammed against the stone wall of Magnus’s chambers. There was a sickening crack as the back of her skull shattered against the hard surface. Lucia kept her arms thrust outward. It was enough to hold the woman in place. Sabina’s feet now dangled above the ground.

Blood gushed from the witch’s mouth and she made a sickly gurgling noise.

“Good,” she managed. “Your...air magic...it’s even stronger than I thought. But untrained. You can heal me. You—you need me.”

“I don’t need you! I hate you!” Lucia’s rage only blazed hotter. As if to match her rampant emotions, flames burst from Sabina’s chest. The witch looked down at herself, panic finally showing in her wild, pained gaze.

“Enough! No...Lucia, it’s enough! You’ve proved yourself—”

But before she could utter another word, a raging inferno lit up the dark room, consuming Sabina completely. Lucia’s long, wild hair was swept back from her face from the blast of the heat wave. Sabina’s scream of agony was cut short as her blackened corpse fell heavily to the ground and the flames disappeared.

Lucia shook from head to toe as Sabina dropped to the floor, her eyes wide with horror at what she’d done. She’d hated Sabina enough to want her to burn.

And she’d burned.

Magnus was at her side the next moment. He sank to his knees next to her and pulled her against his chest, holding her tight to stop her from trembling.

“It’s all right,” Magnus soothed.