Page 171 of A Fate of Ice and Lies
It wasn’t just the people his parents had betrayed, but the commander, who’d become mortal because of Elias.
“You see now?” Leanora’s voice asked, echoing in the chamber of the black void. “It was your mate’s parents who annihilated my people. Our people,” she corrected. “It was because of their jealousy of the magic we possessed—the magic you possess—that our people suffered and died.”
Our people who gifted me with the magic that lived in my soul.
“And the dragons helped them so that they may live as gods, with the fae worshipping and answering to them.”
“The mages were blameless in this slaughter?” I asked, the smell of burning flesh still filling my nose.
“No one is ever blameless, Theodora,” Leanora answered. “But nothing they had done justified the ruin of an entire race.”
“You mean to kill Elias’s parents, then?” My voice shook with the tremors that threatened to take over my body.
“I mean to kill them all,” she answered.
“Elias,” I whispered. My friends. My brother.
“I mean to conquer and rule every realm so that the earth quakes when it learns of mages. You could rule with me.” She paused, seeming to consider. “You’re nothing like the fae, though, are you? You won’t betray your mate or the male you now call your brother. An exchange of blood does not make that fae your brother. He is nothing more than a mere pet whowill do your bidding. Alastor and I are all that remain of your bloodline.”
“We may share a lineage, but you are nothing to me,” I hissed back.
“Pity, really. I hoped all these years together would help you see.” She hummed, a soft sound that chilled me to my bones. “I can understand, though. You were raised a human and are only now learning of your true heritage. It’s easier to allow fate to dictate and manipulate you. Fate gave you Elias, so Elias you’ll have.” Her taunting laugh seemed to crack through the darkness.
At my sides, I fisted my hands and blinked into the ensuing black. “How is that any different from what you’re doing?” I countered. “Fate dictated you’d try to avenge the mages, and here you are doing exactly that.”
She tsked. “I deviated from my family’s plans and paved my own way. While my mother wanted vengeance, she would’ve killed me as a newborn if she’d known what I’d do to my brothers. This”—she paused—“this is all my orchestration. From Elias leaving this realm to his return. I thought I was clever in giving your mate the orb,” she continued, her tone nonchalant. “I knew he’d break from my spell when he tasted you and would break the orb. But you saw it, didn’t you? You cunning little girl. Does the orb speak to your mage blood?”
“The orb told me it kills whoever destroys it.”
If she’d succeeded, with Elias gone, the fate Eiran had told me about would never come to pass while Leanora still got her vengeance. We had a choice, though. Different routes led us to different destinations.
“Elias is innocent in all this,” I said. “The other fae are innocent. My world and people are innocent.”
The black surroundings ebbed to show the courtyard, where my body rested on the ground. Elias shook my shoulders, frantic and shouting as Brenton paced in front of us. Nalari crowded around me while the other three dragons lay next to their fallen friend. I wasn’t sure where Alastor had gone, maybe disappeared with his sister to whatever realm to which she’d fled.
“The other fae may not have spilled our people’s blood, but they are not innocent,” Leanora said.
“Let’s see how your manipulations work out then,” I said, still watching the fae realm. “Stop hiding, and let’s see if the road you believe you’ve paved yourself ends the same way destiny says it will.”
Brenton paused and stared at me just before he hurried to my side. Kneeling, he grabbed the orb. Elias whipped his head toward Brenton and took the orb.
“No,” I whispered.
I reached for him but stayed in place, stuck in whatever realm Leanora had forced me to.
“No more hiding,” Leanora said. “When you go back to the human realm, bring my sweet brother with you. I believe I’ll enjoy his death most of all. You should probably hurry before there’s nothing left of the world and people you love.”
With a final laugh, her voice trailed away while I stayed there. Unmoving and watching as Elias clutched the orb and squeezed.
Just as I had twined my magic around Elias when he’d bitten me, I flung it toward him, seeking out his soul's beautiful silver threads. Like a beacon, they called to me. Summoned me home.
Elias stilled when I braided my magic with his, and it was his face I peered up to when I settled back in my body.
“Don’t destroy it,” I rushed out, my voice panicked.
The orb trembled in his hand and began whispering in my ear once again.
I shifted to my feet, taking Brenton’s offered help.
