Page 137 of A Cage of Crystal

Rage simmered in Cora’s gut.

“Fanon,” Etrix said through his teeth, “we’ve proven enough. Let us find another unicorn and send her on her way.”

“We cannot let her leave. She now holds vital information that will allow anyone to cross. The last thing we need is an army led by Darius charging in on the backs of our missing unicorns.”

“You may be steward,” Etrix said, “but you cannot decide this on your own. Take her to the tribunal if you must. Let us debate whether to send a unicorn with her so she can leave.”

Fanon huffed a humorless laugh. “You know what the tribunal will choose. You may be soft, but the others aren’t. They’ll demand her head before she can utter a word in her defense. Better I grant her mercy now.” With that, he unsheathed his sword and marched toward Cora.

Garot and Etrix tried to pull him back, but Fanon’s invisible bonds pulled Cora straight to him. With a flick of his wrist, she was forced to her knees. The edge of his blade glinted in the early morning sun.

Cora’s heart leaped into her throat, but she refused to let her fear show. Instead, she held his gaze, dared him to look her in the eye as he condemned her to her fate.

“Believe me, human,” Fanon said, and there was a hint of pity in his eyes, “this is mercy.”

Garot and Etrix fought to stop him, but he flung them back with his magic.

He lifted his sword.

“Kill me and you kill the blood of Ailan.”

Fanon froze. “What?”

“You heard me. I am of Ailan’s bloodline. Kill me and you kill any chance at getting your Morkara back.”

His lips curled away from his teeth. “Explain.”

Cora spoke quickly, every word laced with her rage. “I don’t know who Darius is, but there’s a man in my world who claims to be an Elvyn prince. He’s been working against me most of my life because he knows I am the mother in a prophecy that claims my child would be his enemy. He calls himself Morkai and is trying to become Morkaius of my world. He plans to harness the magic that seeps from a place we call Centerpointe Rock—a ruin that once was the Morkara’s palace. He will drain magic from this realm. He could come for you next and tear this entire Veil down.”

Etrix and Garot both took stumbling steps forward, suddenly released from Fanon’s magic. Etrix stared at her with wide eyes. “You…are of Ailan’s blood?”

“Yes.” It felt so wrong to say it. So false. Perhaps there was a part of her that still didn’t believe it. Or maybe she just didn’t want to. Admitting to such a role meant bearing the fate of two worlds. “I wasn’t certain until I heard your stories, but now I know. And you can help me stop Morkai. You’re stronger than he is, stronger than anyone in my world. If we don’t—”

“You’re not the blood of Ailan.” Fanon’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You haven’t got a single drop of Elvyn blood in your body.”

“You don’t know that,” Etrix said. “Only Elvyn blood relatives can sense their kin at close proximity.”

“Then tell me, Etrix, is she your kin? If she’s of Ailan’s bloodline, then she’s of yours too.”

Etrix studied Cora for a few long moments, wrinkles deepening his brow.

Cora’s heart racketed. What if she’d been wrong? What if Morkai had been? She held her breath, waiting for Etrix’s pronouncement, words that would either condemn her as a liar…or confirm her claims once and for all.

He shook his head. “I don’t sense anything—”

“Then she’s lying.”

“—but we have no precedent for meeting kin from a part-human, diluted bloodline. We don’t know how many generations out she is from Ailan.”

Fanon scoffed.

Etrix stepped in close to Fanon, brought them face to face. “Don’t let your pride get in the way. If this girl truly is Ailan’s kin, if she’s destined to bear our true Morkara, then we must act rationally.”

Fanon didn’t balk at Etrix’s proximity. “Very well. Let’s act rationally. Come, Ferrah. There’s one way to know if the human speaks truth.”

“What are you doing?” Etrix bit out.

“A test,” Fanon said with a smirk, “by dragon.”

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