Veiled Innocence (Book One, The Soul Cycle) (42 page)

“He was lying, Lian
ora
,” Vishka said.

“No, not quite.” Alastor clasped his hands behind his back and started pacing. “I am a prince, and I do come from a realm far away from here.”

Lian was finding it harder to think. It didn’t make sense. “He couldn’t, wouldn’t have killed all those people. It’s not
him
.”

“He’s deceived you
!” Vishka shouted. “Don’t be a fool!”

“You said it was Orris!” The words slipped from Lian’s mouth before she could stop them, and every head turned to Rowan. She glanced at him. His mouth was drawn in a tight line. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered.

Vishka looked at her like she was an insect. “At first, I thought it
was
Orris.”

“Then why are you saying it’s Alastor now?”

“Because it
is
Alastor. His aura… I can see the
lining now, pure
silver light. The color of the g
ods.
It wasn’t there before. He must have figured out a way to mask it.”

Lian shook her head. “No. I won’t believe you. Alastor is good. He’s been kind to me.”

“It’s true.”

Lian’s eyes darted to Alastor, who had stopped pacing a few feet away from her. The expression on his face bore all the apology and proof she needed.

“No.” She stumbled back. The air suddenly felt too hot
,
and she thought she might black out. She clutched at her chest, at the teardrop hidden ben
eath her blouse. “All this time… W
hy?”

“I had no other choice,” Alastor said.

He sounded miserable
,
and she started to walk to him, to comfort him out of instinct, when a thought crossed her mind. “Stradvär was destroyed by a great fire and black-winged demons.” She stared at the floor as each piece fell into place. “A
ccalia was burned to the ground
as well.” She looked up at Alastor. His eyes shimmered like fire. “When Rowan and I fled the castle, we were chased by a monster with eyes bright as flames. A Dracor.”

Her heart faltered. “You killed my father.”

“What father? You mean that apathetic drunkard? Tell me, Lian, when was the last time he consoled you, told you everything would be all right even when it wasn’t? Did he ever do anything for you?”

“He was still my father!”
she
screamed. “What gives you any right –”

“I have every right in this world and the next! Don’t pretend like you’re not glad to see him dead, to be rid of
his
infection so your city may begin heal
ing
.”

“You think you di
d me a favor? What about them?
The people whose lives you’ve ruined.”

“It couldn’t be helped.”

She was sure of it now; his skin was actually
glowing
. Each time she spoke, it turned a darker shade of orange, like he was wrapped in an aura of fire. She wondered if anyone else could see it.

The dream voice floated through her mind.
“
Be careful.
”

She was past the point of caring. “You did this,” she said, pointing at him with her free hand. “You’re the reason we’re here, in Delkor as homeless r
efugees inste
ad of safe at home
i
n Accalia.”

She took a step toward him. “You’re the one who made Orris what he is, made Vishka what she is.”

“I needed allies,” he said. “I didn’t change Vishka into what she is. That was of her own doing.”

“This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t exist!” Vishka readied her saber and slowly started closing the distance between them. “It’s time I collected the bounty I’m due.”

Alastor didn’t move. “Are you truly ready to receive your soul? To be mortal once more in a world that doesn’t even remember you?”

“I made peace with that a long time ago.”

He held up a hand, as if to stop her. “I didn’t know this would happen.”

“I don’t care.”

“I took a risk
in creating the Dracor,” he said.
“
There were c
omplications. T
hey were too new.
I couldn’t control them. I never meant for anyone to get hurt!”

Vishka laughed, harsh and bitter.
“And you think that ma
kes up for what you did?”

“Aha! The sinner condemns the sinner. What of all the lives you’ve taken,
Vishka
? Not just men, but women and children.”

Lian felt the breath had been knocked from her all over again.
Women and children?

Vishka’s eyes flashed. “It doesn’t matter. When it’s all said and done, you’ll still be dead.”

Alastor turned to Lian. “I was wronged by my family, made an enemy in their eyes. I needed an army to take back what was supposed to have been mine.”

“That doesn’t make what you did right,” Lian said.

“No, and if I could take it all back
,
I would.”

Something shifted in his eyes
,
and he moved in a blur, instantly in front of her. Lian recoiled when he put his hand on hers. Heat pulsed from him
,
and sweat broke out on her brow as her breath became heavier. She stared at the floor, the light shining from his skin too bright to bear. “Stay with me, Lian,” Alastor said. “You will want for nothing
,
and you can live in peace with your family.”

Any sympathy she felt for him died. “My family is dead. You killed them.”

His eyes turned sunshine gold. “Oh, but you’re wrong, sweet Lian. Your sister is alive and well.”

“That’s impossible,” she said. “She died in the fire looking for me.” Her voice broke on the last word as guilt rolled through her, eating away at her soul.

“He tells the truth, Lianora.”

For the second time, Lian’s heart skipped. Slowly, she turned her head to see her sister standing in a doorway.

“Ana?” Lian whispered.

Ana-Elise looked better than Lian remembered. Th
ere was more color in her skin, and h
er
gray
eyes were full of life.

Ana stole a glance at Alastor before looking back to Lian. She open
ed her arms wide. “Come to me, S
ister.”

Without hesitation, Lian flew to her and
wrapped her arms around her
. “I thought I had lost you,” she said.

