I could swear I saw a flicker of emotion on his face, but it was gone too quickly before I could tell. He craned his head towards Vicsin.
“See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” He removed the blade from Elowen’s neck, and as she slumped in relief, he raised his weapon at Vicsin.
Elowen shrieked, but before Silas could attack, Igon stepped out of the tower. Silas stilled, then slowly lowered his sword.
“Hello, Prince Silas,” Igon greeted in a pleasant tone.
Silas gave a smile, though it wasn’t a warm one. “You must be Igon.”
“The one and only,” he stated with a lazy grin, his arms raised at his sides. “Though I don’t believe I will be of use much longer.”
Igon turned his gaze to me and then began to speak to me in my mind.
Only through fire can the phoenix be reborn from the ashes.
I blinked rapidly, not only at the cryptic message but at the fact that Igon could somehow speak in my mind.
When the hell did he get that power?
Before I could question him, Silas spoke.
“Enough. Where is it?” he pressed. “Where is the Weapon?”
Weapon? What the fuck is he talking about?
Igon studied him for a moment. “You won’t find it until it’s too late.”
“I am not here to play games.” Silas bared his teeth. “You have one more chance to reveal its location, or it will be your end.”
Igon remained silent, and only a few moments passed before Silas thrust his sword into his chest.
“NO!” I wailed, and instinct took over. I rushed to Igon’s side as Silas withdrew his blade, blood spurting out as Igon’s knees hit the ground. “No, no…” I wept as I studied his fatal wound. I couldn’t heal him; I couldn’t even hold him with these damn cuffs.
I looked into Igon’s widened gaze, and I thought of our fight earlier as I cried, “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.”
He shook his head and brought his hand to my cheek. “You—” He struggled to speak as his breathing labored. “—will be our savior, Lena Daelyra.” He shifted his gaze to Silas…andsmiled, a real, genuine smile laced with…relief, was it? “I forgive you, son.”
Confusion set over Silas’s face, and Igon faced me again. His hand slipped from my cheek, and with a shaky hand, he reached into his pocket.
“A…memento,” he breathed, handing me a bronze compass. Blood began to pour out of his mouth, and I cried harder as he placed the compass in my dress pocket.
He turned to face our people. Many of their faces crumpled watching the end of a man so beloved…so kind. “Lena Daelyra is your new Supreme.”
My eyes broadened, and I heard gasps around me as Igon used the last of his strength to grasp my wrists.
“Find Oquerene,”he spoke in my mind.“Find…Kayin.”
I watched as the life left his topaz eyes, and when he sagged to the ground, I broke.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Everyonewasfrozenaroundus 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?
