Page 65 of Shadows in Bloom

Alandris came up beside me and ran his fingers along the runes. He cursed and shook his head in disbelief. “How did I miss this?” He muttered the words under his breath, nearly indiscernible.

He turned to me with a beaming smile. “This may be our shortcut out. I’d read about them, but I didn’t think this type of ancient magic still existed. We only need to figure out how to reactivate it.”

“What exactly is… it?”

“A portal.” But it wasn’t Alandris who had answered my question.

Chapter 34

“Kallistra…” I whispered, turning to look at her.

Blood and dirt caked the front of her ivory linen blouse. Shallow cuts and purple bruises mottled her skin. Based on her appearance, I assumed she’d run into the same foes Alandris and I had. But she’d won, and she’d done it alone. The strength it would have taken to fend off that many men by herself was far beyond what I’d understood she was capable of. We both had our secrets, apparently. This one, I was glad for.

A small bit of the tightness in my chest lifted upon seeing her. I rushed toward her and threw my arms around her shoulders, tugging her into a hug. “I-I know there is much that needs to be said between us, but I am happy you’re safe, Kallistra.”

Her arms circled around me, though there was an awkwardness to her embrace. “I am… happy to see you safe as well.” When she pulled apart from me, her gaze went straight toAlandris and hardened. “And I would like to speak about us, but we must first discuss the traitorous Mage.”

I looked between the two of them. “What are you talking about?”

“This has all been his doing,” she hissed. “I interrogated the men who attacked me. Turns out several members of their group, the Divine Council, were recruited from the Mages Consortium. They’ve been hunting you—trying to murder you. He is the reason they have found us. He is in league with them.”

I took another step back from Kallistra. “No—no, you are misunderstanding. Alandris knew nothing of this attack, nor of the involvement of the Consortium. He has been as in the dark about this as we have.”

“How stupid can you be? Do you think this has all been a convenient coincidence?” Kallistra snapped. “He feeds you a few pretty words and pretends to love you, and you-you are so desperate for someone to care about you that you eat it right up without ever second guessing his motives. You are walking right into his trap–and why? Because you’re lonely?” She closed the gap between us and brought a hand to my shoulder, gripping tight enough to cause a jolt of pain. “Please, Nairu. We can figure out where to go from here, after we deal with him, but I need you to trust me.”

“That is enough,” Alandris spoke slowly, enunciating each word in a tone so icy cold it caused the hair to raise on my arm. He’d silently made his way to my side and pulled me out ofKallistra’s grip. “What right do you have to chastise her? What right do you have to ask her to trust you? To command her not to trust me? You have lied to her for her entire life, or have you forgotten?”

The tension between the two of them felt like a band pulled tight, moments from snapping. One wrong word, one wrong move, and everything was going to blow up in my face. Upon learning about my first life, and seeing Kallistra again, I’d hoped to mend things. But she aimed her words to wound me, to dig like a knife into my deepest, most personal insecurities.

“He corrupts you, Nairu,” she continued. “I am only telling you these things because I need you to understand. You have been blind to his manipulation.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I was blind to yours. And the only stupid thing I’ve done was believe that I could repair the damage that our relationship has suffered. You are so obsessed with your sense of duty, you would sacrifice everyone around you in order to achieve it. You do not care who you hurt in the process, Kallistra. I won’t be the one to suffer for it any longer. Leave.”

“Leave?” She laughed in cracked disbelief. “No. I will cut out your rot at the source,” she said, drawing both daggers from her hips.

Alandris shoved me back behind him in the same instant Kallistra lunged toward him. He conjured a blade of solid flame to block her attack with mere seconds to spare.

He jumped back and threw his cloak to the ground. “I’ve never taken pleasure in killing someone, but for the horriblethings you’ve said to her… I will enjoy this. Now would be a good time to ask that God of yours for mercy.”

“The pleasure will be mine, Mage, and the only one praying for mercy will be you.”

The clash of metal against hardened flame sent a surprisingly deafening clang through the air. Both of their movements were quick enough that it was difficult to follow them, though their techniques were starkly different. Alandris moved with lethal grace, a carefully timed dance, while Kallista’s movements were fierce and wild, like an animal lunging for their prey.

I was frozen, watching, trembling, while the male I loved and the woman I’d once thought had been my only friend fought each other to what would no doubt be death. I watched and wondered if I should step in to help. Wondered if it would be a boon or a hindrance for me to intervene. Wondered why my legs weren’t moving already.

Coward.

The word echoed in my mind, a hissing whisper. My own inner voice or Zaelos’? Regardless, they were right. How did I plan to take on Zaelos, or my hunters, the Divine Council, when I couldn’t even defend myself?

I rushed forward when I spotted a break in their attacks, a renewed sense of vigor forcing my legs into action. A quick flash of panic, and then hesitancy, crossed Alandris’ face. He did not want me in the middle of them—would never willingly risk me getting hurt in the skirmish. I knew that pained look all too well—that of an inner battle. Though he would rather I waitsafely on the sidelines, he would never deny me the right to fight at his side. He would never cage me, not after everything I’d been through, even if he had to fight the instinct to protect and shield me.

Kallistra paused as she noted my stance. “I do not want to hurt you, Nairu,” she spoke solemnly. “I will, if I must. Your death would be a failure on my part, but to return and tell them I lost you would be worse. I will not. I cannot.”

My chest twisted as what love I had for her was forcibly shoved deep into the recess of my mind. I bit back tears and choked down the hot, growing tightness in my throat. Kallistra was no longer the girl I had laughed and played with in the snow. My only friend. She was no longer the woman I had traveled the North with in search of answers. My protector. It was not with hatred that I would be fighting her, but regret. If I had known more, been smarter, more clever, I might have been able to stop us from falling apart. But I hadn’t, and now that girl, that woman, stood against me as my enemy.

“I’m sorry,” I muttered. It was not enough, could never be, but they were the only words I could manage.

Kallistra gave a hard nod, and for a moment, I saw behind the stony mask she’d erected in the name of duty—saw a regret and agony that mirrored my own. In another life, things could have been different for us. We could have been friends, as I’d always wanted. So badly wanted.

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