Page 88 of Celestial Bodies

Julen made out an unlit torch against the wall. He rushed to it and used his magic to light it.

The flame revealed a torture chamber complete with a rack, an iron chair, a breaking wheel, a noose hanging from the ceiling, and a rack on the wall holding dozens and dozens of swords, blades, and axes. He looked about the room, trying to figure out where they could have taken her.

He looked under the equipment—nothing. There seemed to be no exit.He ran from one wall to the next, feeling along the stone, hoping to find some mechanism that would open a hidden door.

Julen scanned the crease where the wall met the floor. He looked up at the ceiling—nothing.

They couldn’t have exited the way they came. I would have seen them.

His eyes landed on the rope, which swung from side to side ever so slightly. Julen ran to it and pulled. A trap door opened beneath him, sending him plummeting down a shaft before spewing him onto a pile of corpses that lay at the bottom.

Julen bit the sides of his mouth hard, trying desperately not to scream at the sight before him. He stumbled over the bodies and began running to an exit that opened to a boiler room.

He ran along a row of massive cylindrical furnaces, the flames casting an orange glow about the space. He rounded a bend to see Carunfor, flanked by two guardians, holding a blade to Souzie’s neck. She laid still, her eyes closed.

“NO!”

Julen braced himself to blast him with a bolt, but Carnufor screamed, “Move a muscle, and I’ll slit her throat!” Julen stopped himself and held his hands up in surrender. Carnufor smirked. “I knew you’d come. Love is a weakness, my boy.”

Julen spoke through clenched teeth. “What have you done to her?”

“Nothing yet. It’s a temporary sedative.”

Julen’s body quaked as rage consumed him. “If you hurt her, I’ll fucking destroy you. You know I can!”

“I have no intention of murdering my bargaining chip. Let’s make a deal, Prince Julen.”

Julen shook as he begged, “Let her go. I’ll give you anything you want. Just let her go.”

Carnufor crooked a menacing smile. “Anything? Good. I’ll let her go, butit will cost you.”

Julen narrowed his eyes on the man. “Name it.”

Carnufor smirked and released a wicked snicker. “I want your body.”

Fucker.“Like my father? You want to channel into me?”

Carnufor shook his head, that same devious grin etched into his face. “Not like that. I want tobeyou. I want to be Julen Zephyrus. The Prince of Lapistra. Who now has the power to destroy Haligran and become ruler of this territory. I want to be king.”

Julen turned to ice. He did not doubt that this madman had figured out a way to do something so vile. “How?”

Carnufor tilted his head to a guardian who revealed a syringe filled with the black substance. “I didn’t show all of my discoveries to your father. He was privy to the temporary possession of another’s body. He didn’t know I had the chemistry to make it permanent. This chemistry allows me to inhabit your body forever.”

Julen took a deep breath. “How do you know I won’t escape again? I did it before.”

“Not this time. You’ll be dead. You won’t be sent to wherever the Black Arts took you last time. Your essence will be gone, and mine will take over your body.”

Julen shook his head. “You are a fucking lunatic.”

Carnufor laughed. “There’s a fine line between madness and genius.” He spoke to the guardian. “Toss him the syringe.”

The guardian threw it to Julen, whose hand trembled as he held the syringe. “How do I know she’ll survive?”

“I’ll need her help to escape this prison,” Carnufor replied. “Everyone, including her, will think I am you. She’ll protect me. As will these two guardians who will havemiraculouslyfound a conscience and decided to help the prince and his monsters.”

Julen clenched his eyes shut as his mind raced. What should he do? Souzie had to survive. Could he shoot a bolt at Carnufor? If he did, the guardians would react—one might kill Souzie while the other attacked Julen. He looked at Souzie, desperate to save her. Hope began to fade until he nearly choked at the sight of her slowly opening her eyes. Her gaze trailed surreptitiously from one guardian to the next before she blinked. She had a plan. She was signaling to Julen to focus on the guardians. Julen understood.

“I’ll do it.”

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