Rebel Spring

CHAPTER 34

CLEO

AURANOS

“My son has returned to the palace.” The king’s words wrapped around Cleo’s throat like an icy glove, stopping her in her tracks as she moved through the halls. “I’m sure you’ve greatly anticipated his return.”

She turned slowly to see King Gaius standing in the shadows, accompanied by Cronus and his dreadful hunting dogs.

“With bated breath, your majesty.”

“He captured a group of rebels who attacked one of my road camps. Those that did not fall under his blade have accompanied him back here for public execution.”

Jonas. Her heart skipped a beat with both dread and anticipation.

“I feel safer already.” She forced a smile to her lips.

“I’m sure you do.” The king studied her with those cold, serpentine eyes. “I’m watching you, princess.”

“As I am watching you,” she replied sweetly.

“Remember one very important thing. You have no power here and you never will again. You continue to live at my whim, but I can take that courtesy away at any time without warning-just as I did with your little friend. What was her name again? Mira?”

Her blood turned to ice. “Good day, your majesty.”

She continued down the hall smoothly until she turned the next corner. There she pressed up against the wall and commanded herself to stop trembling.

“He will not defeat me,” she whispered, angrily wiping her tears away. “He thinks he has power, but it’s sand falling through his fingers. He will lose it all and have nothing left.”

But she knew her days were numbered. The wedding tour was over. The shine of the false “romance” between Magnus and herself had begun to fade. Her allies had dwindled to two boys-one who couldn’t bear to look her in the eye after her rejection of him, and another who might be dead or bound for execution.

Cleo rubbed her ring, staring down at it and praying-though not to the Goddess Cleiona, not after what she’d learned of the thieving, power-hungry Watcher-for a way through the darkness that stretched out before her. “Please. Father, please help me. I don’t know what to do. Am I a fool to believe that I have any chance against someone like King Gaius?”

The book Song of the Sorceress had told her more about Eva-that she could work magic with all four elements as easy as breathing. And at the end of the book there were two lines that had stayed with Cleo.

A thousand years after her death, the sorceress shall be reborn as a mortal beyond the Sanctuary’s veil. Once awakened, her magic will reveal the hidden treasure sought by both mortals and immortals alike.

Eva had been killed by her greedy sisters, Cleiona and Valoria, who’d stolen the Kindred and used its power to become goddesses.

That was a thousand years ago.

A sorceress reborn-one who could harness all four parts of elementia with ease.

“There’s something strange about that girl.” Her attendant Helena had been speaking with her sister only two days after Cleo’s return from the wedding tour, not realizing Cleo could hear them. “The princess was tutored by a witch.”

“A witch?”

“The king chose the witch himself for the task, but now I think she’s dead. I saw her before they took her away. Her face was filled with fear. She whispered about fire and ice. She believed Princess Lucia to be evil.”

Servants did gossip about the most fantastical things. Yet Lucia had set the library alight. .

“Magic,” Cleo whispered. “Is that what you were doing that day, Lucia?”

Was the gossip of servants true this time?

Eva’s ring-the sorceress’s ring-had glowed when Cleo touched Lucia. It hadn’t done that with anyone else. Only with the stone wheel, said to be connected to the Watchers.

There had to be more to this.

Cleo moved through the labyrinthine hallways toward Lucia’s chambers. No one stopped her. No one even noticed her.

What are you even thinking, you fool? she chastised herself as her steps quickened. You believe the King of Blood’s daughter-Magnus’s sister-could be the sorceress reborn?

At the door to Lucia’s chamber, Cleo came to a halt. Her heart pounded loud in her ears as she raised her clenched fist and knocked. Then she waited.

But there was no response. Perhaps Lucia wasn’t here.

Just before Cleo turned away, she heard something from within the room.

Someone was crying.

Summoning her courage, Cleo grabbed the handle of the door and turned it, pushing forward on the heavy oak barrier to peer inside.

Princess Lucia stood facing the open balcony, her hair a raven-black spill down her back. Her shoulders shook with her sobs-heart-wrenching, pain-filled sobs.

Cleo’s own heart ached at the sound of it.

Before she realized it, she had entered the room and moved closer to Lucia, reaching out to grasp the girl’s shoulder.

Lucia spun around, her eyes flashing with surprise.

Cleo gasped and her breath froze in the air before her. It was so cold in the room-like the gardens of the Limerian palace.

“I killed her.” Lucia’s voice broke on the words.

Cleo’s gaze dropped to what the princess held in her arms. It was a small brown rabbit, coated in frost and solid as a block of ice.

“What did you do?” she whispered.

“I didn’t mean to. I picked Hana up. Holding her makes me happy, makes me think of home. And I thought of the ice sculptures during Winter Festival, of mermaids, dragons, chimeras. . so cold, so perfect. And-and my thoughts. . they were enough to do this. She’s dead and it’s my fault!”

Conjuring ice. . it was water magic. Powerful water magic.

Tears splashed onto Lucia’s cheeks. “Goddess help me, I can’t control this.”

“You can,” Cleo said. She still grasped Lucia’s shoulder and her ring had begun to glow just as it had the last time. Her heart raced. “You can control this. Your magic-it’s incredible.”

“That’s what Father says.” Lucia’s voice trembled. “But now everyone will know about this.”

“No, they won’t. I swear I won’t tell anyone.” Cleo gently took the frozen animal from Lucia and placed it down on the ground. Then she grasped the princess’s hands in her own. “I can help you.”

Lucia swallowed hard, frowning. “I feel calmer now with you here. More in control.”

Of course you do. I have the ring that helps controls your magic.

No wonder it hadn’t worked for Cleo unless she touched something magical. She had no magic of her own that needed to be tamed.

Not yet.

“We didn’t get off on the right foot before, Lucia. I am sorry for that. But I do want to be your friend. You need someone you can trust. So do I.” She couldn’t lose her strength or her bravery now when she needed it most. “I know what you are and what you can do. You’re a sorceress.”

Lucia’s eyes widened. “You know?”

So it was true. This-this was what Cleo needed. This was the sign she’d been searching for, praying for. The missing piece of her puzzle. The ring was only half of it.

Princess Lucia was the other half.

“Yes, I know.”

“And you’re not afraid of me?”

Terrified beyond words.

“No, I’m not afraid of you.” Cleo smiled and pulled this dangerous girl into a tight embrace. “You and me-we’re sisters now. We can help each other. . if you want to.”

Lucia nodded, pressing her face into Cleo’s shoulder. “I want to.”

This princess was the most powerful creature who currently lived and breathed. And Lucia’s magic-aided by this ring-was essential to getting Cleo’s throne back.

The key to destroying the King of Blood was his very own daughter.