Chapter 20

Barbie

"Stop the freak show!" Ethel screamed at me.

I made a show of cupping my ear and smiling at her. "What did you just say, Headmistress Ethel? I can't hear you over the cheers. You need to roar!"

And I threw my head back and howled.

Headmistress Ethel's eyes spat cold fire, but all the princes laughed, heat in their eyes that made my heart flutter.

I had no title or land, but I had enough power.

And power called to power. That was why the heirs all responded to me.

A hint of a smile ghosted Killian's handsome face. He hadn't stopped me from going after Medea. I could see that he was pleased and relieved that I'd brushed off the effects of her snake bites. I could also feel his radiating pride, which made my body hum and heat for him.

My crowd howled with me.

"Have your last laugh, you whore!" Medea shouted as she pulled a chainlock from around her neck, revealing a metal lock at the end of the silver chains.

Shit! Shit!

It was forged from the same dark material as the torque that had bound my power. Someone who knew a lot about me was using Medea as a pawn to get to me again.

Digging deep into my genetic knowledge and memories, I recalled my father's saying. He'd mentioned that only rare metals forged in both Heaven and Hell could counter or lessen our powers. He'd also warned me of the celestial beings from other realms, our ancient foes.

Rumor had it that Queen Lilith came from the fallen stars. Could she be behind all this?

I stared down at the chainlock in Medea's hand, chills slithering up my spine in waves. Medea flung the chains toward my ankle, faster than a dark flash.

Run, Barbie!You can't let it touch you! Pucker screamed. It'll enslave you!

He went solid and flung himself in front of me to shield me. The chain cut him in half. He howled in pain.

"Pucker!" I screamed, pouring my energy into him to sustain him just before he faded out.

Everything happened so fast.

My heart rammed into my ribcage; cold sweat dampened my armpits. I was afraid of losing my ghost familiar. I wasn't sure if he could hang on to me and this realm as a ghost after he'd taken the blow that was meant for me.

Shouting broke out everywhere.

Killian and the other prince tossed their powers at Medea to stop her from getting to me. They'd all felt the foul magic from the chainlock, a weapon meant to harm a god.

"Medea, back off!" Killian roared.

Medea cast the chainlock at me again. Something rumbled in me and surged out before I could react. I registered a second later that it was my core power, the power that had slumbered in the vast void, bound by Ruin's commands and his ancient spell. I'd tried to access it for a decade and failed, but now it roared to life and unfurled all on its own before I could control it.

It had felt the ultimate threat and wouldn't allow any weapon to unmake me.

The darkest flame, hotter than hellfire, hotter than heavenly flame, alighted on the chainlock, burning through every metal link. Medea's eyes widened for a flicker. Her mouth opened, yet no sound could come out.

The darkest flame shot toward the princess of the House of Chaos, engulfing her and consuming her. A blink, and the flame vanished without a trace, as if it had never appeared, as if it hadn't blasted out of me and incinerated a descendant of Medusa in a heartbeat.

I searched inwardly for the dark flame, but all I could feel was a dull ache and vast emptiness. And I was bone tired.

Sy ran her tongue over her fangs, stunned and speechless as well.

I stared ahead. Where Medea had been, nothing was left. Not even a mote of dust. My dark flame had erased her completely, as if she had never existed. The only evidence was a few inches of the chains that hadn't been melted, courtesy of my power. It wanted to leave a reminder to warn everyone else.

The hall sank into shocked, horrified silence until Bellona wailed like she was having hiccups.

"Murderer!" Headmistress Ethel's shriek was unbearably piercing. "Barbie murdered Princess Medea cold-bloodedly in front of everyone! Arrest her!"

The academy sentinels moved forward to seize me, but Killian's power of darkness had already lashed out, hauling them away from me. His lightning followed, flashing across the wall of darkness to create an unbreakable barrier between Headmistress Ethel and her sentinels. Anyone who dared cross it to get to me would risk being electrocuted.

I hadn't noticed when the druid appeared. He now stood by Headmistress Ethel, his hooded, dark eyes fixating on me. I hadn't met anyone creepier than him, though my father was a lot scarier.

"No one touches a member of my house," Killian drawled lethally.

"Princess Medea was a member of your house too, Prince Killian, in case you've forgotten," Headmistress Ethel said icily, her voice trembling with rage and fear. "Despite your fondness toward that girl, she'll be hanged for her atrocious crime!"

