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Chapter Twenty-Six

ARABELLA

I nstinctively, Arabella lowered her stance and took a step back—away from the dais and the sorcerer standing at the base of it. Rather than reaching for the blades at her back, she summoned the shadows beneath her feet.

Through windows several stories up in the back of the throne room, she could see that night had fallen.

It was a time when shadow fae were the strongest.

When the darkness reigned supreme.

The shadows hummed to life, emerging from the floor in an eager tempest. The light from the candles at the base of each of the pillars flickered, half of them extinguishing in an instant and sending the room into partial darkness.

Wrapping a band of shadows around Jessamine’s waist, she pulled her friend behind her, positioning herself between Jessamine and Magnus—and the dais.

Hadeon stood beside her, unmoving.

A thought occurred to Arabella.

While she had no desire to help Magnus, this was a unique opportunity—one she may never find herself in again. There was something the sorcerer needed. Something only she could provide. As such, this could be her only chance to bargain for Elias’ freedom.

Maybe—just maybe—there was something Magnus wanted more than her mate.

“Free Elias and give me his syphen, and I’ll consider making you a replacement blade,” she said as her shadows whipped at her feet.

“If you think—” Genoveva began, but Magnus raised a hand.

“If it pleases Your Majesty, I can take it from here,” the sorcerer said.

The queen dipped her chin.

Everything after that was a blur.

One moment, Jessamine was behind Arabella. In the next, a blast of scarlet enfolded Arabella and her shadows, and Jessamine was hauled across the dark tiles—toward Magnus.

“No!” Arabella screamed as she fought against the wall of scarlet that pressed her down, down, down.

She unleashed her shadows against the scarlet, which bounced off the wall without making an indent.

Growling, she clawed at the red with her talons.

To her relief, she felt them tear. Grabbing on to the tear, she pulled it apart, widening it until she leaped through.

Magnus raised a brow, a flicker of surprise marring his features for the briefest of moments.

But she didn’t have eyes for him.

Instead, she fixed her gaze on Elias, whose hand was wrapped around Jessamine’s throat.

Jessamine’s feet barely touched the floor, the toes of her boots scraping against the tiles as she struggled to free herself.

With a flicker of blue in his gaze, Jessamine went pliant in his grip.

She dropped the earthen weaves she’d been forming, which dissipated instantly.

“You made a mistake in trying to protect your friend before,” Magnus said. “You revealed what you care for—and what you’re desperate to protect. It’s too late for you to protect Elias, but we’ll see about your friend. Now, you have a choice: do as you’re told, or she dies.”

Arabella’s eyes flickered between her mate and Jessamine—whose eyes had glazed over with the pull of desire from Elias’ erox magic. Elias still didn’t look at her, and his face was devoid of emotion.

It was as though he were nothing more than a soldier taking orders.

He’s still in there, she thought . Or else he wouldn’t have felt fear at the mention of the underrealm.

But even if Elias was in there somewhere, he could still be forced to kill Jessamine, and Arabella could never allow that.

Somehow, she had to save them both.

First, she’d separate Jessamine from Elias, and then she would unleash her new magic. It was clear the queen wasn’t going to let her go. She’d have to fight her way out.

For now, she’d play along until there was an opening.

She lifted her chin. “How can I make the syphen?”

A trace of humor flicked across Magnus’ eyes. “I knew you’d see reason. A new syphen can only be created under the power of the black moon. As it just so happens, the dark side of the moon will be revealed tonight.”

She wasn’t certain how much time had passed while they were in the Abyss, but what awful timing. Magnus would wreak havoc if he had some all-powerful syphen. And there was no way he could use this weapon to grant immortality without there being a steep price for it.

A slip of scarlet plucked one of her daggers from her waist. It trailed in the air before coming into Magnus’ outstretched hand.

“You can create a blade from scratch, infusing the metal with magic as it’s being forged, but the theatrics are unnecessary,” Magnus said.

“And finding a shadow fae blacksmith is a rarity these days. But I’ve found making a syphen with an existing blade is equally effective.

” He gestured to Arabella’s dagger, which was a simple blade of steel with a black handle.

Like Elias’ syphen, it was unremarkable in appearance—neither embossed or covered in gemstones.

“However, there’s one thing I’ll add.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out what appeared to be a round glass ball.

She gaped.

