Page 231 of The Legacy of Ophelia
“When I first became Revered, with my scheme with Queen Kakias to unite the warrior clans under one ruler”—Spirits, he still spoke of her with reverence—“I began studying Angel lore. I wanted to be as prepared as possible for what we were attempting, and history seemed like the best way. But Kakias always spoke like she knew more than me, and I know now that she did.”
“Because of Bant’s Spirit,” I clarified.
He nodded. “I did not know that the Spirit of the Engrossian Angel was within her. That he was attempting to turn her into a Chosen Child, that she was aware of the emblems hidden across the continent or what Ophelia would be able to do with them.” Atouch of sadness entered his voice at that. “There were clues, and that was when I started piecing things together. Started visiting sacred sites and keeping track in the journals you and your brother have studied.”
The journals that were no more than ramblings because the strength of the magic and the desperation to uncover Kakias’s secrets drove him mad.
“I am sorry, son,” Lucidius said, and those words shocked me to attention.
“For what?”
“For all of it. I never wanted you to be imprisoned or tortured.”
Anger roared within me. “You were the one that ordered it done!”
“I was not in my right mind,” he admitted. “I never was once the Angel magic touched me. I was not made to handle it, and I understand that now. And when you received that Bind with the Alabath girl, I knew it was a death sentence for you. I knew what I was doing in separating you from her—in forcing your hand to sign the treaty—but I was not in control of my mind when the torture began. Powers were stirring too deeply in the world. Echnid’s magic was tampering with the Balance, and I was lost to it.”
He’d been livid the night he found out about the Bind. It was the angriest I’d ever seen him. And that was why. He knew of pieces of the Angelcurse. He knew tying myself to Ophelia would ensure I was killed or at the very least suffered the loss of a soul bond. I supposed in one way, that had been a well-intentioned argument.
But not how he tried tosaveme from that fate.
“You think I will forgive you that easily?” I asked. “I was tortured fortwo years, father. People I love were tortured during that war.”
“The general,” Lucidius said, understanding. “She is so good, Malakai. Do not let her go.”
“Not that I would ever take your advice on romance,” I bit out, “but I have no intention of ever doing so.”
“Good,” he said, as if he was actually, in any forsaken realm, trying to give me fatherly guidance.
He hadn’t been himself. I was trying to separate the way the Angel magic had warped him from the man who tried to save me, but it was so fucking hard. Could it even truly be two people? Even the man who tried to save me was still loyal to Kakias over the Mystiques.
I ran my hands through my hair, attempting to gather myself.
“I don’t forgive you,” I clarified, and a part of me was proud of myself for standing my ground. He looked like he didn’t expect me to extend any sort of repentance anyway. “But I want to understand for my own sake. I want closure.” It was something I’d been living without for years. Something I needed to really move on. “Beyond the Angel magic, what was your purpose in all of this?”
There is so much you do not know.
“In my travels, I learned of an almighty dagger. One that could kill the most powerful life sources if forged in a sacred source of magic from each of the seven clans.” His eyes dropped to my waist. I hadn’t realized the very dagger I’d stabbed myself with—his dagger—had found its way back to my belt.
And the pieces snapped together.
“This is the dagger?” I asked. “This one, that I took from your body when you died. This is the weapon Echnid was trying to destroy? It’s the one he burned the trove to melt?”
“Yes,” Lucidius said. “Though the one the Alabath sisters imbued is powerful,thatis the weapon the god was after. It is the one that could have turned him mortal originally, and themagic within is what sealed your death tonight so none of your healer friends could help.”
And I’d had it all this time.
Used it on myself so I would kill the piece of Ophelia’s soul tied to mine. It was all I could think to do when I realized she was about to sacrifice herself.
“Of course, I didn’t know what it was for when I made it. I simply wanted the power, and I never imagined the horror that would befall Ambrisk after my death. But I am happy I did it. Happy that you had it.”
“So I could sacrifice myself?” I scoffed. “Right.”
“No, Malakai. So you could rid the world of Echnid and return to a peaceful realm.”
“Return?” I asked.
“You do not have to,” he corrected. “You have survived horrors, and now you have a choice. You can stop fighting, remain in the Spirit Volcano, and finally rest. Or you can face the Spirit Fire and see if you’ll make it back to your life.”
