A part of her was still drawn to him, despite everything. But it didnt matter. He should have died long ago so hed no longer be a problem for her.

Amara nodded at her guard. Throw them both in the pit. Ill deal with them later.

CHAPTER 20.

LUCIA.

PAELSIA.

Shes incredible. Absolutely beautiful and glorious. More like a goddess than a mere mortal, if you ask me. I know in my heart that she will save us all.

Lucia paused at the vendors stall as she searched for an apple that didnt have any imperfections"seemingly an impossibility in Paelsia"and glanced at the fruit seller speaking to her friend.

I couldnt agree more, agreed the friend.

Could they be speaking of the prophesied sorceress?

Pardon my rudeness, but may I ask whom youre speaking about? Lucia asked. It was the first time shed spoken aloud in over a day, and her voice cracked.

The vendor glanced at her. Well, the empress, of course. Who else?

Yes, who else indeed, Lucia said under her breath. So you believe that Amara Cortas will save you. Save you from what, exactly?

The Paelsian women glanced at each other before regarding Lucia with weary patience.

Youre not from around here, are you? One pursed her wrinkled lips. No, with that accent, I believe youre Limerian, arent you?

I was born in Paelsia and adopted into a Limerian family.

How fortunate of you to have escaped these borders at an early age, then. The vendor glanced at her friend. If only we all had been given that opportunity.

The two laughed humorlessly at this.

Lucias patience was nearing an end. Ill buy this apple. She pocketed the piece of fruit and handed over a silver coin. As well as any information you can give me about the empresss whereabouts.

Gladly. The woman greedily took the coin, her eyes narrowing. Where have you been these last few days, young lady, that you wouldnt know all about the empress? Sleeping under a moss patch with the warlogs?

Something like that. Actually, shed been recovering her strength at the inn in eastern Paelsia until she couldnt take anymore and needed to escape. Despite the barmaid Seras concern for her health, Lucia knew she had to leave there lest her belly grow so big that she never got out of bed again.

She slid her hand over her swollen stomach, and the woman noticed, her eyes growing wide.

Oh, my dear! I didnt realize you were with child. And so far along!

Lucia waved off her concern. Im fine, she lied.

Where is your family? Your husband? Dont tell me youre on your own here in the market today!

It seemed that being with child made complete strangers want to treat her with much more kindness than they otherwise would. It had served her well during her uncomfortable, slow journey west.

My husband is . . . dead, she said carefully. And now Im searching for my family.

The vendors friend rushed toward her and took Lucias hands in hers. My deepest condolences for your painful loss.

Thank you. Lucia got a sudden and annoying lump in her throat. Along with the swollen belly, her emotions had become much larger and harder to control.

If you need a place to stay . . . the vendor said.

Thank you again, but no. All I need is information about the empress. Is she still in Limeros?

The two shared another look of disbelief that Lucia was so vastly uninformed about such things.

The great Empress Cortas, the vendor began, is currently residing at Chief Basiliuss former compound. From that location, she will be making a speech tomorrow, addressing all Paelsians who are able to attend.

A speech to Paelsians. But why?

A little compassion lifted from the vendors face. Well, why not? Perhaps youve forgotten because of the many years youve been blessed to live in Limeros, but life is difficult here in Paelsia.

To say the very least, added her friend.

The vendor nodded. The empress sees our struggles. Recognizes them. And she wants to do something about it. She values Paelsians as an important part of her empire.

Lucia tried not to roll her eyes. Shed had no true concept of what an incredibly effective and power-hungry manipulator Amara had been during the few times shed spoken with the former princess when the Damoras had resided at the Auranian palace.

I do, of course, question the empresss wisdom in marrying the King of Blood, the vendor mused.

Apologies, Lucia said, staring now. Did you say shes married to the King of . . . to . . . to King Gaius?

I did. But Ive also heard rumors that hes currently missing, along with his demon heir. We can only hope that the empress has buried both of them twenty feet deep.

