He rubbed his forehead and let out a humorless laugh. “Don’t you see? When it comes to you, I only make foolish decisions that put everyone and everything around me in danger. I can’t believe I’ve been too stupid to see that until now. If I’d been strong enough to let you die that day, none of this would be happening. What is wrong with me? Why would I choose to protect a liar and traitor who tries to destroy me at every turn?”

Her throat had tightened, but so had her fists. “Whether you hate me or not, it changes nothing. You believe me to be a worthless liar who’d be better off dead? Fine. But don’t waste my time crying about your decisions now. Amara is on her way here, and she will kill anyone that gets in the way of her claiming every piece of the Kindred.”

“Every piece. Perhaps you have the others hidden away somewhere, too. For all I know, you’ve conspired with Amara as well.”

“You won’t believe me, no matter what I say. Clearly there’s nothing I can do or say that will change your opinion of me.”

“You want everything, take all that you can get, but you give nothing back in return,” Magnus snarled through clenched teeth. “Leave me.”

Cleo shook her head. “But the king . . . Amara . . .”

Magnus moved toward her, a menacing look on his face, forcing her to back up until she found herself on the other side of the throne room doors.

“I will deal with the king and the princess when they arrive. If doing so means that I die, then it’s a death I’ve earned through my actions concerning you. If I never see you again, it will be too soon.”

With that, he slammed the doors shut between them.

CHAPTER 27

AMARA

THE SILVER SEA

It was the familiar line of a jaw that caught her eye. A swath of dark hair. The shape of his shoulders.

Ashur?

Amara’s heart lifted with happiness, but then immediately closed with dread.

This can’t be possible.

She followed the young man across the deck of the ship, turning a corner and heading toward the bow. Finally, she managed to catch his arm.

“Ash—” she started, but the name fell away as the boy turned around. It was Milo, looking down at her with surprise.

“Your highness, is there something you need?”

She frowned, glancing frantically to her left and right, but there was no one else around.

“No, nothing,” she said, then signaled for Milo to be on his way.

She went below deck to the room she shared with the king, and was relieved to find it vacant.

She looked out the porthole and saw nothing but sea—endless expanses of brilliant blue.

She sighed, anxious to get to Mytica. She needed to know just how dishonest the king was being when he claimed to possess all of the Kindred. At the very least she knew he was bluffing about the water orb, which was wrapped in a silk scarf and safely hidden amongst her clothing.

The only thing she knew was that, with or without Gaius’s help, she would soon possess them all.

She would learn the secret to unlocking their magic, and she would ascend from empress to goddess.

“Everything is going perfectly,” she reminded herself.

“Is that so?” A familiar voice rang out from the far corner of her quarters, drawing her gaze.

She drew in a sharp breath. “Ashur.”

Standing in the shadows, smiling at her, was the brother she’d killed only weeks ago. “Greetings, sister.”

Amara squeezed her eyes shut, certain she was imagining him.

Summoning her courage, she stood up and moved toward him. She reached out for him, and he disappeared. She flattened her hands against the wall where he’d stood, letting a cruel combination of disappointment and relief wash over her.

But when she turned around, there he was again, sitting in a chair by the bed, regarding her with amusement. “Oh Amara, don’t tell me you’ve missed me.”

“What is this? A vengeful spirit come to make pleasant conversation?”

“Is that what you think I am? And here I thought you believed in reincarnation, like all good Kraeshians.”

“If you’re not a demon, then you’re only my imagination, which means I can make you go away and leave me alone.”

“You’ve killed us all, you wicked, wicked girl,” he snarled, but still smiled that familiar, warm grin of his. “You took us all by surprise with your ruthlessness. Was it worth it? Now you have no one to share your secrets with.”

“I have Grandmother.”

“Ah, yes, a bitter old woman as ancient as the hills. She won’t be a companion to you for much longer.”

The thought of losing Neela was far too painful to contemplate, so Amara shook it out of her head and balled her hands into fists. “I didn’t want to kill you. But you shouldn’t have deceived me.”

“Is that what you think I did?”

“There was a time when you and I were inseparable,” Amara went on. “The best of friends. Then you wanted to go off and explore faraway lands, chase treasures, and you left me behind all by myself.”

His silvery-blue eyes flashed with sadness and anger. “Don’t you dare blame me for your choices.”

“You chose to stand with strangers rather than with your own sister!”

“And I suppose I learned my lesson. Anyone who stands with you, Amara, should know better than to ever turn their back. You’ve done unforgiveable things, all in the empty pursuit of power.”

She turned toward the mirror, anything to not have to face him anymore, and began to vigorously brush her hair. “When men do the same,” she huffed, “they’re held up as champions.”

“Do you fancy yourself a champion, Sister?”

This snide little ghost was not Amara’s brother, was only a manifestation of her guilt. She knew she’d done only what she had to do, nothing more. “I will bring about change in this world that will benefit millions,” she said to her own reflection.

“There are many ways to do that, Sister, But you chose murder. It seems as though you’re more like our father than you’d ever want to admit.”

When she turned to face him again, he was gone.

• • •

Amara took time to compose herself in her cabin, and when she went back up to the deck she saw that the ship was approaching the frozen shores of Limeros. Cuddling deeper into the thick fur wrap around her shoulders, she felt that the air seemed even colder than it was the last time she’d been here.

She gazed out at the snow-dusted city. This was where Felix had grown up. Her thoughts had drifted to him many times during this journey—to the ache she’d felt over casting him aside, making him take the blame for her crime.

Just as a stab of guilt begin to gnaw at her, King Gaius approached to her left and stood at the gunwale next to her, holding a piece of parchment.

She straightened her posture and went to his side.

“You look troubled,” she said.

King Gaius looked up at her, surprised, as if he’d just woken from a dream. “I will admit I am a bit troubled.” He indicated the parchment in his hand. “Just before we left the Jewel, I received this message. It’s from an informant at the Limerian palace. I’ve read it many times, but still find its contents difficult to believe.”