Page 73 of Empire of Wrath and Ruin

"I was going to attempt the crystal anyway," he said. "At least this way, if I succeed, it might actually accomplish something beyond just ending my own suffering."

"And if you fail?" I demanded. "If you go insane in front of thousands of people?"

"Then hopefully someone will be close enough to put a sword through my heart before I can hurt anyone," he replied with that same terrible matter-of-factness.

Tarshi got up and walked over to crouch beside his twin. His face was strained, but his voice was steady.

"If it comes to that," he said simply. "If you attempt the ritual and fail, I'll be the one to end it."

Taveth met his brother’s eyes, then nodded slowly.

I watched the colour drain from Livia's face as she processed what Tarshi had just said. Her head whipped around to stare at him, her dark eyes wide with horror.

"No," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Tarshi, you can't—"

"Someone has to," he said gently, his hand settling on Taveth's shoulder. "And it should be me.”

Taveth reached out, placing his hand on Tarshi’s opposite shoulder. “Thank you, brother. I would want it to be you standing by my side.”

“You’ll have me there too, “said Livia stubbornly as the two dropped their arms.

“You won’t be there,” Tarshi said to her.

“You are not leaving me behind,” she said hotly, her eyes flashing.

“I had no intention of doing so, little Dragon,” Tarshi smiled, though it was full of sadness. “This is your chance to get your vengeance on the man who killed your family.”

Hope flashed across her face for a moment, then faded.

"Even if we could free the prisoners, even if Taveth could break the collars and cure the mages, we still wouldn't be able to get close enough to the Emperor to kill him. He'll be protected, surrounded by his personal guard."

“Why you?” asked Jalend, his face expressionless. I had wondered how he could sit here and discuss, no, suggest the murder of his own father. To hear that the woman he loved wanted to be the one to do it must hurt.

"Because he destroyed my family too," Livia said quietly. "Because he gave the order to destroy my home, to murder my village, my family. Because someone needs to make him pay for what he's done.”

I saw the pain that flashed across Jalend's face at Livia's words, though he tried to hide it behind that careful mask of composure he wore so well. She didn’t notice.

"That was the whole reason I joined the Academy," she continued, her hands clenched into fists. "To get close enough to him, to make him pay for what he did to my family. But even then, I never found an opportunity. In the arena, with all those guards..."

I saw the conflict in Jalend's face, the way his jaw tightened as he processed what Livia had just said. The woman he loved wanted to kill his father—the man who had destroyed her family, yes, but still his father. I couldn't imagine the pain that mustbe causing him. When he finally spoke, his voice was carefully controlled.

"What if I told you I could get you close enough?" he asked quietly.

Livia frowned. “How could you do that?”

Jalend was silent for a long moment, his gaze fixed on her.

“Because I’m his son,” he said.

24

The silence that followed my words was deafening. I watched Livia's face cycle through disbelief, shock, and then something that cut me deeper than any blade—betrayal.

"No," she whispered, backing away from me like I'd struck her. "No, that can't be true."

"Livia—" I started, but she was already on her feet, tears streaming down her face.

"You lied to me," she said, her voice breaking. "All this time, you've been lying to me."