Page 16 of The Prince's Mage

Was he bound to Nikias the same way he’d bound her to him? Or bound to someone else the way she was bound to him?

He turned and looked over at her on the ground. He opened his mouth as he stared at her, while she stared at his arm. She managed to get her arms under her to push herself up, but they were shaking.

Before Gavril could speak, Nikias did, stepping closer. “—forget the—made to Father—your promise—use that girl—claimed—Father is going to do—sees you’ve taken the girl—breaking your word?”

Gavril looked back at his brother. “—know very well—happen to me—Father’s threats—binding my magic—only reason I have let this—as far—No more. I—consequences of breaking that—one I made her.”

Nikias rolled his eyes. “Think—give up your magic—Areator—happens next?—live the rest of your life without your magic—city walls—crippled—utterly alone—”

He then gestured to her on the ground, unable to get her legs under her. Gavril shifted, looking down at her, and she sank as her hands shook against the stone.

Nikias continued, “—weak broken Sordes—no better than a Solitus at her best—even walk—her people—open arms?—enemy prince—worthless girl—kill you—nowhere else to go—belong nowhere—stand you when she discovers—Father—enemy, her people’s enemy, her enemy—defend yourself—helpless. Dead within the year.”

Gavril stared at Marcella. She held her breath. She thought she understood now. Gavril had been trying to escape with her. She looked at the markings on his right hand. If her translation of Nikias’ words was right, that apparently allowed his father to strip him of his magic. And he was willing to give it up for her.

But Nikias was right.

She was worthless. She’d be unable to protect them. And if he didn’t have his magic, neither could he.

And if they went, and she told him about her orders from Hypatia, to capture him and hold him hostage, he would hate her.

Even if by some miracle he didn’t, it still didn’t solve the problem. If he left now, his family wouldn’t want him back. He’d be worthless as a hostage.

Hypatia wouldn’t just let him live if Marcella asked nicely.

And where else would they go? Beyond the clan territory and the Inimicus, first were the Stonai Elemens, and they would kill them even faster. The Stonai despised her people and the Inimicus more than the Inimicus despised her people.

So as much as she didn’t want to speak the word rising in her throat, she had to.

She grabbed Gavril’s leg and said in her tongue, “Stay.”

“Marcella, no—”

But she was looking up at Nikias and she switched to their tongue. “We stay. Keeps magic.”

Nikias raised an eyebrow, looked back to Gavril and said, “—smarter—I thought.”

Gavril shook his head. He bent down and started to scoop her back up into his arms. She clasped her hands around his neck as he muttered in his language, “Pulchra, stubborn girl.”

She whispered in hers, “This time you stay. You do not leave me. I will be safe with you. Only with you.”

He nodded and hefted her higher in his arms. He looked past her and at Nikias and said, “—done go unanswered—tortured her—kill her—not brothers—blood—dawn—provocco—”

Nikias nodded and said, “So be it.”

She murmured to Gavril as he turned on his heel and carried her away from his brother and back toward the palace in the distance, “What do you mean, ‘go unanswered?’ What are you doing?”

Gavril murmured, “I am keeping my promise to you. You have faith in Asentai, in miracles. Have faith in me too, and I will explain tomorrow evening.”

She nodded against his shoulder and sank into his grip as her eternal exhaustion set in while her aches woke up. She whispered, “If I did not have faith in you, I would not have said to stay here in this horrible place. I just know it is not so horrible with you.”

He whispered as her eyes fluttered once more, “Forgive me. I pray I am enough, but if I am not, forgive me.Vivet.”

Live.

She thought it strange he was commanding her to live as her last conscious thought. So long as he stayed, she would find a reason to continue living in this horror.

Chapter7

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