coughed, and I closed my eyes, letting myself be pulled through the air to appear next to her. When I opened my eyes, I could still see myself standing across the room near Eden, frozen in time. But this time I was awake, next to my mother, kneeling by her side and holding her hand as her blood soaked into my dress.
“My darling,” she whispered, and everything around us stilled until only she was there as she shared her death vision with me. “I’m sorry I didn’t recognize you, for I truly thought you were dead. Allemar wanted to use you, and your father didn’t love you and bartered you away. I was selfish and foolish and tried to run away with you. I’m sorry I was robbed of my time with you. If I knew you were still alive, I would never have given up looking. I even planted an imperial rosebush in remembrance of you. My darling Rose.”
I reached for her to try and heal her, but my hands passed through.
“It’s no use,” she whispered. “I’m already too far gone. You are here to hear my truth and not interfere. Please, take care of him.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Your brother, Aspen. It was my fault. I abandoned him to Allemar and your father’s machinations. He didn’t have anyone who truly loved him. And your half sister, Ameline, will need you after I’m gone. And Xander, he will need your love and strength if he is to rule, for I believe he will bring his kingdom into the future. Accept what others cannot, if you would but show him the way. I love you, dear daughter. I always have and always will. ”
She released a soft sigh, and I knew she had passed on. There was a loud sucking, and I moved through the air and once again was in my own body, my hands covered with Anya’s blood. This was the first time I had stayed awake to speak with the departed, and it was heartbreaking. This was my gift, and one I vowed to learn to use to help others.
With blood on my hands and time moving at a normal speed again, I came to my senses. I looked up and saw Xander’s wolf on the ground, his mouth still clamped around the brackenbeast’s arm.
“Stop!” I roared, using magic to amplify my voice. Gaven in his beast form paused his killing blow and looked over at me, and I shuddered when I could almost hear his thoughts. Gaven’s blood was coursing with excitement because he held Xander’s life in his hands. Even now, he had access to Xander’s throat, showing me how he could rip it out so easily.
“This has gone on long enough. I will stop you,” I declared.
A thunderous roar came from above, and we all looked up, distracted by the sound. A daemon—Aspen tried to summon a daemon? My blood went cold. Where in the kingdoms did he open this portal, and how did he even learn of such beasts?
Allemar’s laugh echoed through the room. He seemed to be enjoying the magical battle between siblings and beasts. I could tell he didn’t think any of Eville’s daughters were strong enough to stop them.
“Rosalie!” Eden called out. I could not hesitate a second time. Lorelai was right—feelings made one weak. There could be no mercy.
Let go! I sent the command to Xander, but he growled in response as he fought my compulsion. They had fallen to the floor, Xander trapped beneath the larger beast, who was taking great pleasure in slowly ripping him to shreds.
A whine followed, and I could feel his pain as my own.
Let go, my love. You’ve done enough. I’ll handle it from here.
I could see Xander’s hesitation. If he released his hold, he would be pinned and even more vulnerable, but Xander’s wolf did as I’d said, and a triumphant snarl came from the brackenbeast. Xander whined, his tongue hanging out of his mouth as he watched the beast go for his throat.
Having struggled to access power in a magic-barren land had fine-tuned my abilities. I had learned to pull water from a rock. Now close to a ley line and without the bands holding me back, magic rushed to me willingly, flowing like a mighty ocean. With a flick of my wrist, I slammed Gaven against the wall, freeing Xander.
I didn’t hesitate this time when I called forth the magic. “Incendium!” I cried out, sending not a fire but an incinerating spell,