Page 149 of Vicious Is My Throne

It was the keystone that drained the final vestiges of my power away, drop by precious drop.

Everything from Caladrius. Solarys. Varitus.

Until I was an empty husk.

Gelvira crouched down, poking her nail into the wound on my cheek deep enough that if I had the strength, I would have screamed. “You might be asking yourself why the stone didn’t work this time. Because these only work for their true heir.”

Gelvira pried the stone from my trembling fingers. “Thank you for keeping my heart safe.”

My face scrunched in confusion and a smile took over her face. “How delicious. The mage didn’t tell you what the stones really were, did he? Poor little princess, doomed to never know the truth until it’s too late.”

Was she talking about Bex? Everything was so confusing. There was a searing pain at my center from all that magic being ripped out of me so brutally. Spots danced in my vision, but I focused on the glowing stone in her hand.

Not glowing with warm light.

Dark, burning fire surrounded her fist, wreathing the keystone in an aura of shadow.

“Beautiful, isn’t it? You can see why this never truly belonged to you. It was easier for you to believe your magic saved you all those times when it was really mine.”

My mouth worked. “But…Carex…”

“I couldn’t let your father sacrifice you so quickly, not when you still had to kill the kings and drop the wards, so I arranged for Torin to hide the keystone behind the wyvern’s eye. Not that she knew that was me. But a pawn who believes they have a crumb of power is far easier to control than a desperate one. And you, Anaria, were remarkably easy to control.”

I hung my head, enduring her cutting gaze on the back of my neck like the edge of an executioner’s cleaver.

“Disappointing this was over so quickly when our game could have stretched out for centuries.”

As the Oracle stepped away, ripe with power, my beautiful, starlight magic dancing around her, she dragged her fingers down my cheek, leaving a trail of pain behind.

“Goodbye, sister. This world was never meant for the likes of you. This world deserves to be ripped apart by predators, not coddled by dreamers. But, if it’s any comfort, you’ve fought harder than your predecessors.”

“You’ll…honor your word?” My eyes flicked to Tristan dying beside me, the blood loss slowing as if his heart was almost done beating. Stay with me, I thought, wishing he could hear me. Stay with me, Tristan. This isn’t over yet.

His hand, stretched out toward me, twitched ever so slightly.

“My word? You mean the meaningless promise I made to stop my brother and not to touch any of your…friends?” Helpless anger spiraled through me as I saw vengeance written all over her beautiful face.

“My brother is a god.” The keystone disappeared into thin air. “This world is ours to do with as we wish.”

“But…” I managed to push myself up on my elbows.

“Your so-called friends are already dead. After today, Blackcastle will be my first stop, and that city will burn.”

“You’ll let him destroy this world…like before?” Every word cost me, but I had to ask.

“I’ll shove him back in his cage, then spend the next two centuries fixing your mess. But killing him?” Her teeth gleamed. “My brother has committed many sins, but he is still my brother. I’ll save what’s left of this world, but I’m not sacrificing my own blood so vermin like you survive. That’s not how this works.”

This was the end, then.

“As far as the others…” Her smile turned cruel. “You really don’t believe the Whitehalls were transformed by the ward falling? I knew the second you were in danger your males would take you far away from the fighting and bring you here. You lot are nothing if not predictable.”

She leaned closer, the wind tangling her dark curls around her face. “I turned every last Descendant left in Varitus into a monster. Hundreds of those creatures…against three of you and one spineless mage. Your little rebellion is over, sister.”

I took a shuddering breath, tears leaking down my face. “You have what you came for, now slither back under your rock.”

“I will, though slithering is more our brother’s forte, I think.”

She paused before she reached the door. “You never deserved to be queen. Never deserved the throne, or the adoration in their eyes, or their love. It was always supposed to be me.”

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