Ascended (War of the Covens 3)

Their revelation was astounding. She stared, eyes glazed, at the paper in her hand and let what they were telling her sink in. Reuben was right … without the trace … they would all be free.

She would be free.

“You think this is the first step to ending the war, don’t you?” She pierced him with her eyes.

The vampyre nodded slowly. “We do this, and we can build a new world.”

“What do you need me for?”

Reuben laughed. “You don’t get it, do you, Caia? This is what you were born to do.”

She shook her head, completely confused. “No … I … the Prophet said I’d end the war.”

“Oh, you will end a two-thousand-year-old war just like that, will you?” He snapped his fingers. Before she could snarl in displeasure at his mocking, the vamp continued in a softer tone, “Caia, we need you to use that magik mojo of yours to kill the Septum simultaneously. If you do that, and supernaturals are freed from the trace, then technically you will have ended this war. The war we’re looking at after that is an entirely new one … one we can eventually bring to an end. But it will take time.”

She felt the world spin, and the next thing she knew, she no longer felt the press of the cold, hard floor but was sitting on an armchair that matched Reuben’s. The wave of dizziness passed. “Thank you,” she whispered to Nikolai.

“It’s a lot to take in, we know.”

A lot to take in? For almost a year now, she’d believed she was somehow going to bring the war to a conclusion. Now they were telling her what she was meant for was only the beginning. Exhaustion overwhelmed her, hope bursting like a soap bubble.

“I thought …” She cleared her throat. “I thought it would end. Somehow … I thought …”

“A war of this magnitude doesn’t just go away, Caia.”

She flopped back on the chair, staring at the gray ceiling. “I’ve been so naive.”

“You weren’t the only one.”

Fear tightened her expression and she couldn’t bring herself to look at them. “You want me to kill those people?”

A moment of sharp silence. And then … “Yes.”

Tears pricked her eyes. “Three of them are Daylights. And for all I know, the four Midnights are against the war.”

The vampyre’s cold voice tore through her like a serrated knife. “Their deaths are necessary.” She jerked her head and stared at him in disgust, taking satisfaction in his flinch. Reuben shifted uncomfortably. His face grew taut with anger, all boyishness fleeing his features. “Don’t you dare look at me that way. I am not a monster. I am trying to end this war. A war I’ve had to live through for hundreds of years. You’ve been dealing with this barely a year. Come back to me in two thousand and see how principled you are then.”

“Mindlessly killing people is not the way to end a war. I don’t care how you try to justify it.”

He laughed, his eyes dark cuts of jet that reflected scorn in the light. “What was that you just said about being naive? All wars are fought with death, Caia. Or haven’t you been listening in history class?”

Nikolai hastily interrupted before she could retort. “Caia, if it helps, most of the Septum are very old now. A few would probably willingly sacrifice themselves for this.”

Her chin lifted at the suggestion. “Fine, get them to agree to it and I’ll think about it.”

“Caia—” Reuben warned.

“No! You can’t just expect me to kill innocent people!”

“It must be done!” He flew out of his chair toward her, and Caia shrank back, remembering her magik would do her no good with him.

“Reuben …” Nikolai made a move toward him, watching him very carefully.

The vampyre towered over her, his hands braced on the arms of her chair, his face inches from her. “Stop acting like a child,” he whispered, clearly trying to gain control over himself. “There is no choice, Caia. Seven people over millions. Don’t you want to be free of the trace? Don’t you want all those voices out of your head?”

Bleakly, Caia nodded. “Yes,” she whispered. “But I don’t know if I can do what you need me to do.”

He sighed wearily and retreated, scrubbing his hands over his face. “You need time,” he told her emotionlessly. “Think it over.”

She knew then she wasn’t getting out of here without conceding to at least this request. Both men were determined. One of them had been planning this for a long time.

“Fine,” she snapped. “But I want a change in scenery. For a start, I want windows.”

The Russian smiled like a kindly father. “Of course.”

“And I want the pack informed I’m all right.”

“No—” Reuben began but was cut short when Nikolai’s hand clamped down on his shoulder.

“I know you are impatient to get on with it, but I think we can accommodate Caia in this.”