Page 6 of Immortal Alliance

There’s so much anger and rage roiling off her, it takes my breath away for a moment. When she pulls herself together, her eyes meet mine, and I take a few seconds to reassure myself that she’s all right. Despite what she claims, I don’t believe Theren and the Unseelie have broken her.

“Aima?”

She gives a curt nod and a tight-lipped smile. “Yeah, I’m all right. Did you see something?”

“Has Theren ever mentioned a spell Morrigan may have placed on him? Maybe something innocuous that might mean more than he thought?” I ask.

She shakes her head for a moment, but some form of realization dawns on her and her expression changes as she struggles for words. When she speaks, it nearly leaves me speechless.

“Theren told Eilish that what we see isn’t real. He told her that the Theren walking around isn’t really him,” Aima explains. “She couldn’t tell me much else, but it was pretty clear what she meant.”

“Well, I just heard something similar from Variant. Not a spoken word or admittance, but his actual thoughts.”

“You were able to access his mind?”

“Yes. His thoughts were much easier to locate than they should be, which could mean the spell is wearing off without Morrigan’s magic to sustain it.”

“Morrigan’s in power and no one even knows it,” Aima says, taking in a deep breath. “So many people in the Realms believe she died in the war.” Aima closes her eyes, hanging her head so low her chin touches her chest.

“If Variant really did lock her away in that tower, there’s a possibility that he’s been fighting her magic for a lot longer than Theren has,” I say. “Maybe Variant has moments of lucidness where he’s able to think clearly.”

“Maybe?” Aima struggles against her shackles once more.

I hate seeing her in pain, so I flatten my feet against the wall and push myself away from the marble. I position my body awkwardly so that she can turn and use my bent legs to rest her weight against me, taking some of the pressure off her wrists. “We need to watch things from this side as much as we’re able to, from this fucking cell. The others won’t know what to look for in Variant and Theren, but you and I have spent enough time with the two of them to know the differences in their behavior.”

“So, what’s your plan?”

“For now, just keeping us both alive,” I reply.

“Cambion... you can’t keep taking my punishments because it’s pointless. If you do, they’ll just find new ways to hurt me. You weren’t fighting in that battle. I was. Unseelie want revenge, they want to hurt those who killed their brethren. And at the moment, that’s me.”

“I won’t let them hurt you, Aima.”

“You have to,” she argues. “Our job right now is to buy the others time. If... the Unseelie do something twisted, something like what they did to my sister. I want you to—”

“No. I won’t listen to this. We’ll make it out of here, Aima. Together. I refuse to believe anything else.” My body aches with a furious passion. The pain doesn't come in waves anymore, but in a constant onslaught of agony. “It’ll hurt like hell, but we’ll make it.”

Aima snorts and looks me in the eyes once more. “I should have chosen you, Cambion.”

“No offense, but I’m glad you didn’t. Your choice made both of us stronger. We may have endured tragedy afterwards, but I have faith that everything leading up to this moment is happening for a reason. There’s light left to be discovered, Aima. We just need to be patient and never give up, even when we find ourselves in the thick of it.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“It isn’t,” I concede. “Our time here will be hard, but you’re right. We’re keeping the enemy busy. We’re buying our allies time. And when that light finally returns for us, we’ll join their efforts and make these assholes pay.” I grow quiet for a few seconds. “Are you with me?”

“I’m with you.”

CHAPTER FOUR

DRAGAN

The Echoing Spire

Constant vibrations of energy flow through the ground beneath my cheek. I miss the warmth of the crackling embers of the fires in the hearth, the scent of old books in the library, and the sound of Eilish humming a wordless tune as she strolls through the cottage.

Pyre has lost his home, and we’re the ones to blame. Now, I rest on the cold, harsh stone and feel the thrum of magic all around me. The temple is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, with its walls of glistening jade and the swirling well-pool of magic at its center. Though I find the sound of the rushing waterfall soothing, I can’t sleep.

Nearby shuffling draws my attention and I crack open an eyelid to see who else is awake. Eilish. She moves through the cavernous chamber carefully, brazenly walking past the Sentinels who guard the Echoing Spire.

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