Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms 3)

But she would play a game of her own, as well.

Whatever was going through Lucia’s head right now, whatever idea had sparked this act of violence, it didn’t matter. They’d had moments of true friendship, and Cleo knew Lucia’s heart was not cold and black like her father’s. There was kindness inside of her.

“Your father destroyed my life and tore apart my family, but I offered you my friendship anyway. I gave you my mother’s ring and expected nothing in return. You’re wrong about me—I was loyal to you and I swear to the goddess I didn’t tell anyone what I learned here. But if you want to kill me anyway, then do it and be done with it.”

Suddenly the wind vanished and Cleo dropped from the wall like a stone, bruising her knees on the marble floor. She stayed there, crouched in a protective ball, looking up at the sorceress with fear.

There was no pity or understanding on Lucia’s face now. Only hatred.

“Get out of here, you lying bitch,” Lucia said. Her fists began to blaze with fire. “I never want to see you again.”

Cleo ran from the room as fast as she could, stumbling down the hallway in her hurry to flee. She had to find Nic and tell him that they needed to make other plans. She needed to contact Jonas as soon as possible to get the other crystals from him. And in the meantime, she had to hope the Kraeshians were still interested in an alliance.

Cleo wiped away her tears as fast as they fell.

“Is everything all right, princess?” a guard asked. He and another guard had left their stations near Lucia’s chambers to flank her as she moved down the long hallway.

“Everything is fine. Just fine.” She eyed them warily. “As you were. I don’t need any assistance.”

“I’m afraid you’re wrong about that.” The guard took her arm. “You’re coming with us.”

“What?” She tried to pull away. “Unhand me this instant!”

“It’s over, princess.” He looked at her coldly. “We won’t be taking any orders from you anymore. Not that we ever did.”

“Let go of me!” she shrieked. She kicked and pulled, fighting to break away from them. She scanned the corridor for help, but found no one else in sight. “You brute! I’ll tell the king about this!”

“The king is the one who sent us.”

She stared back in horror, then dove at him, sinking her teeth into his arm until she tasted blood and he let her go with a grunt of pain. She turned and ran, but the other guard grabbed her before she got very far.

“We gave you a chance to come with us without resistance,” he said. “Don’t say we didn’t.”

Placing his mitt of a hand over Cleo’s face, he slammed her backward against the stone wall and darkness fell over her immediately.

CHAPTER 26

LUCIA

AURANOS

As Cleo ran off, Lucia fell to the ground, bracing herself with her hands on the floor as the coldness inside her departed, leaving only the heat of her fury behind. Even with the ring in her possession, her elementia burned inside of her. And the more she resisted, the more it hurt.

You should have killed her, her magic hissed in the voice of her dead mother.

No. She couldn’t kill anyone else.

She deserves it. She lied to you. They all lie to you and they use you. They don’t care about you. They only want the Kindred. And you’re only a means to an end.

The king will take what you give him and throw you away afterward without a thought.

All you are to them—the king, Cleo, Magnus—is a means to possess your magic for themselves.

Each of these terrible thoughts was like a dagger to her heart because she knew they were true.

And the more she realized it, the angrier she became. She stood and looked down at herself, realizing that she was covered in flames from head to foot: a blue fire that somehow left her dress, shoes, hair, and skin undamaged. She stared down at her hands, half fascinated, half horrified.

She went to the window and looked out at the perfect day. She concentrated until dark clouds amassed in the previously blue sky—a marriage of water and air magic. When the skies broke open with a storm, she went to the balcony, squeezed her eyes shut, and let the rain soak her. It doused her flames, but did nothing to chase away the darkness gathering within her.