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I stared at his lifeless face, not thinking anything Not feeling anything I knew I should be horrified I knew ehOnly silence When my fists opened, Eric leaned down next to me I didn’t move I couldn’t speak
“Take his power Finish this before she co Locoicia to come forth, but I knew she wouldn’t “She needed someone to pay the pain price that she couldn’t Hurry” His hand was oners pressed into my cheeks as he tried to move my lifeless body “You don’t die today, do you hear me?” My lashes slowly lowered and reopened Eric’s face was overfloith e We were so fucked up “Kiss him, Ivy Take your power and heal yourself I can’t mend these wounds You have to”
He pushed me forward, as if I could walk But, ht I sluh to break my fall, but they were too weak to hold me up Theround Dirt scratched into the blood and stuck to my skin
Eric sighed and his ar me toward Collin’s body “I’d take his power myself, if I could, but only the one who killed him can claim it—and we sure as hell want it Locoicia will coht now, she’s powerful enough to kill us both I used the power I stole froed htened and I didn’t think I was breathing anymore My eyelids wanted to close They felt so heavy Eric’s hand met my cheek in a hard swipe “Wake up,” he said as he dropped me next to Collin’s body “Finish this”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
There was no power left withinme weaker byCollin’s face toward me His body was still warm Lifeless I couldn’t believe he was Kreturus It didn’t make sense I didn’t understand Eric’s foot was onme on top of Collin’s chest I pressedRe But there was emotion No bond Only Eric’s shoe in my back I pressed my forehead to his lips, and looked at his face one last time I didn’t want the poithin hi on top of hirew louder and louder Screa for their master, and I’d killed him There would be a power vacuum if I didn’t take it I had to There was no choice
I loweredsensation that craved Collin came aithin me As it slid down his throat, eyes of ice and fire flicked opened Collin sucked in a ragged breath, throwingaway frolared atto pull me to my feet I stared, unable to shut my mouth—utterly shocked
He was alive
The spell didn’t work
The emotions that were held back suddenly came to me in a rush My heart shattered into a ut I wanted to scream I wanted to claw his face off withat him My voice was a rush of air It was barely audible, but he heard me, “You’re Kreturus”
A weak smile snaked across his lips as the pressure onto pull me away, but my feet wouldn’t move I didn’t turn For some reason, my shoulders shook him off as I stepped toward the liar The deceiver I couldn’t stop looking into his eyes Collin said nothing There was a voice screaly loud that I couldn’t stand it for another second I repressed the e me that I would die I could barely hear my words, “You used me”
He leaned in close to h to touch me I tensed, ready to attack Collin lifted his hands, pal me he wouldn’t come closer “I didn’t ht now But when you pulled h the mirror,” he looked back at, “ere the same person What Kreturus does isn’t like possession It’sIt’s like we fuse I’m subject to his whims, but I can still think, act, and feel Your spell tore us apart And since he can’t be up here without me, I assume he was sucked back down into Hell But there’s no way to know for certain I don’t knohat other effects your incantation had It didn’t work the way it should have, and I think we both knohy” He paused for ame There could only be one reason why Collin was still alive So powerful His fingers flexed once and then straightened at his sides, “The last ti apart to find you He thinks you’ll subly be his queen”
I stared at hi a word he said My eyes slid over his face The bond was destroyed There was no way to know if he was lying “You’re two different beings? But sometimes you’re not?” I didn’t believe him He could hear it in my voice
Collin sed, “It’s difficult to explain When I was younger—a new Valefar—I wanted ht I’d win… ” He searched my face, but no emotions swam across it His eyes shifted away froain It can’t be broken He got use of me and my body to find the Prophecy One and free hiet ht… And I didn’t knoould be you” He pressed his lips together, waiting for me to speak, but I remained silent “Ivy, when I realized you were the one I was supposed to hand over—I couldn’t do it I defaulted I lost He’s been usingto have you”
Collin’s voice was pleading, begging me to understand, “I didn’t want this I didn’t want the prophecy I did everything I could think of to derail it, and prevent it fro But it didn’t matter what I did Prophecies happen” He looked down at round, “I wanted to warn you, but I couldn’t tell you about the bargain But, just now, soic that was gagging , but I can acknowledge what’s already happened Ivy, I can’t control him Kreturus is part of s around you—the death and destruction—it was all by my hands”
I was silent His words swam in my mind like distant islands that I couldn’t reach The words tumbled out of my mouth with a chilled sharpness to theht it inme?”