The hall rioted. The princes were shouting, and everyone else was telling their versions of the unfortunate, terrible incident.

My mind went numb. Blood drained from my face.

All I could think was that my dormant core power had shown up at the worst time. But if it hadn't, that chainlock might've damaged me irrevocably.

I bet that Medea hadn't planned to use it on me in public, but she couldn't stomach being defeated by me in front of everyone. She couldn't bear to see Killian watch her being humiliated.

"This is a house affair, and I'm taking Barbie back to the house," Killian said, his power drowning out the shouts in the hall.

"This is no longer a house affair when a royal bride candidate was murdered!" Headmistress Ethel countered. "You aren't above the law of Mist of Cinder, Prince Killian. Even you can't harbor a murderer without suffering the consequences!"

"Whom are you pointing fingers at as a murderer, Lady Ethel?" Killian sneered. "That's a severe and irresponsible accusation!" He gestured at the other heirs and my geek friends. "Let's hear what others saw."

"Everyone saw Barbie burn Princess Medea to death!" Headmistress Ethel hissed, then, as if remembering something, she stepped back a couple of paces to put more distance between her and me.

I could see apprehension coating many supernaturals' eyes. They feared me now, as if I was an abomination. Well, I was afraid of my own powers too, considering that I couldn't control this dark flame.

"You saw what you wanted to see, Lady Ethel," Rowan said in his deep and firm voice. "Barbie didn't kill Princess Medea, though it was no doubt a tragedy that Princess Medea perished under such befuddling and suspicious circumstances. Of course, we need to investigate this incident and get to the bottom of it, but we shall not make any rash conclusions or accusations without solid and uncontested evidence."

"Are you defending a true murderer?" Headmistress Ethel called in dismay. "Has Barbie gotten to you too, Prince Rowan? What kind of spells did she put on you?"

"It's funny you mention spells, Lady Ethel," Cade chimed in. "We all know Barbie is an Echo. She doesn't have her own magic. She can only cancel out others' elemental magic and neutralize spells. So, I have to agree with Prince Killian that Barbie didn't burn Princess Medea."

"Then where did that black flame come from?" Headmistress Ethel demanded in a sharp tone that she usually didn't use with the heirs. "Princess Medea didn't carry that kind of unholy fire magic. And we've never tested Barbie's power. She hasn't even registered!"

"Though that girl is an unknown, she's dangerous," the druid claimed. "We must dissect her power and see what she's capable of. The headmistress and I will take measures and test her to decide if that fire that's even more powerful than hellfire was generated by her or not. She'll have to answer for her horrible crime if she conjured that unholy fire. Ever since she came, she's caused unrest in Shades Academy. The realm is no longer safe because of her. It's time you all detach from her, heirs of the five houses. This girl is full of dark deceptions while she bats her two-toned eyes and shows you her innocent, pretty face."

Fear and rage lit my eyes.

The druid sounded so convincing. My unholy flame should've burned him and his crystal balls.

"Take down the barrier, Prince Killian," Headmistress Ethel ordered him. "We need to take Barbie into our custody. But I promise you that we'll give her a fair trial for the murder. I'll see to it in person."

Evil delight flashed in the druid's eyes as he and his mistress prepared to take me away. When he laid his hands on me, I'd burn him. But if he was behind the kidnapping, he'd have a device to bind my power, and he could do whatever he wanted with me.

I shuddered at my fate, as I could tell that he didn't even seem too concerned about my dark flame.

"You forget yourself, druid. Over my dead body will I allow you to take Barbie from this spot, from my house," Killian said without an ounce of emotion before he turned to the other princes. "Will you be with me on this, brothers, or should I stand alone when it comes to protecting an innocent, vulnerable member of my house?"

Silas looked at me, his amber eyes glowing. "I'll stand with you for Barbie!"

"I will too," Rowan said. "Innocent until proven guilty. Barbie can be a pain in the butt, but she's no murderer. She doesn't have it in her."

Sy peeked out at the fae prince in approval and lust. But we have it in us! Too bad I can't eat her.

Louis sidled up to Killian's left side. "This is a house affair! No one shall take Barbie except Prince Killian, though all the heirs shall supervise the investigation to get to the truth."

All the princes posed to defend me, their magic ready at their fingertips.

"Wait a second!" Headmistress Ethel called in outrage. "This can't be happening!"

