Page 130 of Madness of Her Mages

I gave a start when she reached across the table and grabbed my hand, her skin a shocking mixture of hot and cold at the same time. “I think I can love you in the same way.” She looked down at our joined hands, a lone tear sliding down her cheek. “But your sister has joined forces with demons, Shirina, which means when we go to battle, we may have to make difficult choices.”

A cyclone of depression and rage swirled in my chest as I thought about what could have been, what should have been, between our family hadn’t the mind spinner ruined everything. “I know.”

“Do you?” Another tear fell as she squeezed my hand. “Will you be able to make difficult choices when we go to battle?”

I looked away as I dreaded the thought of my sister demon possessed. “I think so.” I recalled my dream that my sister was possessed. I wouldn’t have a choice but to destroy my beloved sister if she was being controlled by a demon. I couldn’t take the chance the demon would use her to destroy us.

“Ithinkso isn’t good enough.” Malvolia heaved a weary sigh while slumping in her chair. “Twenty-four years ago, I knew Flora and Derrick had escaped Delfi. I knew, and I didn’t pursue them.”

Holy troll turds! Blaze’s exclamation rang in my mind.

I gasped. “You knew, and you let them live?”

“Enough blood had been shed.” She wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. “I was too heartsick. I loved my sister, and you’re right—I still do.” She looked at me, black magic misting from her skin, the air between us thick with regret. “I didn’t want to kill her or her babies. Besides, I had Marius as my insurance should Flora ever come back. But now look at what happened because I let them live.” She shook her head, her voice cracking like splintered ice. “The niece I spared could very well be demon possessed, which will make her more powerful and harder to kill.”

Dread pumped venom through my veins. “I know.”

“So I’m going to ask you again.” She paused, exhaling before piercing me with her inky eyes. “Will you be willing to defeat your sister tomorrow?”

My heart beat out a dull thud, threatening to stop completely at the thought of killing my sister, but I knew the answer to her question, though it pained me to say it. “Yes, because as much as I love my sister, I will not let demons threaten my mates or my nieces.”

“That is what I wanted to hear.” She heaved an audible sigh and then stood, pushing back her chair.

I followed suit, and my mates stood, too.

Then Malvolia reached for me, a strange look in her eyes.

I stood frozen in place, unsure what to do when she pulled me against her bosom for a hug. A hug! I was being hugged by Malvolia! Her change of behavior seemed so odd, so sudden, and I couldn’t help but doubt her sincerity.

“Thank you,” she whispered in my ear before pulling back, rubbing warmth into my shoulders. “Try to get some rest.” She visibly swallowed. “Very soon, and we will be at war.”

“Thank you, Aunt,” I said to her. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Niece.”

I gave my aunt one last look before ducking out of the tent, so many mixed emotions swirling through my mind as I tried to process what had just happened. Malvolia said she thought she could love me. I wanted to believe her, but at the same time, I didn’t. After all the atrocities she’d committed, spellbound or not, I didn’t know if I could ever love her back.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Aurora

Aurora heaved a dramatic sigh while playing with her toy mages. She was sad that her auntie only let her pack a few toys, and she was tired of sitting inside the tent when she could hear dragons roaring outside. She’d never seen a dragon up close before. She looked across the tent at Uncle Nikkos. He sat outside the tent flap talking to strange mages while drinking something called mead. He’d said she was too little to taste it, even though she was thirsty and tired of water.

“I’m bored,” she said aloud while glaring at her sister who was too busy talking to her ‘friends’ to play with her. “Why won’t you play with me?”

“My friends are talking.” Em had the nerve to shoosh her while pointing at the air above their heads. “It’s important, Rora.”

Aurora scrunched her nose. She wanted to know what Em’s friends were saying. “What’s important?”

Em turned to her, a scared look in her eyes while she clutched her doll. “My friends say a bad ball is here.”

“What ball?”

“A bad faerie ball.” Em grimaced before looking up again. “They say we have to get rid of it, or we all die from the fire.”

Aurora dropped her toys and sat up on her heels. “Where is it?”

Em pointed to the tent flap. “Out there.”

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