Chapter 34

34

XAVIER

B lue flames consumed my witch, blurring his features.

"Roman…" I could barely speak or draw breath under the sickly influence of the Lemon Drop.

My love. My new love. This couldn't be the end of him. Not like this. A thousand bubbles of agony burst inside my chest, releasing fresh sorrow into my system.

"Roman…"

"Is gone," the woman said, crouching before me. There was blood spatter on her face and cap, the source of her Lemon Drop hidden from view. "Forget him. He's gone the way of a storybook witch." She snorted. "Can you imagine people actually having the gal to try burning witches?"

The others laughed. None of them seemed too bothered by the deaths of three of their own.

"Take him." She stood and headed back toward Horse Guards Parade.

A man and a woman lifted me off the ground, throwing my arms across their shoulders. They dragged me across the road, taking me through the arches past more demons, my body limp.

Useless. Helpless. Unable to keep Roman safe. Without him, there was no hope.

"This can't be happening…" I whispered.

"Believe it, demon," the man holding me answered.

The witches brought me out onto the parade. Humans with television cameras pointed at the pyres turned to look at me, all of them with obvious expressions of terror on their faces. The other humans were on their knees and shackled, as we'd seen on the TV.

Where was Ismael?

The edge of the parade, where it met St. James' Park, was sealed off by a wall of blue fire.

Roman…

He wasn't dead. He just couldn't be.

On the west side of the parade were three figures in the seated spectator area. Once upon a time, there were yearly ceremonies involving the royal guards and the royal family. I didn't pay too much attention to them, but I did know they were extremely lavish, drawing huge crowds.

How different things were now.

The witches took me to the seating area, dumping me in the sandy parade. I lifted my head to see Ismael rise, two other monarchs flanking him—Pandora was one of them, as pale as Andri, her hair a vibrant pink.

My ex wore a long duffel coat over baby blue robes, his hair tied back into a bun. The crown remained atop his head. Dust glittered in his dark hair and on the sharp edges of his cheekbones.

"Xavier," he said so softly.

The silver witches remained close by to keep my body weak.

"Such a surprise to see you alive, my love." He moved off the seating area to stand before me. "Which leaves me conflicted."

"A pity." I raised my head.

He clasped his hands together, the move ridiculously elegant and regal.

"The world is changing, Xavier," he said, looking up into the pixelated sky. "And it will soon be shaped in the coldness I have dwelled in for so long." He smiled, not taking his eyes off the sky. "I enjoy Andri's flair for the icy, the cold a soothing embrace after holding me close. Thanks to you."

"Ismael. This doesn't?—"

"Have to be this way? Oh, Xavier. Do you really believe, in your hearts of hearts, that I would ever remove myself from this trajectory?" He kept his eyes on the sky. "My grief destroyed me, peeled back the layers to the true me beneath. The real me crawls around in the darkest places."

"Ismael…" I didn't know what to say or feel. It wasn't true. He'd once been the sun, not the shadows.

"I like me this way," he continued. "It keeps me safe. It keeps me strong." He looked down at me again. "I still love you. I always will. But I hate you, too. And aren't the two forever entwined?"

Thunder rumbled, sounding like it wasn't far away.

He continued, oblivious to the noise. "First Earth, then the demon realm. After that, once Butterfly's dust has spread, I will establish my rule across the other time." Malevolence flashed in his eyes, along with glints of madness. "All existence will be mine."

"You can't be serious," I answered breathlessly.

"Deadly serious. Earth will witness the death of two witch monarchs here in this parade. And then humanity will make the choice to fall in line or die in a world of snow and ice and sapphire fires."

He stirred my rage. He was willfully blind to reality, consumed by his tyranny. "Don't you see what's happening here? Existence is dying. Everything is wrong. There will be nothing for you to rule if?—"

He slapped me hard across my face, sending pain into my teeth.

"Enough of your nonsense. This is simply the death of magic, nothing more." He took hold of my chin, his touch sending shivers of revulsion across my skin.

I had truly let him go. This wasn't my Ismael. This was the man I put in the lake, not the one I mourned for so long.

My love waits for me in cold fire…

He's not dead. He's not dead.

"Butterfly's dream is exquisite," Ismael added.

"He's a fool. You're a fool." Closer thunder punctuated my words, pixels shooting across the sky. "There really will be nothing for you to rule."

My ex grabbed me by my hair, yanking my head back. "Look at the great Xavier, on his knees and at my mercy. How pitiful he is, how smitten with a wretched human. Where is Roman Gold?"

A silver witch told him.

He cocked his head. "Dead, is he? Truly?"

"I'll never believe it," I countered.

He smirked. "Pathetic. I may keep you alive for your weakness to entertain me."

My words poured forth to land blows against him. "Tanith is trapped in the other time. Stabbed into convalescence by a demon of greater power than you'll ever possess."

His smirk faded, a few gasps coming from the humans behind me.

"Is this true?" he asked.

"I saw it with my own eyes."

"And you didn't help her?"

"My friendship with her died a long time ago."

Ismael released my hair, eyes roaming the parade. "I think we're almost ready for the execution."

Pandora got to her feet. "Would you like me to order another patrol for dissenters, Your Majesty?"

A surprise attack from traitor monarchs would be wonderful right now.

"Do it," he replied, striding past me.

"And Xavier?" she wondered.

"Leave him there until I'm ready to deal with him."

An incredible boom of thunder shook the ground, the sky igniting in a cluster of blazing pixels. I turned my head to see Ismael freeze, watching the colorful dots carve a chunk out of the sky.

I had to get out of here.

"What's happening?" a human asked.

"That's about to come down on your head," I answered rather smugly.

"Do not listen to him," Ismael interjected.

The right side of the sky came loose, shuddering as it dangled from the main chunk.

The silver witches scattered, running to the other side of the parade. Their distance eased the effects of the Lemon Drop, allowing me to stand.

None of the three monarchs noticed my move, transfixed by the sky.

"What is happening?" Ismael wondered, lifting a curious hand as if to touch the danger above.

The whole thing collapsed with a mighty crack, plunging at sickening speed. I ran, diving under the seating.

"Xavier!" my ex screamed.

I covered my head, hoping the structure would save me from being crushed to death, a chorus of crashing sounding all around me.