Page 81 of Magic Betrayed

“Later.” The elemental princess stood tall, nostrils flaring as she surveyed the room. “It seems we are under attack, so our grievances will have to wait.”

“What?” Kes turned back to me. “Did Faris come after all? Even after I told you to leave me here?”

I shook my head. “It’s not Faris—trust me, it’s a lot worse.”

When I didn’t elaborate, she took my arms and shook me. “Who, Raine?”

“Bounty hunters,” I admitted. “I’ve faced them once already. And this is just a payday for them, so collateral damage doesn’t mean much. Basically, the only thing keeping them from frying us in our tracks is the fact that they need Kes alive. They won’t make a move until they find some way to separate her from the group.”

“How many?” Chesney demanded.

“Five. A goblin, a fae, a drus, a fire elemental, and a bear shifter.”

I watched as she thought this through, and a horrible realization struck me.

“You never had a defense plan, did you?”

Her face said “Silence, peasant,” stronger than any words, but thanks to her mother, I was nearly immune.

“You never set any traps, and you weren’t trying to lure me here using Ari.”

“The child was never a part of this,” she said harshly.

“And Ethan?”

The group exchanged troubled glances, and then…

Oh. I thought that maybe, finally, I was beginning to understand.

“You genuinely want to help him, don’t you?” I guessed quietly. “Or at least you tell yourselves you do. But you also want back what Elayara stole. And you thought that this way maybe you could have both.”

So they’d hatched this plan, counting on Kes being able to reverse the process—to undo what was done, set Ethan free, and allow them to go back to their lives.

But now? They knew it was impossible, but they’d come too far and dug the hole too deep. It left them unable to move on, unable to go back. They’d kidnapped, threatened, and betrayed, and guilt would forever taint the outcome. Even now that hope was gone, they were stuck, because they could not abandon Ethan without questioning whether their motives had always been corrupt.

But before I could follow that line of thought, Kes interrupted.

“The hunters are here for me,” she said resolutely. “If I go with them, maybe no one else needs to get hurt.”

But I could see even as she said it that she knew it wasn’t true. We needed a plan. Needed to hold out just long enough for Ari to tell everyone where I was.

“If you’re waiting for us to defend this place,” Chesney broke in bitterly, “you know perfectly well that we don’t have the ability. Any fighting to be done will have to be done by you.”

“Is Logan…”

“He’s fine,” Kes put in, “but he’s sedated. He kept setting off earthquakes, and this house… well, it’s not exactly structurally sound.”

I could tell she was furious about it, and scared for him, but there had been nothing she could do.

“And Ethan?”

Chesney stared at me incredulously. “Are you genuinely suggesting I turn him loose to fight these mercenaries? Do you have that great of a death wish?”

One glance at Kes confirmed her assessment.

“I can keep him stable,” she confessed, dropping her eyes to the floor. “Just barely. Taking all of his power might incapacitate me, so I haven’t been willing to risk it. But I’m afraid if he uses any of his magic, all of it will unravel. It’s not his fault. It’s more than anyone could handle, and he’s never had a chance to learn control.”

“Trust me,” I muttered under my breath, “I’ve never blamed Ethan for any of this.”

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