"You want an excuse to get your hands on Barbie by framing her as a murderer?" The chaos prince cocked his head, his storm-blue eyes turning to merciless sapphire, a predator dragon peeking out. "I'll give you the true murderer. Look at that chain, or what's left of it, which Medea deployed to try to kill Barbie."

"Fuck me!" Cade said, inching closer to inspect the chain and sucking in a breath. "It's not an ordinary chainlock but a forbidden, dark artifact, the same make as the torque the kidnappers used on Barbie."

Finally! I'd been waiting for the princes to catch up, since anything coming out of my mouth would be discredited under the circumstances, as Ethel and her druid were hellbent on crushing me.

Louis snarled, his white fangs showing. "Princess Medea must've been working with the kidnappers from CrimsonTide all this time!"

Cade nodded grimly. "This artifact is beyond her power. She had no idea what she was playing with. One doesn't play with fire they don't understand and have no control of and expect to get the fuck away with it. When she tried to take out Barbie with the chainlock, she ended up setting fire to herself."

The mage prince produced a satchel and flicked his wand. The remaining chains rose from the desk and clanked into the satchel. The mage grabbed the satchel and turned to Killian with a look of challenge. "I'll take the evidence of the crime to my house for further examination."

Killian shrugged. "I can send that torque and the iron mask to your house so your mages can compare notes."

"You will?" Cade asked.

"Of course, brother," Killian said.

Cade's face lit up. He seemed to be the kindest of the heirs, yet he was also merciless to the bone.

Medea's death hadn't shaken any of them.

"For all we know," Headmistress Ethel said, her face white with anger, "the kidnapping could be one of Barbie's own machinations!"

Killian snapped his head at her, his smile so chilling that the headmistress stepped back, her lips quivering.

"Are you also accusing us heirs of conspiring on staging the rescue as well?" Silas snarled, his amber eyes glowing menacingly.

"What I meant is—" Headmistress Ethel stammered.

"Everyone knows Medea, the fucking traitor, is your star pupil!" Killian snarled. "Was she under your influence or instructions to harm Barbie, Lady Ethel?"

"You're out of line, Prince Killian!" Headmistress Ethel's eyes widened in fury and fear. "I won't put up with this! I shall bring this matter to the kings and the Council."

"Run back to them as their puppet," Killian said coldly. "Even they can't protect you. If you're the mastermind behind Barbie's kidnapping and torture, I'll tear your throat out!"

I blinked. Killian had openly declared war on the headmistress and her organization for me.

"I can assure you that I had nothing to do with Barbie's abduction," Headmistress Ethel retorted. "And you, my dear prince, will have your father to worry about. King Vasiliy and his beloved new queen won't take kindly to their daughter being brutally murdered in broad daylight."

Chilling dread twirled in my middle. If the kings and the Council came after me, the princes wouldn't be able to protect me. And I wouldn't want to put them in the spot of being at odds with their sovereign parents.

I needed to have a plan B.

I bit my lip. I'd started this underdog campaign, but eventually I would let down all the underdogs by fleeing, and they'd be in a worse state than they'd been because of me.

I surveyed the hall and looked over my shoulder at Bea and our geek friends. They nodded at me with respect and support in their eyes. They had faith in me. While warmth swam in my chest, icy dread also squeezed my heart with its claws. The last thing I wanted was to drag them down with me.

Every action bore consequences.

"Stepdaughter to my king father," Killian said. "And if Medea had lived, she'd beg for death."

He turned to the princes, nodding his thanks, before he called, "Rock, escort Barbie back to the House of Chaos."

The air rippled, then Rock and the team suddenly appeared and rounded the desk where I stood. Rock held out a hand toward me. I nodded my thanks at him and slid off the desk by myself, lithe as a cat.

Instantly, the warriors from the House of Chaos formed protective ranks around me. I let them. I needed this protection, not for my sake but for everyone else's. I was spent and jumpy and hungry. If anyone attacked me now, I might lose control and drain the realm's magic to fill my depleted well, if my dark flame didn't kill indiscriminately first.

Killian strode toward the exit with all four princes by his side. They might be rivals, but they always presented a united front when any outside force went after one of them.

I trailed behind them, lowering my head and trembling inside. The chaos warriors walked with me, forming a wall around me.

Right before I stepped out of Clockwork, roars rose behind me. "Team Underdogs! Team Barbie!"

Tears brimmed in my eyes, and the fear in me lessened.

They'd risen now, even without me.

Tits up!Sy reminded me. Let's show some manners.