Chapter 25

With a gasp, Cas sat up, his movements jerky and disjointed as he struggled to orient himself in his newly resurrected form. His eyes were glazed, and I wasn"t sure he could even see.

"It worked," Roxy murmured, a twisted smile curling her lips as she watched Cas, her eyes now returned to their normal color. Spiderwebs of ink outlined the veins on all of her exposed skin, a consequence of her adventures into dark magic, and she rubbed at one arm painfully but said nothing further.

Cas pushed to his feet, his movements awkward and unsteady. "I... what happened?" he asked, a hand coming up to his chest, his mouth agape when he felt the wound that was still carved into his chest.

Blood trickled from the wound, but it was slow, the liquid chunky and stuttered. He was alive, but not, more like a zombie I"d seen on a television show, his fae healing not doing anything to fix the wound that had killed him. I wasn"t even sure he could do magic at all in this state.

She"d resurrected him, but I didn"t think he was fully alive.

Queen Tantaii stepped toward him, her sword in one hand, placing the other on his shoulder and suddenly, I understood what she meant to do.

"Cas, run!" I shouted as loud as I could, the weirdness of trying to help the brother who made my life miserable not lost on me. I'm not sure what I thought I would accomplish, that Cas would suddenly just listen to me and take off in the other direction. But if he didn"t, if the Queen got what she wanted, it would be over for us.

He turned at the sound of my voice, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me. "Olette?" Confusion knitted his brow.

Tantaii reached her hand out, entwining it with her son's as she steered him closer to the center of the room, closer to the bodies of the fae royals she had killed with no remorse. He followed her, and when she stopped, he turned to face her without being prompted.

She didn"t wait, lifting up her sword and plunging it through a new hole she made in his chest, directly above his heart. His eyes widened, his hands flexing up to clutch the blade but not making it high enough as they slumped back down to his sides.

"Mother?" he asked weakly, before he went limp on her blade, thick sludge oozing from the wound as his head fell back. His eyes faded back to their original color, wide and unseeing.

She pulled the sword from his chest, a triumphant look on her face as she marveled at the blood that coated her blade, not caring as his body thumped to the ground.

She went back to the goblet, holding it over and letting it drip down just as she had the other four sacrifices. This time the rumble seemed to shake the entire world, reaching a crescendo that rocked the foundation of the temple. I stared at the Queen"s back, watching as she added things to the goblet, Roxy joining her as she said another enchantment over the cup.

"Rowan," Engar hissed at me, wincing as he moved too much and felt his restraints biting into his skin. He spoke low enough that only I could hear him. "I think I have a plan that could work."

"How?" I asked him dully. My energy was growing weaker and weaker as the magic restraining us burned through my reserves. Every time I shifted even slightly, blood dripped as the cuts got deeper. If I wasn"t careful, it might take off my entire hand.

"Trust me," he said instead of answering me.

Did I trust him? I had barely just met him. I hadn"t even had the chance to get to know him, let alone trust him. But what other choice did I have? The Queen was seconds away from completing her ritual, and then there would be nothing else we could do.

"Wait for my signal, you"ll know when. Get that ring off her, and end this, once and for all."

"Tantaii!" Engar shouted, not waiting for a reply from me. Her gaze burned as she turned to look at him, her now completed goblet in her hand. She took her time, knowing she had the upper hand and unable to pass up the opportunity to gloat.

She moved until she stood directly in front of Engar, her malevolent eyes locked on his. "How do you live with yourself?" he snarled at her, pure venom in his eyes. I couldn"t see Callan"s face from where his large panther was restrained, but Oliver met my gaze immediately. What is he doing? his face seemed to ask. I only shook my head; I didn"t know either.

"I can"t believe I used to love you," he spat, using the only weapon he had left at his disposal: his words. "A power-hungry cunt so obsessed with herself that she"d kill her own son to achieve it. The fates must have made a mistake because there is no way in hell you are worthy of love."

The Queen"s eyes flashed with fury at Engar"s insolence, her lips curling into a sneer as she looked at him, her grip tightening around the goblet she still clutched. He didn"t give her a chance to speak, laying into her again and again with his verbal attacks.

"You used to be beautiful, before your face grew to match the hideousness in your soul." Her eyes blazed with pure, unrestrained fire, her face turning a mottled crimson as she stared at him. "You"ve sacrificed everything for power, and all it"s done is leave you empty and alone," he said, venom dripping from his words, sinking straight into her heart, poisoning her core. "I pity you, Tantaii."