Ana stroked her hair, shushing her. “There, there. It’s all right. I’m here.”

Lian clung to her sister, breathing in the scent of lavender and roses on her.

Ana’s voice was almo
st inaudible
. “You really should listen to what he offers you.”

Lian tensed and pulled back. She searched her sister’s eyes for the fire-hue, but they looked clear as glass. “What are you talking about?”

Ana bit her li
p. “Lian.” She clutched both of her hands.
“Please hear me out.”

Lian paused but finally nodded her head.

Ana took a deep breath. “Alastor has not lied. He is not evil as you
would believe. He didn’t kill F
ather; his brother did. And the palace, it was an accident.” She paused. “He only wants to go home, to rule like he was s
upposed to. It’s so hard on him.
I can’t stand to see him like this. I wish you knew what love felt like.” She leaned closer. “We can be there for him, like a family should. Don’t you want a real family, Lian?”

Lian shook her head. “I can’t believe
you’re saying this.
He’s lying. He has to be. Think of what he’s done, Ana!”

“Watch your mouth!” Ana briefly closed her eyes, nostrils flaring. When she opened them, she had regained her composure. 

Lian’s heart sank.
The Ana I knew would not have snapped to begin with
.

She looked at Alastor. “What have you done to her?”

“Don’t waste this opportunity,” Ana said, digging her nails into Lian’s cheeks and forcing her to face her before Alastor could answer. “We can be together
,
and he will take care of us. All of us.” She looked past Lian to where Rowan and Vishka stood, surrounded by watchful Accalians.

“Not
all
of us,” Lian said. “What
about Vishka? I’m not a fool, S
ister.”

Ana gave Vishka a cursory glance. “She is a murderer. She deserves her fate.”

And Alastor doesn’t?

Lian stared at her sister. “This isn’t you. Think, Ana! He burned our home to the ground. He killed our father.”

Ana shook her head. “
As I said, that was an accident
,
and he did not.
There is good in him. You’re just too blind to see it.”

A
t that moment
,
Lian
realized a very important truth;
she would fight. No matter how hard or impossible it seemed, she would always fight for what was right.

She gripped the bow.

“I think you
are the one who is blind, S
ister,” Lian said, taking a few steps back. “I’m sorry.”

Before Ana could react, Lian pulled an arrow and shot it at Alastor.

“No!”

Ana ran toward him, but Lian caught her by the wrist. She hugged her sister as the arrow sailed through the air. 

When it should have pierced him, the red tinge around him flared, and the arrow burst into flames. Alastor didn’t even flinch as it fell at his feet in burning splinters. He looked up at Lian, mouth wide open. “Why?”

Lian stared back at him as a single tear r
olled down her cheek. “Because I must
.”

Without warning, his fire aura grew brighter
,
and the shadows in the room lengthened. “No,” he said, staggering backward. “No, not now! Run! Tell everyone to run!”

Women began screaming, and people bega
n rampaging down the stairs as plumes of
bitter smoke filled the air, twisting and writhing into faceless s
hapes with glowing orange eyes.

Lian was unprepared; the sentient being inside her gut suddenly thrashed to life, sending her to the ground.
The bow clattered to the ground
,
and
Ana jerked free of her grasp,
scampering away and
gaping at her in horror. It felt like a knife was stuck in her side, twisting and slashing her to pieces. The thing clawed up her throat. Rearing back her head, she spewed the spirit out, watching as it streamed through the air and went straight into Alastor’s eyes.

He
moaned and fell to his knees, clutching at his head. “
No, I thought I was rid of you!
Go… away… I don’t… need you…”

Ana
ran forward to Alastor, but he pushed her away so hard that she stumbled, hitting her head on th
e banister. Her eyes went blank and her lids fluttered shut
as her body slumped to the floor. 

“Ana!”  Still weak from releasing the spirit, she grabbed the bow and rose to her feet. With shaking knees, she
star
ted to sprint toward her sister
when
someone tugged on her arm. She whirled around to find a wide-eyed Ursa staring back at her. Lian quickly pushed all worries over Ana aside.

“Come on!” Ursa said. “We have to get out of here.”

“No!” Lian shoved her. “You go on. I have to stay and fight.”

“You’ll be killed!”

“Just
go
!”

Lian pushed Ursa away as the smoke took form. She
struggled to breathe
as large black wings spread from the smoke, and one by one Dracor stepped from the shadows.

No one was left save Lian, Rowan, and Vishka. The room was pitch black, except for the demonic glow from Alastor’s aura and the gentle white light of her teardrop, dulled by her blouse.

Growls and snarls filled the air as the Dracor circled them. They were completely surrounded.

Use the crystal,
the dream voice said.

Lian pulled it free of her blouse. Without thinking, she closed her eyes. “Please, if anyone can hear this, grant me the power to defeat these demons without killing them.” She opened her eyes and lifted the bow to the crystal. As soon as it made contact, the bow took on the same white glow as the crystal.

Lian st
ared at it. “By the g
ods.
”

S
he could hear Rowan’s breathing and
feel Vishka’s heartbeat at her back. Lian notched an arrow and aimed for the nearest Dracor. “For Gabriel. For my father.
And f
or Accalia.”