It was the amplifier she’d gotten from Hadeon at the ball and lost when she’d fled Elias’ castle and was captured by the ogres.

A bright light burst from Magnus’ hands. It was so bright that she flinched away, unable to look at where he held her knife and the amplifier. As the light receded, she turned back to find Magnus had somehow fused the amplifier to the end of the handle.

“There we have it,” he said before flipping the knife, grabbing the tip of the blade, and throwing it at her.

She lunged out of the blade’s path while throwing up a wall of black. Rather than the blade punching into her shoulder, it was enfolded in shadows. She raised it with her magic, holding it by the tip just as Magnus had.

It was then she realized that the amplifier was utterly empty of magic.

No wonder he hadn’t been concerned about handing over an amplifier to her.

Magnus strode over to where Arabella stood at the base of the dais.

As he did, Hadeon looked up at Genoveva. “Mother, I must insist. We can’t?—”

“That’s enough,” Genoveva snapped. “Interfere or speak out of turn one more time, and I’ll throw you into the dungeons.”

A vein in Hadeon’s jaw bulged, but he didn’t object.

As he spoke, Arabella allowed her shadows to stretch upward from the ground, obscuring everything from the waist down. As she did, she pulled one of her hidden knives free from a scabbard at her back. She moved slowly, careful not to show signs of movement.

If she was lucky, Magnus’ focus would be entirely on the blade with the amplifier or on attacks from her magic. She hoped an attack with a simple knife would be beneath his notice.

A moment later, he stood within arm’s reach and gestured to the dagger with the fused amplifier that she held with her shadows. “You must infuse a blade with the power of the dark side of the moon in order to make a syphen.”

Her eyes narrowed. “I’m going to need a bit more than that.”

The corner of his lips twitched, and he leaned forward.

For a strange moment, she thought he might kiss her cheek, and she recoiled.

Instead, his cheek pressed against hers as he whispered in her ear.

“I’d put that little knife you’re holding behind your back away if I were you.

Else, I might allow Elias to feed on your friend.

What’s her name… Jessamine, isn’t it? Elias was due to replenish his essence today.

But we didn’t have the time before our journey here.

I’m sure he’s eager to feed. But that would be awkward, wouldn’t it? Your lover and best friend.”

For a moment, she considered taking her chances and trying to stab Magnus in the heart then and there—to throw everything she had at him.

Then her gaze shifted to where Elias stood a few feet away with his fingers around Jessamine’s throat. Her blinks grew slower as she hung slack in his grip, unable to fully touch the ground. Arabella sheathed the blade before shoving Magnus in the chest so he was forced to take a step backward.

“Tell Elias to release her with that other syphen in your robes,” she demanded. “Or you’re on your own.”

Something glittered in Magnus’ gaze as a hand disappeared into his cloak.

But as he spoke the words to Elias, his eyes never left Arabella’s face.

“Release Enchantress Jessamine. But keep her within reach. The minute Enchantress Arabella or anyone else tries to… delay or prevent this new syphen from being made, drain Jessamine dry.”

Elias dipped his chin before he complied.

There was a squeak as Jessamine’s boots touched the floor, and she gasped, gripping her throat.

“Let’s begin.” Magnus made a sweeping gesture with an arm, and the remaining lit candles throughout the throne room went dark in an instant.

Arabella could still see the entire throne room and those in it with perfect clarity, but by the mutters of nearby guards, she knew that visibility for them was greatly diminished.

It was then she realized Magnus’ magic, the scarlet clouds pooling around his feet, hadn’t gone dark as well. Instead, they glowed .

His magic plucked the knife with the amplifier from her shadows, floating it until it was within the palm of his hand.

With his empty hand, he grabbed her wrist, turning her hand so her palm faced up.

Then he ran the blade over her palm. She gritted her teeth, biting back a hiss, but didn’t object.

Blood beaded along the cut before dripping over the sides of her hand onto the tiled floor.

As he ran the knife over his own palm, he said, “It takes shadow fae years to learn how to create a syphen. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time to train you. Luckily, I can access your magic for a limited time and… perform the spell for you.”

She started. “Dark magic? You can use it to control my magic?”

There was a reason both fae and humans were fearful of dark magic. It was nearly limitless in what could be done—with the right sacrifices. It was perhaps even more feared than demon magic.