Still, there was too much to lose to walk away, and far too much to gain if this was real.
“Fine,” Jonas said, his jaw tight. “I’m in.”
“Wonderful. And you, princess? Do you agree as well?” Magnus said, turning to Cleo. “When the king is dead, your kingdom will be returned to you, and I promise you’ll never have to see me again.”
She was silent for so long that Jonas wondered if she’d lost her voice.
Finally, she nodded.
“I agree.”
CHAPTER 14
LUCIA
LIMEROS
With the help of witches along the way, Lucia and Kyan had successfully found four of the stone gateways.
Unfortunately, all four had been stripped of their magic.
Kyan was all but certain that Timotheus had sent his minions from the Sanctuary to render each wheel dormant. With every new discovery and disappointment, Kyan became more and more irate. And Lucia knew that the more irate he became, the more people would die.
After leaving Magnus and the third wheel, they’d traveled to a broad, vacant field in central Limeros to find the fourth wheel, which was deeply embedded in snow.
“That Watcher must think quite highly of himself,” Kyan growled, pacing in front of the wheel. “But he won’t win.”
Intense heat emanated from Kyan as he paced, until the snow around them melted and they were surrounded by a field of flames.
Lucia stood by silently as Kyan ranted about Timotheus, but her patience was growing thin. She knew Kyan had a temper, of course, but ever since their visit to the Limerian palace, she found herself questioning her kinship with him.
How could it be that this omnipotent elemental god, one whom Melenia had lusted after for millennia, was about as mature as a toddler?
But no. He wasn’t omnipotent. If he were, he wouldn’t need her help.
“Are you finished with your tantrum?” she asked.
He glared at her, his eyes still glowing blue. “Nearly.”
“Good. Because this is growing wearisome.”
“Is that so? My quest to destroy my enemy and reunite with my family is growing wearisome for you, is it?”
“No. But all of this certainly is.” She indicated the burning field.
“I would have thought you’d enjoy a little something to warm you up on this cold day. My mistake.” Suddenly, his irises shifted back to amber and the flames surrounding them vanished. He raised an eyebrow. “Better? Be sure not to smile, little sorceress. It’ll ruin that stern look you’ve been practicing.”
“I’ve no intention of smiling. You know I’m still furious with you for what you did to Magnus.”
“Your brother disrespected me.”
“He doesn’t know who you are.”
“Exactly.”
“So instead of sparing him for his ignorance you decided to kill him?”
All the anger in Kyan’s expression faded away as he gave her a charming grin. “I wouldn’t say unleashing my rage upon him was a decision, exactly. Fire magic is who I am. What I am.”