“When?’ Aurora asks, speaking directly to Tristan as she ambles toward him. Griffin stops her with an arm around her waist, her features contorting into misery when Tristan ignores her, staring straight ahead.
“A month,” Lena answers her. “A couple weeks more, if you’re lucky.” Lena takes another step closer to Adelphia, but nothing more as Kace, Griffin, and I move in sync with her. “If Brecca attacks you as you are now, Cascadonia will fall.”
Lips pursed, Adelphia drums her fingers along the arms of her throne. “You've been here over a month. Why haven’t you told us sooner?”
“It would have jeopardized my mission.”
Adelphia gives her a droll look. “Which is?”
Lena considers her for a moment. “We're searching for someone.”
“Who?”
“That's not your concern.”
Adelphia clenches the throne, her knuckles whitening as she leans forward. “You are in my kingdom. That makes it my concern.”
Lena laughs, a cold, arrogant tone I've not heard from her before. “One would think so, but it doesn't.” Adelphia's lips tighten in response and Lena’s laughter cuts off. “Trust must be earned, Your Majesty, and you haven't earned the right to this knowledge.” Lena’s gaze snaps to mine, an accusing light flashing beneath. “None of you have.”
“Who are you?” Adelphia asks, searching Lena’s face with a furrowed brow.
“Me?” Lena shrugs. “I'm no one.”
“Where are you from?”
“Nowhere.”
Quickly losing patience, Adelphia says through clenched teeth, “What are you?”
Lena says nothing, wandering towards the table as I follow along, careful to keep myself between her and the Queen. “A being with access to a vast amount of knowledge.” She plops down in a chair, casually holding my mother’s gaze. “Someone who knows how to kill the Gods Cursed.”
Someone gasps, probably Aurora, while I stand here stunned, my feet rooted to the ground in shock.
But Lena gives us no time to recover as she barrels on. “Your people believe the Cursed are invulnerable, but you're wrong. There is a weapon of sorts, stored deep within the Mandala Mountains that can be used to kill them. It negates the Goddess of Death's power.”
Our people have searched for years to find a way to destroy the Gods Cursed. To cure the Soulless. But every trail led to the same conclusion. Only a god can defeat a goddess’ power. But maybe we missed something. Maybe there really is a way to defeat them. Hope kindles within me but it quickly dwindles, morphing to rage when I remember who my source of information is.
“Nothing can defeat Desdemona's powers,” Adelphia speaks my thoughts.
Lena continues as if she hadn't spoken. “I can show you the path. Teach the trusted few,” she nods toward Kace and Griffin, “how to wield it. But it is imperative that the location of the weapon remains secret. Which is why in exchange for my assistance, I will require a member of the royal family to accompany me.” Her gaze lands on me.
“You want my son?” Adelphia whispers, her head slowly swiveling in my direction.
Lena stiffens, visibly swallowing. “For the expedition, yes.”
Something flashes within Adelphia’s eyes, but I’m unable to decipher it before it vanishes.
“You ask too much.”
“I haven’t asked for enough,” Lena quips. “I give you my word no harm will come to him.”
Adelphia rises from her throne. Theon reaches for her, but she jerks out of his clutches as she descends the dais, slowly rounding the table to stand on the other side of Lena, derision and scorn lining her face as she stares down her nose at the abomination so flippantly holding her gaze.
“You say trust must be earned, yet you've proven yourself nothing but a liar and refuse to answer any questions.” Her robe slips, but she still appears every bit the regal Queen she is as she flattens both palms on the table, hissing, “I will not entrust my son to the likes of you.” Her face shutters, an unemotional mask slipping back into place as she straightens, clasping her hands over her abdomen. “You saved my people tonight, and for that reason alone, I will grant you safe passage from the city. Darius, along with his Commanders will escort you to the gates. But once you leave, never return. For if you do, your life will be forfeit.” She glances over Lena’s head, pale green eyes touching down on Amara, Zander, and then Tristan. “All your lives.”
Aurora stifles a sob.
Rounding the table, Adelphia ascends the dais and lowers herself into her crystal throne, jerking a regal nod.
I don’t hesitate.
Stalking towards Lena, I banish all thoughts of her smile, the sound of her pleasure-filled cries, that raspy laugh, the feel of her skin sliding against my own. Determined to rid her from me, mind, body, and soul. Hoping there's enough of me leftover once I do.
I stop beside her chair and she drops her head back and lifts her gaze to mine, a sorrowful smile tugging at her lips. I grit my teeth at the feel of her warm, soft skin as I curl my fingers around her upper arm, mentally preparing myself to drag her out of this city and my life for good.
But then her smile suddenly tightens to slashed lips, her amethyst eyes harden, and my blood runs cold when she commands sharply, “Amara.”
Shrieks sound behind me and I snap my gaze around, sucking in a breath when I see Amara, the once human Amara, now with an illuminated starlight jewel, glowing diamond eyes, extended fangs, and her once brown hair streaked a brilliant, fluorescent white.
She whips up a glittering palm and a diamond ward snaps into existence, slicing down the center of the room and splitting it in half, trapping Aerin, Theon, and Adelphia on the other side.
“I apologize, Your Majesty.” Lena reaches through the ward to grab a grape, holding Adelphia’s gaze as she slowly bites into it. “But I believe you've misunderstood me. That wasn't a request.”
My breaths rush out of me as my heart rams against my chest. That power. That diamond power. It was Amara. It was hers all along! The one who created the ward in the courtyard that day. I almost thought I had imagined the feel of it. The way it crackles along my skin, raising the hairs along my arm, how the power doesn't hum but sizzles, popping in my ears. The way it crushes me beneath its supreme feet to drown me in its divinity. But it doesn't belong to the divine, does it? Not to a god known to us. Nor to a fae or an immortal. It belongs to a seemingly human Amara.
Adelphia lifts a trembling finger and touches the ward. The scent of burnt flesh along with a sizzling sound reaches my ears as she cries out and jerks her hand back. She peers down at her blackened finger and lifts her gaze. Not to Aerin, nor Aurora, not even to Theon, but to me.
“Darius.”
