But her cries to my left reminded me of her reality, her dark hair spilling across the carpet, as her body trembled beneath violent sobs.
The enchantment had worn off. She was herself again. Except her cerulean irises were blurred with tears, her cheeks red, her shoulders rounded.
This wasn’t who she was meant to be. She reminded me of a wilted flower, her final petals falling to the ground as the life disappeared from her features.
I’m sorry, I whispered into her mind, my heart breaking for her, for us. I’m so fucking sorry, Aflora.
I reached for her, needing to do something, when feet landed to my right, Shade’s essence clawing at my senses and drawing my gaze up to him and the body in his arms. “I need you all to listen and do exactly what I say,” he declared. “Or we’ll lose Kolstov forever.”
Several Minutes Earlier
“HIS DEATH WILL BE your burden to bear,” my grandmother had warned me weeks ago.
“I think I screwed up,” I’d told her that night.
“Come,” she’d replied. “We’ll discuss it over cookies.”
I knew then that she had bad news for me. But this… I hadn’t expected her to warn me about this.
She’d said that Kolstov’s life was the price I would pay for all my fucking around with time.
Well, I don’t accept that, I thought, repeating the words I’d said to her that night.
There was no way to come back from death. Once a life strand ended, no amount of magic or time manipulation could fix it.
Which was why I couldn’t afford for Kolstov’s life strand to permanently end.
Come on, Emelyn, I thought. Do your thing.
She was my distraction. The ticking time bomb. The one I knew would explode if pushed enough. And I needed her to erupt for me now.
All I need is a few seconds. My teeth clenched a little at the thought, but I quickly schooled my features once more and covered the oversight with a yawn. No one could sense my intentions. And I only had one chance to get this right.
Come on. Come on. Come on.
My pulse kicked up a notch.
Just a little meltdown. I know you have it in you. I’ve seen it.
“You’re killing him!” Ella screamed, lunging forward and being thrown back by one of Malik’s spells. Lima winced as Ella hit the wall.
A few other Councilmen exchanged glances.
I looked at Tadmir. He angled his chin just a little, saying, Not yet.
He knew what I planned to do.
He’d helped me strategize this entire event.
He also knew what would happen if I got this wrong. “Only one shot, Shade. And you’ll be risking everything to do it,” he’d warned.
“Kolstov doesn’t deserve to die for my choices,” I’d told him.
“If he knew the alternative fate, he might disagree.”
“We’re not having this discussion,” I’d snapped. “Either help me fix this, or fuck off.”
I very rarely lost my temper, but I was at wits’ end with all this bullshit. Aflora had detonated seven times under my watch. Nearly destroyed countless lives. Then almost took her own life after realizing the extent of pain she’d caused others.