Page 91 of Bound Paths
“That’s enough,” Cassandra said, cutting him off.
Rose opened and closed her mouth, unsure what she was witnessing.
Carter glared at her in an odd standoff. He didn’t continue whatever he was going to say, and he didn’t shift so they could have a more private conversation. “I’d bet it’s why Aterra could even attempt what he just did,” Carter hissed through gritted teeth.
Rose knew what he was doing. He was respecting whatever boundary she’d put in place. He wasn’t saying anything more of what he knew about her magic, but he’d use an example they all knew about—Aterra’s attempted escape—to prove his point.
“I know the balance here needs to be corrected as much as that of the continent,” he said. “What you did was risky!” The volume of his voice rose, and he shook his head.
Cassandra, still standing behind him, sucked in a breath. “It was necessary.”
He sighed deeply. “I don’t doubt it,” he replied. “I just want to help you fix it.”
“But you require payment?” She lifted a brow skeptically. “You will only help me if I help you?”
Carter sighed. “That’s not what I mean.” He held up a hand to stop her retort. “Though I know it’s how it sounded.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Our problem is the same. The continent’s imbalance affects this realm. We’ve been through this. We’re trying to clean up the mess left for us, but we can’t do it alone.” He gestured to her. “Neither can you clean up the mess the gods’ and Celeste’s actions wrought on your land.” His gaze finally met hers, and Rose saw the hint of a smile. “Think of it as us helping each other.”
Cassandra pushed off the wall. “Fine. I’ll do it. But you must know I can’t do it alone.” She eyed Carter skeptically.
Rose didn’t miss Carter’s smirk. One she was sure she’d never seen from him before. It was all charm and aimed directly at the Lady of the Veil. “I am at your service,” he said.
Cassandra couldn’t know what she was getting herself into but replied again anyway. “Fine.” She nodded, and though Rose didn’t understand the bargain that had just been struck, the light in Carter’s eyes told her that he did—and he had won.
“You’ll beable to cross back to the continent from the cell,” Cassandra said as they walked down to the castle’s lower level. “Once you secure him for movement, I’ll open the wards momentarily.”
Carter nodded as they walked. This instruction was mostly for him anyway. Their ability to cross back to the continent from within the castle had been restricted. This, too, was something Cassandra controlled. No matter what Carter hinted about her magic failing and letting Aterra slip from his cell, Cassandra was still a formidable ruler.
That was a problem for another day. She glanced at Carter and Cassandra, who were still speaking softly as they walked briskly through the castle. The way things were going, it would be Carter’s problem to solve.
The tunnel leading to the cells was still collapsed. She guessed that was a good sign since the ones most qualified to move it were on the other side. Rose glared at the mess. It held the biggest problem they needed to solve but also separated her from Luc.
“I can move it. We just need to be ready when I do,”Luc said through the bond when she asked him.
She looked at the others before giving Luc the go-ahead to clear the way. They were ready to act quickly once it was done. Aterra was already getting desperate. His brute force attempt to break free of Cassandra’s cell was evidence of that. This would be his last chance to try something if they were successful. Luc was already on edge—he suspected his father had more tricks up his sleeve.
Rose tended to agree with him. Aterra had plotted for hundreds of years. His son disagreeing with his plan and not participating willingly was something he would have anticipated. She agreed with Luc’s caution, and glancing at Darren, she knew they’d done everything they could to prepare for Aterra’s strike.
“Ready when you are,”Rose said to Luc.
The collapsed tunnel that blocked their way started to shake and break apart. Luc wasn’t just moving the rock. He was decimating it. Anything he didn’t know where to put, he crumbled into dust.
The hallway opened. Rose could see Aterra in a cell, with Luc sitting against the wall on the other side. Luc stood as he poured more magic into removing the collapsed tunnel barrier. Aterra’s magic flared as the rock shook. The god hadn’t had much timeto recuperate, but rocks rumbled and fell as his magic overtook the space, trying to interrupt Luc’s work. He might be unable to tunnel out of the castle, but that didn’t mean his magic was useless here.
Cassandra glanced at Carter, and he nodded. Whatever their communication, Aterra sprang free from his cell afterward.
Now freed, he cracked the ground and sent waves of stone toward the hall they’d entered through. Pieces of earth slid from beneath them and lifted as he attempted to disrupt the incoming party. Juliette’s wind pushed to break the stone down into smaller pieces. Rose let her work without calling on their joined power. She kept her gaze locked on Aterra.
“Rose, look out!”Luc sent through the bond.
Only as Luc feared for Rose did his attention slip from his father. The Suden god must have been waiting for it. The group had barely dealt with the rock onslaught when Aterra revealed his true attack. Rose noticed too late the familiar glint of onyx and gold on Aterra’s finger.
Luc rolled his eyes at his own stupidity, but he was already in Aterra’s grasp. The pointed tip of the ring struck Luc’s neck before his magic could react.
“LUC!” Rose couldn’t stop the scream that ripped through her as the needle pierced his skin.
Luc gave her a lazy smile as if Aterra’s trying to overwrite his will and make him compliant wasn’t a problem. With the needle sunk into Luc’s neck, Aterra had everything he needed.
Aterra’s grin was all teeth as the Suden magic of the ring lashed out into Luc.
