Page 79 of Heavenly Bodies

Letting out a long breath, she slipped past him into the dungeons beyond.

When she arrived at the cells, the dim fire in the sconces lighting her way, she wasted no time, running between the iron bars until she arrived at the last cell.

Inside, Sofia was curled upon a pallet of hay, still in her ballgown, now filthy.

‘Sof,’ Elara strangled out.

Sofia sat up. ‘Lara?!’

‘I’m here.’ She was already pushing key after key into the lock, none fitting. She cursed, as Sofia scrambled up.

‘How did you—’

‘Later,’ Elara said, shoving the next key in. To her relief it fit, and as she twisted the lock clicked.

The gate swung open, and she ran into Sofia’s arms, holding her tightly. ‘Now, Sof. We’re leaving.’

Beads of sweat ran down Elara’s forehead as she worked to hold an illusion over them both as they slipped through the palace. She followed the same shortcut, through the hidden passageway, up the back stairwell. The door of her room swam before her, and she blinked. Eli’s blood must be wearing off. Only a few more metres. She yanked Sofia with her through the door.

And the figure sitting on the bed smiled as they tumbled in.

‘You never were that good at escaping, were you, Lara?’ said Lukas.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

‘We used to play in here all the time.’ Tilting his head to the ceiling, Lukas lifted himself off the bed. Elara had already moved protectively in front of Sofia. She was weaponless. Powerless, Ariete’s venom sizzling through her blood, overpowering Eli’s.

‘Remember that game? Nightkeeper. The three of us would pretend we were the famous mythas, with our shadows.’ He pointed a finger to the rendering of the draguns above him, a spew of shadows running from his fingers. ‘Not that you could conjure a single one, Lara, after your little “incident” with that lightwielder.’

Elara’s hands flexed by her sides.

‘Shut the fuck up, Lukas,’ Sofia spat.

He turned slowly then, pure, unfiltered hatred in his stare, now held on Sofia.

‘You know, I never understood why you were so loyal to this bitch, Lara.’

‘What do you know of loyalty?’ Elara seethed, as a wave of nausea swept over her.

The shadows in Lukas’s eyes eclipsed him for a second.‘About as much as you. Consorting with our enemy.’ He sneered. ‘Who was the Helion?’ he asked softly.

Sofia’s head whipped to her, and Elara gritted her teeth, fighting past Ariete’s venom. ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ she said, summoning up every inch of bravado and royal arrogance that she could.

‘You sold us all out, Lukas,’ Sofia said, and Elara could hear that familiar temper in her tone. The shadows grew on the walls, and she could not tell if they belonged to Lukas or Sofia. ‘Youbetrayed us to the enemy. ToAriete.’

‘Lies,’ he hissed, striding forwards. Elara looked around the room wildly.

‘I saw the card, Lukas,’ Elara said. She had to keep him talking. ‘I know you summoned him.’

He released Sofia. ‘No, I didn’t.’

‘You’re on my fucking throne,’ she shouted. ‘Do you think me a fool? Of course you did. You planned this all along. All you want is power.’ The room began to spin but she held on to her rage, begging it to anchor her.

Lukas’s mouth worked, as though trying to grasp at a lie. She exchanged a glance with Sofia—the only person who knew her inside out. And Sofia read the plan in her gaze, following it to where it landed on the sapphire crystal ball on her nightstand.

Elara approached Lukas as Sofia’s shadows drifted towards the ball. ‘I wantedyou, Lara,’ he finally said.

‘And when you couldn’t have me, when our betrothal was in danger, you decided instead to hurt me,’ she replied quietly.

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