Indeed, Lucia murmured, her stomach twisting at the thought. Sera had made no mention of her fathers marriage to Amara. Could it really be true? I . . . I need to go. I need to . . .

She turned on her heel and disappeared into the markets crowd.

Once, Alexius had guided Lucia in how to find and awaken the Kindred with the ring of the sorceress. Shed hoped such a spell might work to help her find Magnus and her father. However, while she managed to make the ring spin as it had in her chambers at the Auranian palace, all her attempts to summon the sparkling map of Mytica and pinpoint their location failed. Weakened from using her elementia, she had to take constant rests as she made her way on foot, along with many other Paelsians, to the compound of the former Paelsian leader.

She refused to believe her family was dead. They were far more resourceful than that. And if the king had married Amara"a thought so ludicrous that she could barely wrap her mind around it"then he had done so for strategic reasons, for reasons of power and survival.

True, Amara was young and very beautiful, but her father was far too smart and ruthless to make such a choice out of mere infatuation.

There were thousands of Paelsians gathered just outside the compound walls when she finally arrived. The closest village was a half days journey from here, and it was another long day, perhaps two in her current condition, to get to Basilia, which was Lucias original destination.

The tall, heavy gates creaked open to allow the crowd into the compound. Lucia focused so greatly on the people surrounding her, searching their faces for anyone familiar, that she barely registered the stone pathways and clay cottages leading toward the massive, three-story residence in the center of the compound. The Paelsians were being led toward a large clearing there, one with several fire pits and raised stone seating. This made her think of the tales shed heard of Chief Basilius hosting contests between men who wished to impress him with their strength and skill at combat. Here, there would have been fights to the death for his entertainment.

The crowd continued to grow, but from the bits of conversation all around her, Lucia heard no mention of the former chief and his pleasures. All she heard was talk of the greatness of their new empress.

Lucia had no idea Paelsians were so easily fooled. Then again, they had believed that Chief Basilius was a sorcerer for far too many years to count.

Chief Hugo Basilius. Her birth father.

And this had been his home"the place where she would have been raised had she not been stolen from her cradle.

She gazed around at the cottages and streets and fighting arena that made up the compound, expecting to feel something, some sense of loss of the life she might have had.

But there was nothing. If there was a home she longed for, it was a black palace surrounded by ice and snow.

The sooner she could leave this dry and unpleasant kingdom, the better. Shed had more than her fill of Paelsian culture after shed first entered it with Kyan.

Shed heard no rumors of the fire god causing more havoc and death during her travels. She held tight to the amber orb that she had hidden in her pocket. Timotheus insisted that Kyan couldnt be killed. But if that was true, then where was he? What was he planning? Had she deeply harmed him in their battle? And if she hadnt, why hadnt he gone back to the Forbidden Mountains to reclaim his orb before she found it?

She curled her fingers around the amber crystal at the thought. Would she be strong enough to fight him if he found her today?

Lucia hated to admit that she wouldnt be.

No, thats not good enough, she thought. Theres no other choice anymore. I have to be strong enough.

She is indeed incredible, another Paelsian droned on, an old man with a hunched back. If theres anyone who can rid our land of its current deadly disease, its the empress.

I want vengeance for my familys death, a younger woman replied.

As do I, an older woman agreed.

What disease are you talking about? Lucia asked.

The disease of the dark witch, the old man snarled. Her evil has scorched this land and killed thousands of Paelsians with every touch of her gnarled, ugly hand.

Lucia twisted her hands. I . . . I have heard of these misdeeds . . .

Misdeeds? he practically yelled in her face. Some of his spittle hit her cheek, and she wiped it away, cringing. Some say that Lucia Damora is prophesied to kill us all with her fire magic, that shes an immortal sorceress, born from the King of Blood mating with a demoness during a blood magic ceremony. But I see her for what she is"someone who needs to be slain before she harms anyone else.

They knew her name. And they hated her enough to want her dead.

