“Ella!”
The girl jerked her head toward him just as he reached down to help her. She wasn’t in her tattered sweater and jeans anymore but in a long flowing white gown. Once she was on her feet, Merrick lifted me up.
“I have to get back,” I said quickly. But then, I turned to the girl. “I’m sorry this happened to you. What’s your name?”
She looked around in fascination at her new home before turning back to me. “Aubri. Is this heaven?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
Merrick squeezed my arm. “What’s going on?”
I lowered my voice so only he could hear. “It was a trap. One of the Shadow fae killed her. Kai’s back there right now, facing off with his brother.”
Merrick nodded. “Go. I’ll show Aubri around.”
The second he let me go, I left and went back to Kai, not knowing what I was going to see.
Chapter25
Kai
There was magic flowing off Bane that I’d never felt before. It wasn’t his power—it was mine and Ella’s. However, it weakened the second Ella disappeared to go to the Hereafter.
Bane glowered at me and shook his head. “Is that where you disappeared off to? Too busy fucking that royal cunt?”
We circled each other and my anger spiked. “Just like you’ve been busy starting a war you’ll never win. How goddamned stupid can you be?”
Bane tilted his head back and laughed. “We have our ways, brother. It turns out we don’t need you to win this war.” The black stone around his neck glowed red.
“Yeah, I see that,” I hissed, feeling it sucking traces of my energy away. “Looks like someone found them a witch. You wouldn’t be able to do shit without that necklace.”
There were powerful witches in the mortal world that could do some damage to the fae, but all in all, fae magic outranked everything.
Bane flicked his wrist toward the ground and a tree root popped out, latching onto my leg. Wood splinters pierced into my skin and I clenched my teeth, biting back the pain.
“The more fae I’m around, the stronger I get. So, you’re wrong, brother. I think wecanwin this war.”
The second Ella appeared to my right, I watched as the stone around Bane’s neck grew brighter. He moaned as more magic filtered into his body.
“Ella, leave!” I shouted. “He’s stronger with you here.”
To fight off Bane’s magic, I had to use the power within me, even though there would be devastating consequences. I was on the verge of losing myself completely, of crossing that line with Ella between love and hate. I’d fought it for days, trying my best to hold onto my love for her, but my father’s blood ran through my veins. The desire to use my magic was a temptation I yearned to indulge in. I knew I could beat my brother with Ella there, but I didn’t want her to see how my magic corrupted me. I didn’t want her to see how much I was going to enjoy it.
“Ella, go!” I thundered, turning to her.
I knew she could kill my brother just as easily as I could, but this wasmyfight. I needed to be the one to spill the blood; I craved the violence. Ella had her dagger in her hand, her murderous glare on Bane. He laughed as more of her energy flowed into him.
“Let her stay,” Bane taunted. “Her power feels better than fucking. I like it.”
The need to use my magic intensified. “Ella,” I growled. Jaw clenched with determination, she looked at me, her fingers turning white from clutching her dagger so hard. “I need you to leave.”
I barely recognized the sound of my voice. Ella’s body trembled with rage as she glared back at my brother.
“Count yourself lucky,” she spat at Bane. “I was going to rip you apart. Make you beg for me to kill you.”
I’d never heard her speak like that; it was as if she was a different person. I knew she was strong, but I had a feeling I’d underestimated her abilities. What she’d said to Bane was the truth; I had no doubt she would’ve torn him limb from limb.
Ella glanced quickly at me before disappearing through a portal. Once I couldn’t feel her presence, I unleashed my magic, the tree root releasing me instantly.