CHAPTER TEN: Blood and betrayal

Look forward your eyes, Calla."

The voice. Little. Not sure. Common.

I gave it try. With the icy numbness all about me, I battled through the darkness pushing against me.

"Please." Lucas.

I opened my eyes and gasped.

His silver eyes wild with panic, he was leaning over me, his hands clutching my shoulders.

You're good, he said. "You're okay."

Except: I wasn't.

Inside me, I could still sense power. It hummed, electric and deadly, almost slipping out of my control.

I sat upright far too quickly.

Though I ignored it, pain tore over my skull.

"What happens?"

Lucian's jaw closed tightly. "You collapsed." His fingers fluttered over my wrist. " Your magic—" He halted, darkening of the eyes.

I looked where he was staring.

And I started to lose weight.

Where I had been lying, the floor showed cracks. Blackened, as though something had burned across it.

My hands shook.

"I completed that."

Lucian nodding once. "You fell from control."

I forced myself to swallow.

"Where'm Rowan?" My voice rumbled.

Lucian's features toughened. "Gone". Having her.

"NO." I forced myself to get on feet. "He wouldn't-" he did."

The words tasted like a smack.

"You don't know that!"

Lucian gave out a sour laugh. "I noticed Calla. I watched him decide on her.

I gave my head a shake. "There has to be a reason."

"Yeah," Lucian said, growling "Power," allegiance. Maybe even love."

I froze.

None.

Not Rowan.

Not the lad who had rescued us from child poverty.

Not the lad who used to swear he would die before turning against me.

I responded, "We have to get him back."

Lucian moved forward, his presence overpowering.

"Why?". He spoke low. harmful. "Because you still count on him? Because you still believe he is the lad you once loved?"

My inhaled caught.

Lucian stared straight ahead into my field.

"He no longer is that boy, Calla."

"And you're not the same Lucian I used to know," I shot back.

His jaw grew tighter.

Silence filled the space between us.

Charge. Not spoken.

I turned off course. I am unable of doing this. Not at this time.

"We have to follow after them."

"Your strength isn't sufficient."

Anger blazing, I spun back to him.

Then aid me!

Lucian cursed silently under his breath.

Then: Steps.

Eli showed up at the doorway, his expression austere. We have a problem here.

I made myself cool under pressure. "What then?"

Eli stammered. " It's not just Rowan."

Lucian stiffened. "Explanation."

Eli let out a yawn. "We picked up a message. Isolde is not working by herself. She has an army.

Ten degrees went out of the room.

Beside me, Lucian's body went stiff.

"How many?" I wanted to know.

Eli's facial expression was incomprehensible. "Enough to wipe everything."

Turning to me, Lucian "You still want to chase Rowan?"

I turned to meet his eye.

And for the first time I was unsure.