Mine to Spell (Mine #2) (37 page)

I lower my voice. “We have to do something to stop it.”

“
I wish we could,” Katherine says.

“
We all do,” Zade adds, stepping closer to our conversation. “But we’re not in a place to do anything about it yet. If we step in, we’ll be breaking the law. We’d be lucky if the punishment didn’t include losing our lives.”

“
But everything I’ve been doing all week, it’s nothing.” My power roils inside me, building my frustration more than if it would settle. “My magic is nothing. Nothing. Not with what they do to these girls, what they always do.”

Lukas squeezes my hand. “Everything you’re doing isn’t nothing. It’s what will help others, both in this country and from other countries. It makes them all realize that women are people, that they need others to stand up for them, too.”

The Grand Chancellor stands, motioning the crowd to quiet as he brings in what I wish could be stopped. I step closer to Katherine, not letting go of Lukas’s hand. Zade puts an arm around Serena. We’re all silent as a tarnished girl willingly lowers herself on the torch lit altar.

Chancellor Ryan sneers at me as the Grand Chancellor says a few things. My stomach knots around itself, making me wish I could throw a hex at him. His sneer turns to a smirk as if he knows just what I want to do and, more so, at the fact that I can’t.

As the Grand Chancellor moves from his box to the altar, I focus on him instead. I force my eyes to stay open, unlike last year when I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Though it’s wretched, I need to understand what’s happening. But with each step forward the Grand Chancellor takes, the urge to turn away builds.

When he’s standing next to the altar with the tarnished staring blankly at the sky, a silvery spell slithers from him, forming a knife. My free hand curl so tightly into fists that my nails bite into my skin. I want to look away, to watch the blood pool from my own palms instead of from this innocent girl, but I don’t let myself.

The crowd is silent as a stench grows stronger. The knife-like spell darts to her neck, crimson flowing, immediately gathered up by a second spell, clear from this vantage, save for flashes of bright red. It wastes no time pulling the blood from the girl toward the Grand Chancellor.

My fingers push harder, enough that they become wet with my own blood. I can’t stop myself any more than I can stop him without finding myself in her very place.

The Grand Chancellor directs the spell, pulling the helpless girl’s blood toward his wrist where he’s opened up a cut in his own arm. He uses the spell to pull the pure, untainted blood into him. How much magic did this tarnished girl have in her blood? Odds are, a lot. My hands ache, but not nearly as much as my chest.

The Grand Chancellor’s mouth turns up at the corners, framed by his beard as the spell continues sucking out her life force and magic. Moving her blood to him while she becomes paler under the strain. He is glowing though, as if the magic he has stolen isn’t fully absorbed into him, the light of it taking time to meld with his.

A moan escapes me. Hands are on me, pulling me toward them. Lukas, his spicy sweet scent fills me as I curl into his shoulder. Why can't we do anything? Why?

Chapter Forty-Four

The nightmare is over. For the tarnished girl at least. The sight of her motionless body. Of it being drained of life while I just stood and did nothing will terrorize me for a long time.

“It doesn’t matter what sort of hold they have over us. We can’t keep doing nothing.”

Serena glances around, eyes watchful of the crowd, but Lukas doesn’t take his gaze from me. “We will do something.”

“And we are,” Katherine says from behind me, coming to my side. “We’re doing as much as we can. It just takes time for people to realize this is something they need to fight for, that they need to believe in.”

“
Still wish I could throw a fireball at him.”

“
Don’t we all,” Bethany mutters.

And I can’t help but smile, even if it’s not for the best of reason. I’m no longer alone in wanting to do magic.

“We should leave,” Serena says.

“
You and Bethany go ahead. There’s something I need to do,” I say, trying not to think on how soft my bed is.

“
I could stay with you,” Bethany says.

“
Not this time. Katherine, you and Charles are welcome to go with Serena and Bethany, or to come with me to the feast.”

Serena shivers, no doubt remembering her experience with Thomas at the festival last year. Just thinking on it makes me want to shiver as well, but I turn my gaze on Katherine and keep steady. She and Charles exchange a look, one that seems to speak in a language I don’t understand.

“We’ll join you,” she says.

We see Serena and Bethany off with Zade and their guards. Lukas, Chadwick, and Xyer remaining behind. The rotten stench invades my senses as we near the feast. The revelers are already loud, laughing and shouting at each other. Women and men watch me closely as I near, though none speak with me.

The crowd grows as we move within it. Somehow I feel more alone here than when no one was around at that first house. At least the others are close by, but I try only to think on them as a support. Mostly, I just need to be seen here. Show I belong here as much as the other duelers. More so even. I am one of the few going on to the last day.

“
What is that stench?” I finally ask my guard.

“
Traditional Chardonian tournament fare,” Chadwick answers, knowing more about my country, even though he’s from Envado. “Week-old, twice-boiled cabbage.”

“
What brilliant person came up with that idea?”

Lukas snickers, but Chadwick replies with a lowered voice. “The Grand Chancellor. His favorite, apparently.”

“Ah.” And I have to keep my own laughter in. No wonder he’s so foul when that’s his favorite food. “Does anyone know what a mime is? Some women talked about them last year, but I’ve never been able to figure out what they are.”

“
There’s one over this way that I spotted earlier,” Lukas says, placing a hand on the small of my back.

We weave through the crowd, drawing attention from almost everyone. I lean in closer to Lukas, not because I need the support but because I want them all to know how I feel about him.

We reach a crowd surrounding a man, but not just any man. He’s wearing all black except for his hands, which have white gloves, the kind only women wear. What’s more, his face is painted, sort of like a woman’s, but his features have been exaggerated toward happiness.

