“Take me instead. I am meaningless. Nicholas is powerful! If Panya can control him—so—so can you!”
I was thinking on my feet, saying the first thing that came to mind. I needed to buy time. I needed to keep Nicholas safe.
Dorian could not use him for his blood or whatever he wanted him for. Nicholas would be the only one who could close the
portal. He was far more important than I.
“Can you do that?” Dorian asked in a frantic voice.
Panya looked from me, her brother and then to Dorian, possibly wondering the same thing.
“WELL CAN YOU?” he barked at her.
“Yes. My lord if that is what you wish.”
I’d seen Dorian mad with rage before at many previous dinner parties. It didn't take much. If he didn’t get his way, or if a
lady didn’t wish to speak or dance with him. But the look on his face chilled me to my bones. It was the look of a mad man that
danced in his eyes. It was as if all his wildest dreams had come true.
“You can have me, Uncle, if you do not harm Nicholas,” I promised him.
Nicholas’s eyes looked at me again, pleading with me not to do this. Not to do any of it. He was willing to sacrifice himself
for me—for his kingdom—but it would achieve nothing. It would only give Dorian more control and power. I was laying out
my cards, hoping no one would call my bluff. I prayed Panya knew what I was doing and would play along, like she’d done
once before.
“Fine. But we do this now!” he commanded.
Nicholas was pulled from the surrounding magic bubble by two large guards, with Panya at his heels. Dorian gripped the
back of my neck and pushed me forward. I was to lead them to the portal while Nora kept an eye on Genu and the others.
“Don’t worry, the wall will come down as soon as I am out of range and Lady Nora will get what’s coming to her.”
Panya side eyed me as a half-smile played against her lips. She was still on our side. I tried not to show my relief, keeping
my eyes to the floor.
“I sure hope you know what you are doing, princess.”
Chapter 66
NICHOLAS
We’d barely arrived through the front door when we were ambushed by a power I’d never felt before. The power
knocked all four of us senseless and threw us off completely. It was only when the female mage told me, through her
mind, I needed to play along, did I stop struggling as much.
Ornella’s scent was all over her magic. It took a great deal of control to not to rip her apart. Was she the one
who did that ritual on her? If she was, I’d have great fun tearing her limb from limb once I got my hands on her.