Immortal Reign(38)

Ah, so he’d decided to be “charming” Kyan again. The same one who’d lulled her into the belief that she could be friends with a god.

“Is that all?” she replied drily. “You just want to rule the world.”

“Yes.”

“And for that, you need my magic.”

“Even if your grandmother hadn’t been killed, the ritual she partially performed still wasn’t right.” He stared down at his hands. The triangle symbol for fire magic was visible on his palm, but pale like an old scar.

She frowned. “What’s not right about it?”

“Nothing has been right since my awakening. Melenia intervened, as she always did. She helped me take form more than a millennium ago, and I suppose she felt herself knowledgeable enough to do it again when the time came. I woke in my former body without your direct intervention. I’m certain she sent one of her slaves to raise me with his or her blood—strengthened by the massacre of the battle I awoke to—far weaker than I should have been. Far weaker than if you’d done it yourself as it was meant to be.”

Lucia fell silent, allowing Kyan to speak. She had wanted to know this since the beginning, why she had been able to see his location on the glowing map of Mytica during the location spell with Alexius, but she’d sensed that he was already awake.

Idiotic Melenia, allowing her impatience to be reunited with her lover to taint her decisions.

Perhaps Lucia should thank Melenia for her impatience, though. It had kept the fire god from awakening as powerful as he could have been.

“Tell me, how are Cleiona and Taran?” Kyan asked after falling silent for a moment, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

“Fine,” she lied.

He sent an amused look at her. “I find that hard to believe.”

“They seem fine to me. Totally in control of themselves and their bodies . . . unlike Nic and Olivia. It only shows me even more how my grandmother failed you.”

“She certainly did,” he agreed.

“Perhaps they will learn to channel the magic within them as well as I can.”

“You think so, do you?”

“Sure.” It was what Cleo said she wanted—to control her magic.

Kyan shook his head. “Cleiona and Taran cannot control what doesn’t belong to them. And if they try, they will fail and die.” He turned to lock gazes with her. “But I think you know this already.”

Lucia tried so hard not to react, but she felt the truth of what Kyan said deep in her gut. “How do I save them?”

“You can’t. Their lives are forfeit. Their bodies have already been claimed by my siblings.”

“Then find other bodies, if you must.” Her heart pounded hard as she resisted what he said. “Is that even possible?”

Impatience flickered in his brown eyes. “You aren’t listening to me, little sorceress. I am offering you the chance to salvage what is left of this world, to join with me and my siblings as we become all-powerful.”

“With my help,” she reminded him. “With my magic.”

Magic she didn’t currently possess at even a fraction of the strength she needed.

She couldn’t help him even if she wanted to.

“Everything was so perfectly aligned that night,” he said with annoyance. “The sacrifices, the storm, the location. It should have worked. But nothing worth having comes easily, does it? I need you to perform the ritual again, little sorceress—with your blood, with your magic. Fix what your grandmother began.”

Of course this was why he needed her. It was not to apologize and make amends. It was to gain ultimate power.

“When?” she whispered. “Do you want me to perform the ritual now? Will you threaten to kill everyone in this palace if I refuse?”

“You do despise me, don’t you?” His jaw clenched. “No, I will not make any further threats today. I don’t want it to be that way between us anymore. All I need from you right now is a promise to help us.”

“And if I refuse?”

He sent a dark look toward her. “If you refuse, Cleiona and Taran will suffer greatly before they finally lose their fight against my siblings. The air and water Kindred will take control of their new shells. It’s only a matter of days. Then—even if it’s at a slightly lesser level than I’d planned—the Kindred will be reunited. And we will cause great pain and damage to this world that you value, little sorceress. You’ve seen what I can do, even at a fraction of my true strength, haven’t you?”

Suddenly Lucia could barely breathe, remembering the many villages he’d set ablaze. The screams of his victims.

The screams of her victims.

“When?” she asked again, her voice barely audible.

A smile touched his lips, erasing the serious look he’d had a moment before. “Pardon me for being vague, little sorceress, but you’ll know when. You are a part of this—your magic, Eva’s magic. It’s been a part of this from the very beginning.”

Lucia squeezed her eyes shut, wanting to block him out by any means necessary.

“You’ve said what you came here to say,” she whispered. “Now please leave.”

“Very well. Oh, and please don’t blame the nursemaid for leaving the room. She trusts this face. Many do. It’s a good face, don’t you think? Nicolo is not nearly as tall and conventionally handsome as my prior form, but I’m quite partial to his freckles.” He paused, as if waiting for a reply. When none came, he continued. “I will see you soon, little sorceress.”