“
Why does he look like that?”

Lukas quiets me. “Just watch.”

The man pulls a black bag out of his pocket, takes a ball out, and throws it into the air. Then he does it again, but I realize there is no ball. He’s only pretending to throw it and catch it behind his back. As he looks at the imaginary ball, he pulls his mouth to the side, his features appearing extra stretched with the black lines drawn on his face. Then he proceeds to throw his imaginary ball at a warlock's head and catch it as it bounces back.

Laughter escapes me, as it does many others in the crowd. He continues his performance, doing all sorts of tricks that grow funnier each time. It may not be a restful way to spend the evening, but my magic is responding anyway, bouncing happily through me even if it's not at full power.

It’s all splendid until I recognize a familiar face next to another, more dreaded familiar face. The laughter and magic with me freezes into icy points.

“
Is that Conrad by Chancellor Ryan?” My mind is blank, struggling to process why my missing guard, the one who worked so hard to protect me, is by a warlock I loathe.

Lukas glances where I point, and his hands immediately fist. “Not just by him, but smiling and talking to him like they’re old pals.”

Never have I wanted to throw a hex as badly as I do now. The crowd around us, laughing at another of the mime’s antics, seems to blur as I focus in on him. I shove my way past them all, not caring about anything but getting to him. Getting to someone who swore to protect me, who we’ve all been worried about and had other guards out looking for. Someone who is about to feel my wrath.

“
We’ve been looking for you.”

“
Stop looking so hard. I’ve been right here.” His gaze flits to Chancellor Ryan, smile uneasy.

“
It would seem Conrad and I have the same goals,” the Chancellor replies, much more confidently.

“
Harassing women?” The words spit from me and make me realize the laughter is dying down, the crowd focusing in on us.

“
I wouldn't,” Conrad says, finally having the decency to look a little guilty. “We've been working on better trade between our countries.”

“
Which includes giving up your oath to protect those who need you,” Lukas says, voice bristling with even more anger than mine. He leans in closer, words taking on a deadly whisper. “And what did you give up to secure better trade? Setting the trap for Cynthia?”

Conrad takes a step back, looking away.

“You did, didn’t you?” My voice is small, betrayal shocking a larger reaction from flaring out. “You set up me, Chadwick, and Xyer.”

He takes another step back, enough that Chancellor Ryan pits himself between us, eying the crowd. “Conrad is an honored tradesman between our countries. If anyone threatens him, the consequences would be swift, I assure you.”

Magic and anger seethe through me, a riot of emotion struggling to let loose. Lukas grabs my hand, making me realize I had lifted it up, readying to hex them both. The crowd around me is wide-eyed as they take in the scene.

I clench my teeth, struggling to rein my power in before speaking. “Consequences for disloyalty may not be as swift but will still haunt any who follow that path.”

Though the Chancellor holds his sneer, Conrad pales. Good. I hold myself rigid and confident as I stride away, trying to think of anything but what just happened. The crowd parts before me, many giving me a nod of encouragement but others looking away. As soon as we’re away from the crowd, I don’t give up my act but let more of my true emotions sink in.

“
I’m so sorry,” Lukas says. “If I’d known he was like th—”

“
Stop. You couldn’t have known. None of us could have. He was too good at pretending for that.”

Lukas doesn’t say anything, only clenches his jaw.

“Let’s go home.” The weariness in my voice shows that it’s almost as drained as I am.

Without a word, Lukas puts an arm around me and leads me away.

Chapter Forty-Five

Today is the last day of the tournament. This is it, and I’ve gotten farther than I ever thought I would. I spell my hair a muted brown, nails black, jewelry minimal, only a single necklace and bracelet and Lukas’s ring. The ride over to the grounds and checking the schedule are somber and silent. Magic, not fully restored, lumbers through me, but hopefully it's enough to get me through the day.

Everything is heavier with Conrad’s betrayal. After telling Zade, no one has spoken of it, but it still hangs heavy on me like a hex, keeping me under the weight of a house. Save for my family, Katherine, Zade, and Lukas, those close to me can’t even be counted on to stand by my side, let alone Chardonians.

I press on anyway. The fights are tough, but I don’t die, and somehow manage to win. There’s not much left in me for the last fight. My magic is weak, struggling to respond to my commands. I lay on the ground, trying to rest, trying to gain back as much of it as I can while Bethany and Serena hover near with water, and more importantly, their support.

The ground is just beginning to feel welcoming enough to sleep when Lukas joins us. “Your opponent just won his duel.”

“
Who is it?”

“
Nathaniel.”

The Grand Chancellor’s son. No one besides him was likely to win, just like no one else is likely to win the entire tournament. Though he’s been kind, the news fills me with a sort of dread. Thick and heavy, it presses the magic regaining strength within me into a tight ball.

The rain crashes down on the protective spell above us. I don’t ever remember seeing it rain so hard. It’s probably a sign of how vastly I’m going to fail. A council member always wins the tournament, and since the Grand Chancellor’s son is participating, he might as well be the most important councilman even if he is not, in fact, a councilman.

“
It’s good I made it here.” The sky continues its incessant splashing into the dome overhead as Lukas leans into view. “It should be enough.”

“
But?” he says.

I close my eyes and give a defeated, “I want more.”

“You can have more.”

“
You’re sweet, but look at me, sprawled in the grass, trying to do everything I can just to let some of my magic recharge. It’s ridiculous for me to want what’s clearly not going to happen. Chancellor Ryan was sure to make me have to duel so much more than the others over the past two days so this would be how I ended up.”