That was the reason for the whole war. That was why Angra slaughtered Winter for centuries—because he knew one day we’d find it. Angra even let Theron continue on his quest for the keys, waiting to overtake the world so he’d be in thorough possession of the one way to open the chasm.
That’s his weakness. That’s what he fears.
Pure conduit magic as a counter to the Decay.
Angra catches my revelation—I see it in the way his face tenses with fury before smoothing into a forced grin. He flashes his eyes to Theron and leans in, hissing words just for me.
He doesn’t want Theron to hear whatever he’s going to say.
I beat down the thought, not wanting Angra to see any more revelations I might have.
“You will never defeat me,” Angra whispers. “I will destroy everything long before you get that chance. You are nothing in this war, no matter how high you think yourself, but I will gladly let you be the one I blame for every moment I had to wait for this freedom. You are unable to stop this, Highness—you see that now. No matter what path you take, it will end the same for you—death and failure.”
I yank against Theron’s grip, unexpected strength leeching into my veins. Angra has a weakness, still. He fears something. “What you offer isn’t freedom. The world will know that—they won’t fall to your control.”
Angra’s sickening grin returns. “King Theron,” he announces, eyes still on mine. “Restrain our guests. They may need time to learn what you have.”
“Theron.” I writhe against him as he takes a step back, pulling me on. “Theron,stop.You’ve seen what Angra has done to the world! You can fight it—you have magic now!”
My voice crashes out over the ballroom, everyone holdingstill as if they’re just as desperate for Theron’s response as I am.
He looks down at me, his expression flickering with a rapid array of emotions. Resolve, grief, hope.
“You’ll see,” he tells me. “This is the best way to unite the world. I’ve spent months going over it, Meira—I’ve spent months searching for other options. Angra is offering this power toeveryone.No more conduits—no more limitations. You’ll see. Youhaveto understand.”
I’d feel better if he sounded insane. If his words came angry and harsh, babbling of plans to make the world bow to him, like Angra. But Theron sounds like . . . himself.
Angra watches Theron as he tries to convince me, his smile softening. It catches me so off guard that I almost miss it. But no, Angra actuallysmiledat Theron.
Is there more happening here? Did I miss something in the visions of Theron’s memory in Abril?
On the edge of my mind, I’m aware of Cordellan soldiers dragging Nessa and Conall away from Garrigan’s body, Nessa’s piercing scream when they kick his corpse in passing.
“You’ll see,” Theron says again, absently, and hauls me toward the door. The rest of the soldiers follow the unspoken command, the men holding Jesse taking him toward the other end of the ballroom, presumably to be dealt with by Raelyn later.
Theron drags me away, the rest of my party in the handsof his soldiers. I can’t even bring myself to offer some encouragement to them, my mind caught on how everything collapsed so quickly. Why didn’t I see it happening? Why didn’t I feel Angra’s evil infiltrate one of my closest allies—one of my closestfriends?
And now Angra has both keys. Theron had the key from Summer; Angra took the one from Yakim, and the one in Ventralli . . .
I jolt in Theron’s hands.
Where is the third key?
Theron pulls me down the palace’s gilded halls until we reach a door. Alongside every other beautiful thing in Ventralli, this one stands plain and blank, just a simple iron door with simple iron bolts, hovering in an alcove. The door to the palace’s dungeon.
The colorful brilliance of the palace vanishes in favor of heavy gray stones that spasm in the dancing sconce light. A staircase shoots down, taking us deep beneath the palace, farther from any chance at escape. We reach a long, straight hall lined with doors, each one the same heavy iron as the one above. But these have windows, small, barred openings. Cells.
“Lock them up,” Theron commands.
Nessa’s screams die as a door slams on her, Conall, and Dendera. The Children of the Thaw are corralled into a cell beside them, Mather shoved in last. He fights the Cordellan soldiers, fights with every bit of strength I no longerhave, kicking off of the door frame and slamming the men holding him against the opposite wall. My body seizes in Theron’s grip as a soldier lands a blow to Mather’s cheek.
“Stop.” Theron opens a cell and shoves me in. “Put him in here, then leave us.”
I stumble forward, swinging around in time to catch Mather as the soldiers toss him in after me. He rights himself and spins in front of me, keeping one hand on my arm to hold me behind him as we both face the door. I cling to him, using him to ground me here, the way he crouches defensively, his cheek already red.
The Cordellan soldiers leave, as instructed, marching back up the long stairwell. Theron tips his head and the moment the door above slams shut, he enters the cell.
“Touch her and I’ll kill you,” Mather growls, taking a step back toward me.