That was the final straw, Tantaii bringing one arm up, another string of jet-black lightning shooting out from her, wrapping itself neatly around his neck. Blood seeped from where the razor-sharp edges pricked him, and he stiffened, not daring to move a muscle. My heart clenched, worried she"d squeeze it tighter at any second, and he"d be gone in an instant.

"You are lucky I cannot kill you," she told him, but instead of sounding upset about it, she sounded almost pleased. The ring might be able to keep her alive if he died, but was she willing to take that chance? I didn"t think so. "But I assure you, I will make your life a living hell. You should have never gotten out in the first place."

Satisfied he was done berating her, she turned around, heading back toward the center of the room where I now noticed an intricate rune pattern carved into the solid floor, magic glittering throughout the pattern like flecks of golden dust. She stood right in the middle, tilting the goblet backward, the bloody contents beginning to trickle into her mouth. Engar"s eyes darted to Roxy, who was watching the Queen with fervent awe, paying absolutely no attention to us.

"Rowan," Engar whispered, and I turned my head to look at him. His eyes were wide, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead. "No matter what happens, I need you to remember this." His eyes closed for a moment as an even louder rumble began, the floor beneath our feet beginning to vibrate, then shake. They reopened, his brown eyes the same shade as mine.

I expected to see fear or panic in his eyes, but instead, I saw something entirely different. Something that frightened me more than anything else I could have seen. They were blank. "This wasn"t your fault." He closed his eyes again, and before I even had time to take a breath, he"d thrust his neck forward, the bladed restraint slicing cleanly through his throat, a torrent of blood erupting down his chest.

A horrified gasp burst from me, a scream threatening to claw its way up my throat. "Tantaii!" Roxy shouted, and I forced my head to look in her direction, to not focus on the pool of blood flowing toward me, and the face I would see in my nightmares for the rest of my life.

A sudden surge of energy rippled through the air, and I staggered backward a few steps. A shocked look told me my restraints were gone, along with Callan and Oliver"s, as Tantaii staggered back, sinking to the floor. My eyes widened in astonishment as a long tendril of light appeared, connecting Engar to Tantaii.

Their true mate bond.

As I watched, it began to darken, the light growing dimmer as shadows reigned. It began to shift, to wither, darkness flaking off and flying away on the wind as the bond began to disintegrate. Tantaii was already recovering, but she looked gaunt, her cheeks hollowed, dark bags forming under her eyes.

She looked weakened.

Behind her, Roxy faced off with Oliver and Callan, halfling and panther fighting side by side as they overpowered the traitorous witch. And then, she was in front of me, a ghoulish-looking version of herself. Oberon"s ring still stood prominent on her finger, and shadowy sparks burst from her hands as a dense storm descended upon us from above.

Through the haze of emotions I felt, I knew this was the only chance I was going to get. She looked horrible, and if I was going to get that ring off her before she finished the ritual, it would have to be now. Roxy"s magical barrier stuttered before failing completely, revealing the death and carnage that had been brewing while we were stuck inside.

There was no time to look for my friends, but I hoped against hope that they were all okay as I called my lightning to my palms and faced my mother. Tantaii unleashed a blot of crackling lightning toward me, the air sizzling with energy, illuminating the room through the darkness of the storm. Rain fell in torrents, and the floor quickly became slick, and I took extra careful caution to avoid slipping.

I countered with my own barrage, Tantaii dodging out of the way with a stumble as she kicked one of the fallen bodies. Our duel became a dance of light and power, the raw energy of the storm fueling my unbridled rage as I threw everything I had at her.

"Callan!" I shouted raggedly, Tantaii"s relentless assault beginning to wear me down. I threw blast after blast, but still she managed to dodge each and every one, getting closer and closer to hitting me as my movements slowed.

My eyes darted to the ring on her finger, alive and pulsing with crimson energy that fueled her with no end in sight. She threw two bolts in quick succession and I managed to dodge the first, but my foot slipped as I tried to dodge the second, instead careening myself directly into the line of fire.

My scream pierced the night, a primal howl that did nothing to ease the searing pain that seemed to light up my entire body from the inside out. Another bolt hit me, then another, and another. I writhed in agony on the floor, a surge of panic gripping me.

Where was Callan? Was this how I was going to die? On the floor in front of my mother, while she used the very power that ran through my veins to hurt me. My vision blurred, and I was just barely able to make out the figure of Tantaii, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips as she prepared to deliver the final blow.