Frozen Tides (Falling Kingdoms #4)(55)

“I’ve no intention of smiling. You know I’m still furious with you for what you did to Magnus.”

“Your brother disrespected me.”

“He doesn’t know who you are.”

“Exactly.”

“So instead of sparing him for his ignorance you decided to kill him?”

All the anger in Kyan’s expression faded away as he gave her a charming grin. “I wouldn’t say unleashing my rage upon him was a decision, exactly. Fire magic is who I am. What I am.”

She crossed her arms and began walking away from him. “That’s no excuse. Magnus is off-limits. If you harm him in any way, I won’t help you anymore.”

The fact that she’d willingly tortured Magnus with her magic until he’d spoken the truth didn’t sit well with her. Still, if he hadn’t resisted, she wouldn’t have had to inflict so much pain.

Causing Cleo pain, however, hadn’t troubled her at all.

Catching up with her, Kyan kept pace at her side. “Timotheus deserves to die.”

“Then he’ll die.” She shook her head. “I just don’t understand why you’re in such a rush to tear him out of the Sanctuary. You’ve only just awakened. And you’re just as much an immortal as he is.”

“I’ve waited an eternity to be free, little sorceress. Why should I have to wait another day to know it will be permanent?” He grasped her arm, slowing her down and stopping her. “I know you’re angry with me, and that’s the last thing I want. But I think I can redeem myself.”

“Really?” She eyed him skeptically. “How?”

“Let’s go find your real family.”

A breath caught in her chest. “Now?”

Kyan smiled. “You’re right, my vengeance can wait a few days. But you’ve waited sixteen years to learn who you really are.”

The witches who’d helped them find the wheels had also given up information about Lucia’s prophecy. They’d learned that the night Lucia was born, the stars had aligned, setting many witches out on a journey to Paelsia to find her. According to one witch’s rumor, two sisters with blood magic skills had succeeded.

One of those sisters was Sabina, the witch Lucia had killed many months ago in the Limerian palace when her powers were first awakening. If only she’d known enough to wait to crush Sabina’s skull and set her on fire until after she’d questioned the witch about her origins.

“All right, let’s go,” Lucia said now, eagerness rising in her chest. “We’re close to learning the truth. I can feel it.”

“Then it’s settled.” Kyan nodded. “Tomorrow we’ll set off for Paelsia.”

? ? ?

The second she closed her eyes to sleep she was haunted by the image of Magnus on the palace grounds.

His joy and relief as she approached.

His confusion when she didn’t immediately throw herself into his arms.

His uncertainty when she kissed him.

And his pain when she pulled the truth out of him, brutally and against his will.

This is who I am now, dear brother, she thought. This is who I was always meant to be.

With this affirmation, she was finally claimed by a sleep she prayed would be dreamless.

Unfortunately, her prayers were not answered.

In her dream, she stood in a meadow. But not any ordinary meadow. This was a meadow in the Sanctuary, the same one where she’d met Alexius, also in a dream.

Apples as shiny red as rubies hung from the surrounding trees, the sky was as bright as a sapphire, and the ever-brilliant sun shone down on the splendor all around her.

It was the last place she wanted to be.

A hawk circled high above her head, then descended and perched in a nearby tree.

It isn’t Alexius.

It can’t be.

Still, a small part of her heart had been holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, he could still visit her. When immortals ceased to be, their bodies returned to the elemental magic from which they’d been created. They didn’t leave behind a corpse unless they’d lived as a mortal for many years.

Was it possible he could still contact her through her dreams?

She approached the bird tentatively. “Alexius?”

The hawk cocked its head, then vanished before her eyes.

“I’m very sorry to say that no, I’m not Alexius.”

Lucia spun around. Standing before her in the meadow was a young man wearing white robes like those of a high priest. But most priests Lucia had ever known were old and wrinkled and ugly—not like this man, who was every bit as beautiful as Alexius had been.

“Beautiful, am I?” he said.

She gasped. “You can read minds.”

“Only in dreams. Like yours right now.”

“Who are you?” she demanded.

“I think you already know the answer to that question,” he said, walking a slow circle around her.

“Timotheus.”

He nodded, smiling slightly. “And you are Lucia Eva Damora, the princess of Limeros. The sorceress reborn. The king gave you Eva’s name. How predictable.”

So here he was, the creature who’d imprisoned Kyan and kept him apart from his family for countless centuries. A monster as cruel and evil as Melenia had been.