Page 101 of Dance of the Phoenix

It suddenly hit him. Two days ago, when Eliza told him about the Tears of Euphorrey, she said the only people it wouldn’t work on were the Children of Kahil. The Morrow Gods’ descendants.

In other words, Aileen.

And yet—“Eliza, the Tears aren’t the only dangerous thing about Atalon,” he said, staring at the arena with fear as Atalon took his place across from Aileen. “Atalon is adouble.”

Eliza stilled. “What are you talking about?”

Ragnor’s heartbeat quickened as he shook off her hold. “It means that Atalon has more than one type of magic!” he snapped, panic suffocating him.

Before Ragnor could jump into the arena, Renaldi suddenly said, “All right, then. Let the battle begin—between Orion Atalon and AileenHenderson!” He then turned to look directly at Ragnor. “Interference will result in an automatic win to the opposing side.”

Ragnor bared his teeth, growling. Because now he couldn’t intervene. If he did, Aileen’s life would be forfeit, for there was only one way to win the Lords’ battle in the Hecatomb.

And Renaldi had just declared it in front of everyone.

Rendering Ragnor useless.

“If she dies,” he said, voice low, “I’ll kill you.”

Eliza tensed, hearing the true threat in his words.

And with that, Ragnor was forced to watch his Alara Morreh battle for her life in his stead.

Chapter 54

Aileen

I could feel the bloodthirstiness filling my veins when I watched Atalon enter the arena. His smirking, snakelike face, his pitch-black eyes glinting in sickening delight, reminded me of what he’d told me just twelve hours ago, before I had turned back time.

He might not know about the promise I’d made back in that awful, stifling bedroom, but I did.

I would kill him.

And I would make ithurt like all fucking hells.

The moment Renaldi announced the beginning of the battle, followed by his warning to Ragnor, whose eyes I could feel boring holes in my head all the way from the Rayne gallery, I braced myself.

Atalon put his hands in his pockets, his gold earring, the Tears of Euphorrey, glinting.

And I felt it. What Eliza had warned me about.

It felt as if someone was putting pressure on my skull. It was a pain similar to the one I felt when using my time-stopping powers, but also vastly different. This pain was probing, searching, invasive.

“What a valiant girlfriend you are,” Atalon murmured as he began walking toward me, probably thinking he would soon take controlover my mind. “I doubt Rayne would appreciate your efforts, though. Especially since you’ll die here.”

That was actually hilarious to me. “I thought you wanted me alive,” I said through gritted teeth, fighting the pressure that kept on increasing on my skull.

Atalon cocked his head. “Why would you think that?”

Even though just breathing hurt, I forced a smirk onto my face. “I ... thought ...” It grew difficult to speak, but I refused to give in. “That after ... I b-became ... a broodm-mare ... for the J-Jinn ... y-you wanted me ... to be g-given ... your Imprint ...”

Atalon paused, his own smirk wiped off his face, eyes glowing that shadowy glow only he seemed to have. “Who told you about this?” he asked, eyes no longer delighted but rather dead serious.

That made me grin wider, even as I winced with the never-ending pressure that made it hard to even move my lips. “You.”

He snarled, enraged and aghast in equal measures. He was probably thinking that I was lying, but joke was on him, because I was speaking the absolute truth.

Even though that truth was only for me to know.