Page 33 of The Lies of Lena (The Otacian Chronicles #1)

Chapter Thirty-Two

E veryone was frozen around us as I wept over Igon’s dead body. I was still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Me, the new Supreme? Why?

I was able to wield fire, an element most Mages didn’t unlock in their lifetime, but still, I had no special ability; I wasn’t born with any gift. Igon was a seer. Elowen could eliminate pain. Merrick was an empath, for fuck's sake, and Viola was a shapeshifter. They all had abilities that could not be taught or learned. And then there was me. It made no fucking sense.

Igon hinted at an ability earlier today…but what good would it do me anyway, considering these cuffs eliminated all magic?

“You…you bastards. What did you do?” Vicsin growled as he attempted to attack Silas, hurtling towards him. In a blink, Vicsin’s eyes were protruding as the soldier who had thrown him to the ground plunged his sword into his throat .

I gasped and staggered to my feet, watching in horror as the soldier withdrew his blade and blood began gushing out of the wound.

Elowen let out a gut-wrenching cry and fell to her knees. When my eyes darted to Merrick, he looked…numb. I was grateful those cuffs were on him; otherwise, he would be feeling everything Elowen was, and it would break him.

The soldier that was holding Elowen bent down, and while I couldn’t hear him, I watched his mouth whisper, “ I’m sorry, ” in her ear. She just continued to cry.

“He wouldn’t have been able to hurt me, Rurik,” Silas muttered.

Rurik shrugged. “Wouldn’t want to take any chances, Your Highness.” The last of his words had a note of bitterness to it. I realized I recognized the man; he was there when Torrin had led me to my cell in Castle La’Rune all those years ago.

Silas just huffed before ordering his soldiers to round us up by their carriages and to search the village.

“Hendry, take a few men and search this tower. Take anything that seems to have information we need,” Silas uttered to a soldier with mismatched eyes and tawny-brown skin. He simply nodded and headed to the tower.

Hendry. His friend he had told me stories about when we were younger.

I had no idea what information Igon had that would be of value to them, no less anything about this “Weapon,” but I would hope with being a seer and seeing them coming, he would’ve hidden or discarded it.

Still, nothing made sense.

Why weren’t we warned or prepared ?

Silas turned to me and grasped my arm tightly. I winced at the pain as he dragged me to where every other Mage was being gathered.

We stepped over various corpses, some his people, some mine. My heart sank at the different faces I recognized, people who, just hours ago, were laughing or smiling or enjoying the weather. I then realized who I hadn’ t seen.

“Have you seen my mother?” I asked him quietly. He didn’t respond; he just continued to pull me. We made it almost to the exit of the village when a voice called out for me, and I turned.

“Mother,” I breathed.

She was bleeding at her hairline, but she was okay, alive. She was cuffed and held by a soldier, and on the ground before her was Phillip’s dead body. Tears were trailing down her face, and her gaze widened as she beheld Silas. Her eyes then narrowed, a disapproving glare on her face, and when I looked up at him, his eyes quickly flickered away from her before he hauled me away.

The man I had loved would have never wished to hurt my mother or me…but he never knew what we really were. I still couldn’t have ever imagined … this.

He used his free hand to dip his hand into my dress pocket—my breathing hitching at his closeness. He retrieved Igon's bronze compass.

My nails dug crescents into my palms. “Give me that back,” I said calmly.

He gave me a once over, his face blank as he replied, “No.”

Silas, the Slayer of Witches. I knew his reputation; I had heard stories passed around fires over the years. I just couldn’t believe them.

Now I could.

All Mages were in one large group now. There had to have been less than a hundred Mages left, considering the amount of bodies that remained on the ground. At the front of the line were multiple horses, Silas now mounted on one of them, and a few carriages.

I glanced around the crowd, and when I saw Elowen, I hurried over to her.

She stood still, her head tilted downward, wrists bound like the rest of us. “Elowen, I … I am so sorry,” I whispered.

She sniffed, her blue eyes glued to the ground. I felt someone watching us, and when I glanced to the side, I saw the soldier who had been holding Elowen observing us from a few feet away. His eyes were emerald green, and they looked gentle…almost kind—unlike any look I had seen from any Otacian today, save for perhaps that young boy.

“Mother is dead too…” she muttered, and I whirled towards her. “I walked over her body…she’s gone.”

“Dear Gods…” I breathed. “I’m so sorry, Elowen. I wish I could give you a hug.”

To that she gave me a weak smile. I turned my attention to Silas when Elowen looked back to the ground. He was saying something to his men, but I couldn’t make out the words from this distance.

I shifted on my feet when I heard someone walk behind us, and turned to see Merrick, his own blue eyes unreadable. I wished to put my hand on his shoulder—hug him, too. But I couldn’t do shit in these cuffs .

“How—” I started.

“I’m fine,” Merrick said quietly. Elowen looked at him with tearful eyes and decided to walk away at his silence.

“I can’t say I’m upset he’s dead,” Merrick muttered as I turned to face him once again. The cool breeze blew his silver-white stands that were loose in front of his face, and his eyes were glazed over momentarily before he met my stare. “I hated that man. But I hurt for Elowen, even if I can’t feel her emotions right now.” He let out a shaky exhale. “Thank the Gods I can’t. The same goes for all the mourning people here…”

I raised my cuffed hands and brushed my thumb against his cheek. “I know what you’re thinking, Merrick. And no, you aren’t horrible for how you feel about your father.”

He clenched his jaw and just stared into my eyes before giving me a soft smile.

“Sometimes I wonder if you have his gift,” he said gently.

I returned the smile. I knew he was referring to Torrin and his ability to read minds. We would never mention his name, not in front of Otacian soldiers, anyway. Torrin had a bounty over his head after fleeing Otacia.

I dropped my hand and turned to survey the area, and then I met Silas’s burning stare.

Ice-cold rage.

He doesn’t think Merrick and me…

I loved Merrick. He was my rock, someone who truly understood me, whether it was because he could feel every emotion I did or because we were kindred spirits. Both of us endured a lot at a young age. He took care of me, just as Torrin did, and I’ll always be in debt to him .

And Merrick was a beautiful man, just like his cousin. He was kind and loving, despite the coldness or sarcasm he masked himself with. I knew masking all too well. Merrick expressed feelings for me years ago, about a year after arriving in Ames. It was heartbreaking turning him down…

Because perhaps we would have been a good match. But my heart belonged elsewhere. The thought of another man felt like a betrayal at the time. I didn’t sleep with anyone after Silas until the day I heard he had gotten married. I just wanted a distraction, to feel anything other than pure devastation. Merrick’s friendship meant too much to me for me to consider bedding him, as attractive an idea as it would’ve been.

And Torrin…

I didn’t wish to think of it.

His eyes flickered away as he angled his horse north. The majestic, ebony creature's beauty perfectly matched his.

The soldier who had detained Merrick, a tanned, brown-haired man named Roland, addressed our people. “We will now begin the journey to our kingdom where you are all to be hanged. Consider it a mercy.” A smug smile traced his face when his hazel eyes met mine.

Prick.

“Let the march begin!”