Page 105 of Shadow & Stars
The others laughed. None of them seemed too bothered by the deaths of three of their own.
“Take him.” She stood and headed back toward Horse Guards Parade.
A man and a woman lifted me off the ground, throwing my arms across their shoulders. They dragged me across the road, taking me through the arches past more demons, my body limp.
Useless. Helpless. Unable to keep Roman safe. Without him, there was no hope.
“This can’t be happening…” I whispered.
“Believe it, demon,” the man holding me answered.
The witches brought me out onto the parade. Humans with television cameras pointed at the pyres turned to look at me, all of them with obvious expressions of terror on their faces. The other humans were on their knees and shackled, as we’d seen on the TV.
Where was Ismael?
The edge of the parade, where it met St. James’ Park, was sealed off by a wall of blue fire.
Roman…
He wasn’t dead. He just couldn’t be.
On the west side of the parade were three figures in the seated spectator area. Once upon a time, there were yearly ceremonies involving the royal guards and the royal family. I didn’t pay too much attention to them, but I did know they were extremely lavish, drawing huge crowds.
How different things were now.
The witches took me to the seating area, dumping me in the sandy parade. I lifted my head to see Ismael rise, two other monarchs flanking him—Pandora was one of them, as pale as Andri, her hair a vibrant pink.
My ex wore a long duffel coat over baby blue robes, his hair tied back into a bun. The crown remained atop his head. Dust glittered in his dark hair and on the sharp edges of his cheekbones.
“Xavier,” he said so softly.
The silver witches remained close by to keep my body weak.
“Such a surprise to see you alive, my love.” He moved off the seating area to stand before me. “Which leaves me conflicted.”
“A pity.” I raised my head.
He clasped his hands together, the move ridiculously elegant and regal.
“The world is changing, Xavier,” he said, looking up into the pixelated sky. “And it will soon be shaped in the coldness I have dwelled in for so long.” He smiled, not taking his eyes off the sky. “I enjoy Andri’s flair for the icy, the cold a soothing embrace after holding me close. Thanks to you.”
“Ismael. This doesn’t?—”
“Have to be this way? Oh, Xavier. Do you really believe, in your hearts of hearts, that I would ever remove myself from this trajectory?” He kept his eyes on the sky. “My grief destroyed me, peeled back the layers to the true me beneath. The real me crawls around in the darkest places.”
“Ismael…” I didn’t know what to say or feel. It wasn’t true. He’d once been the sun, not the shadows.
“I like me this way,” he continued. “It keeps me safe. It keeps me strong.” He looked down at me again. “I still love you. I always will. But I hate you, too. And aren’t the two forever entwined?”
Thunder rumbled, sounding like it wasn’t far away.
He continued, oblivious to the noise. “First Earth, then the demon realm. After that, once Butterfly’s dust has spread, I will establish my rule across the other time.” Malevolence flashed in his eyes, along with glints of madness. “All existence will be mine.”
“You can’t be serious,” I answered breathlessly.
“Deadly serious. Earth will witness the death of two witch monarchs here in this parade. And then humanity will make the choice to fall in line or die in a world of snow and ice and sapphire fires.”
He stirred my rage. He was willfully blind to reality, consumed by his tyranny. “Don’t you see what’s happeninghere? Existence is dying. Everything is wrong. There will be nothing for you to rule if?—”
