Anomaly (Causal Enchantment #4)(71)

As if waiting for my internal thoughts to slow and my shock to even out, the Fate continued, “And live out eternity however you want, with your friends … your beloved …” With a wave of his hand, a thin layer of water formed and shimmered over the giant bowl. Suddenly, faces appeared within. Julian and Amelie, Veronique and Mortimer, Bishop and Fiona … Max … Caden. Everyone we’d left back in the office building in Manhattan. “They’re all very worried about you.”

The image shifted again to show the sky full of helicopters, descending upon the miracle city, the bridges flooded with tanks and Humvees rolling in to investigate. “It doesn’t look like a very safe place, does it?” Incendia said with a pinched face. “And I doubt they’ll be willing to leave anytime soon, waiting for you.” A pause. “You can see them again. Right now, if you want. Rescue them from possible danger. Rid that boy of his agonizing heartache.” As if to emphasize his point, a close-up of Caden’s face appeared again, showcasing the hollowness of his jade eyes.

“What do I have to do?” The words rushed out of my mouth without thought. I would do anything for them. Anything.

“Choose them.” Incendia glided around the bowl toward me, his feet never touching the jungle floor. I had to tip my head back to look at his face, looming high over me.

“That’s all?” That seemed easy. Too easy.

Choose.

A choice.

A difference between this or that.

“Choose them over what?” I asked, stealing a glance at Sofie, hoping she understood what was going on.

Sofie’s expression twitched for only a second and then, with a nod of comprehension, a sad smile curved her lips. “Let’s make this easy, Terra.”

“No!” Incendia barked. “My player will be victorious through fair means.”

“You call this fair?” Sofie yelled but her words were quickly lost to me, Incendia’s statement stealing my attention.

“Your player?” My brow tightened. “I’m your player? What does that mean?” Again, I looked at Sofie for answers.

She smoothed her scowl, closing her eyes. She was trying to calm herself. “When I told you that this was all a game to the Fates, I meant it quite literally. They each choose an unsuspecting pawn as their player. There were two more but I don’t know who they were. They are dead. Now the Fates have pitted us against each other.” A long exhale escaped her lips. “I’m offering to end this game for them.”

It finally clicked.

We were both players, against each other.

They wanted me to choose everyone else over Sofie.

They wanted Sofie to die.

“I won’t do it!” I yelled.

“You will.” Incendia stuck his hand out and the other male Fate placed the marble—Earth—in it. Letting it roll around his palm momentarily, he finally held it between his forefinger and thumb. When he spoke again, the pleasant tenor was gone. “Or I will crush this world and every soul within it and you will have nothing.”

An ultimatum. That’s what they were giving me. It’s Sofie or the entire world. Ironic, really. Hadn’t Sofie faced this same situation—either Amelie or the world? She’d had to make a choice, and she did.

But how could I make this choice? This was Sofie!

“It’s okay.” Sofie’s voice cracked. “I will gladly sacrifice myself for your happiness.” Her smile dropped as she turned her attention back to the wall of faces, waiting for me to condemn her to die. “But first, I have to wonder what the rush is? Why does this game need to end now?”

“Because we decided that it must be so,” Terra threw back. “Do not question us, mortal!”

Sofie’s eyes narrowed. “Do not trust them, Evangeline. They will lie to get—”

Sofie’s words were cut off with shrill screams as flames erupted around her, swallowing her entire body.

Burning her alive where she stood.

I didn’t think. I simply reacted. “No!” I shrieked, shattering the watery surface over the bowl of worlds.

The flames extinguished instantly and Sofie, unharmed, again stood in the conjured setting of the jungle.

The Fates exchanged a panicked look before settling eyes on me again.

A look of understanding filled Sofie’s face. Her words came out in a rush. “They didn’t give you these powers. Fight them, Evangeline! You can—”

She vanished before I could hear her last words.

“What have you done with her?” I screamed, turning to the four faces that no longer held any beauty or serenity.

“She is where she belongs,” Terra spat, her features curled into a hideous sneer as she pointed toward the pool. The layer of water I’d shattered reappeared and displayed a fresh scene of Manhattan, one where Sofie stood surrounded by Caden and the others. Caden’s eyes burned with hatred as he shouted at Sofie. As he threw her against a wall. As Mage jumped in to stop Caden, only to have Sofie attacked by Amelie and Fiona, all asking the same thing. “What did you do to her?”

That spine-chilling laughter once again filled my ears. “Not exactly what we planned but it will still work. One of them will surely kill her and then you will be victorious. You have avoided making the difficult decision. We both win,” Incendia smiled. I was about to snap at him, to tell him that watching my loved ones kill each other over a game was not winning, when Incendia brushed his willowy hand across my back.