It didnt matter that the old man didnt include Kyan in the telling. What was done was done. She couldnt go back and change all that had happened.

Paelsians looked at Lucia as a half-demon witch pulled from the darklands like a hateful weed. A nightmare and a disease that plagued their land.

She didnt even try to argue with them, since they were absolutely right.

The crowd began to cheer as Amara finally took the stage. Lucia tried to see as much as she could of the beautiful girl, her black hair long and flowing, her emerald satin dress with a sparkling embroidered phoenix on it, as she raised her hands. The crowd went silent.

Amara spoke clearly and passionately about a bright future for the citizens of Palesia. Lucia couldnt believe the lies she spewed, but when she looked around at the crowd, they were eating them up like a delicious, endless feast laid out before them.

The empress sounded so sincere in her promises. Lucia had to admire how easily she spoke about changing everything that was wrong with the world. Of making the decisions on behalf of these people who hung on every word she said.

Lucia stood there, her fists clenched at her sides, hating Amara and waiting for the chance to find out what her enemy had done with her family.

Then, almost instantly, the beautiful, false words Amara spoke were silenced. Someone screamed, and Lucia couldnt figure out why until she saw a guard on the stage collapse, clutching an arrow lodged in his throat. Then another guard fell, and another.

An assassination attempt.

This cant happen, Lucia thought frantically. I need to question her. Amara cannot die today.

With great effort, Lucia summoned air magic. Cool, windy wisps circled her arms and hands in translucent spirals as she strode forward through the crowd and toward the dais, using this invisible magic to nudge everyone out of her path. The sight of Kraeshian guards jumping into the frightened, confused crowd with their weapons drawn only caused more panic to rise. The guards cut down anyone who fought them or stood in their way, be they rebels or civilians, which only made a fight to escape break out.

Lucia strained to see what was happening on the stage. Amara, accompanied by a girl who looked very much like the servant who used to trail after Princess Cleo, cowered before a tall young man wearing a black eye patch, sword in hand.

Lucias cool air magic shifted to that of fire, ready to burn anyone who kept her from getting to Amara. Someone clutched her cloak, and she sent a glare down at him, ready to set him ablaze. Nicolo Cassian stared up at her, one hand gripping her cloak, the other pressed to a gaping wound on his stomach. When he coughed, blood sputtered from his mouth.

A mortal wound.

Her attention went again to the stage, but another choking sound drew her gaze back to Nic, a victim of either the bloodthirsty guards or a frightened Paelsian.

It didnt matter who had done this. She could tell at a glance that the wound was deep and deadly. What was this boy doing here, of all places?

Lucia didnt have enough magic to fight against thousands. She pressed a hand to her belly as she scanned the crowd, knowing she needed to get to safety. Many were trampling over each other to get back to the gates.

She took a step, only to realize that Nic hadnt let go of her yet. Prinnn . . . cessss . . . he gasped.

She cast a tentative look down at him.

Please . . . help me . . .

The life was fading from his eyes. He didnt have much time left. But Nic was a close friend of Princess Cleo"a girl Lucia once thought could be a true friend, until shed betrayed Lucia.

Yet Lucias father had destroyed Cleos life, destroyed her entire world.

Cleo had lost everything over the last year. This friend was really all the Auranian princess had left of her former life.

If Nic died, Lucia had no doubt that it would destroy Cleo.

Lucia hated it when her conscience troubled her, especially when Cleiona Bellos was the subject.

Carefully, she crouched down next to him and pulled his hand away from his wound before pulling up his tunic. She grimaced at the sight of all the blood, the spill of his organs.

Tell Cleo, Nic gasped, struggling to breathe, that I love her . . . that shes my family . . . that I"Im sorry.

Save your breath, Lucia said, and tell her yourself.

She pressed her hands against his bloody wound and channeled all the earth magic she had within her into him. He arched his back and cried out in pain, the piercing sound blending into the chaos surrounding them.