Page 17 of Living Legend

The female tugged at her restraints, practically hissing at Elise. Elise stood her ground, feigning alarm and fear before doubling over in a laugh.

Nicholas cut her laughing short. “If not you, then who? How could this happen?”

She opened and closed her hands over the armrests. “Magic always has loopholes. Someone who is desperate enough to find one, will. The most powerful of Enchanters can’t stop that. Even Jonah knew that.”

I stayed quiet as I mulled over a question of my own.

“You said Jonah let you stay in your lands, in your…rubble?” I questioned, stepping around the chair to circle her.

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

“After the attack, you didn’t try to rebuild, regrow your numbers? If your mother was so beguiling, she would have made this land better for you and your people. I doubt she would have let you live your life in this empty shell of a place.” I squatted near her ear and whispered, “It doesn’t add up.”

I could see her biting the inside of her cheek, and her throat moved as she swallowed. I could taste the nervous energy radiating from her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“When Nicholas propelled your magic into the sky, it didn’t disappear into nothing towards the clouds -- it dispersed like a rain shower, which could only mean one thing.”

Nicholas said my thoughts out loud before I got the chance.

“Your mother glamoured the real Oculus, didn't she?” he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

“You are standing in Oculus. This is it,” she stammered, clearly a poor attempt at a lie.

Elise crossed her arms over her chest, stepping to the other side of the chair. “This may be Oculus, but this isn’t what it looks like.”

“Your mother rebuilt your land, then covered it in the shadow of its brutalized state.” I wanted her to give me some type of answer, anything to finalize my thoughts.

My words had the desired effect. “Yes! Is that what you want to hear? I was just a girl when it all happened. She did it to protect us, so anyone who could harm us would think we were meek, haunted and forbidden in their history books. Jonah knew, along with a few others my mother chose to let in. I tried to keep things up, maintain as much normalcy as possible with Jonah’s help, and he received my help in return. Hence the portals and the keys.”

“You don’t want demons crossing portals unannounced any more than we do. You just want your people safe.” Nicholas softened his tone.

Her eyes went soft, glassy. “It’s what I’ve always wanted.”

Reese let out a loud huff. “No wonder you wanted us dead on sight.”

Before she could retort, Nicholas asked a question. “What's your name?”

Surprisingly, she didn’t argue. “Natalia.”

“Well, Natalia, do you have any idea how these loopholes were discovered? Books, maps, word of mouth?”

“As I’ve said, you have to want it enough to break apart that much magic. What Icantell you is that Enchanters wield a special brand of magic. I used much of my strength to build those portals. One can create the magic, but it will take more than one to destroy it.”

Reese wiped a hand down his face. “What the fuck does that even mean?”

Elise rolled her eyes, ripping his bow from his hands to point it at him. “It means you havetwopossible problems now.”

“Why bring the Soul Seether?” Natalia asked suddenly, interrupting their argument.

“Why does it matter?” I argued back.

“That’s the question, isn’t it? What makes you so special? I’m sure there are plenty of demons who could have taken your place.” She cocked her head to the side, intrigued. I didn’t have an answer. She knew her question was rhetorical; she just wanted it to remain in my head.

But it seemed as though our time here was running out.

Nicholas pulled out the amethyst stone, which pulsed slightly. “We have to go.” He looked to me and then to Natalia. “Let her go – and be nice about it. I can’t guarantee we won’t be back.”

She raised both her eyebrows but nodded.

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