“I need all my meals to be like that, understood?” I repeated earnestly.

  Maurice's eyes widened in surprise, then went steely. “Anything for the true queen’s guest,” he said, bowing.

  Now, to take care of Selene and the dampener.

  I sighed. That was a problem for tomorrow night. And tomorrow night is when I would see Priya again for the first time. I desperately needed to prepare her for what was to come. I wasn’t sure how I would warn her without Elijiah finding out, but it was a work in progress.

  I would do my absolute best to honor Priya’s mom and the queen.

  I never wanted to be a hero but here I was, doing the damn job anyway.

  26

  Today was the day. I was going to see Priya again. I didn’t know how to tell her what I’d found out. It seemed impossible to get any message across without putting her life in danger. Elijiah agreed to take me to the mortal realm and I was given ten measly minutes.

  In less than a year, my whole life had been turned upside down. None of this was conceivable months ago. I barely thought of the life I had before this, the one where Isaac and I got married and lived very normal lives. My life seemed to have been roaring towards this point of contention and there was no way I could get out of it now. I wasn’t one to back down from a challenge, especially when my loved ones were on the line.

  What I really needed was to focus on the task at hand and take it one step at a time. I needed a way to get a note to Priya, except there wasn’t anything in this damn palace I could use. How could I ask for some pen and paper without it seeming suspicious as hell? Not to mention, how would I slip it to her without anyone noticing in our parent-supervised meeting?

  I groaned in frustration. This task seemed nearly impossible with Elijiah breathing down our necks.

  The day after tomorrow is when the boundaries would break. The gatekeepers needed to be ready, and so did I. They probably had a way to incapacitate Selene so the powers swirling within me could finally be released. I tried not to think too much about what would happen when this power buildup erupted. It made anxiety constrict in my throat because…what if it isn’t enough? What if there’s no way for us to defeat Elijiah and his carefully laid out, twenty-five-year plan?

  I had Anthonia’s power and some of the queen’s. Sneha and the queen had confirmed it themselves. It gave me chills to think that I had Elijiah’s long-lost lover’s power inside me. I didn’t know if I would be ready when all this power was free. I still felt like an infant in this world of magic.

  Would it be enough to stop Elijiah and help the queen? To destroy the blood ruby in the crown? I had no way of knowing. I still couldn’t feel the trickle of magic I felt with my fabrics. I was just getting used to having my own magically powered weapon, then it was stripped away from me.

  Suddenly I had an idea.

  “Hey.” I poked my head out of my door to see Selene lounging against the wall, with her legs stretched out.

  “What?” she snapped.

  “I’m seeing the love of my life today and I want to give my fabrics back to her. They were a gift and I want her to have them since I’ll be here for, like, eternity. You know?” I said, trying to sound casual.

  She looked at me skeptically.

  “You literally have a dampener on, so I can’t make them do anything anyways. Also, her favorite color is white, so maybe you could change them back to that color instead of their normal black? I also have a special way of folding them, so once you get them, just bring them in with my lunch. Can I also have some beets today? I am feeling a little backed up, you know? Thanks!” I slammed the door, hoping I didn’t sound as nervous as I felt, and listened to her response.

  Selene cursed then grumbled. I heard her get up and move around before she shuffled away. The lock slid into place, and I prayed she would think I was just being annoying because I was a lovesick, constipated puppy, not because I actually had a plan.

  Ten minutes later, there was an aggressive thumping on my door. “Your fabric and your lunch. Elijiah says he will be here in a few hours to take you to the mortal realm.”

  I smiled against the door and opened it to see my fabric in a crumpled mess next to a tray of beets, mashed potatoes, and beef. I quickly gathered it all up, shoved the door, sat in front of it, and quickly got to work. I laid out the fabric and sat in the middle of it, bringing my lunch tray with me.

  I started to squish and crush the soft-boiled beets in my hands until my fingers were stained pink and there was enough juice in the little bowl to work with. I tried to figure out the most concise way to send this message.

  Cum 2mw

  I winced at the bad sexual innuendo, but my beet juice stash was limited and I needed the least amount of words and letters as possible to convey my message. Then, I drew a crown, an equal sign, and a skull and crossbones. That made it seem like she was in danger at least.

  Okay, how do I say that I need a weapon to defeat a dampener?

  Need.

  Badly drawn sword. God, this is a lost cause.

  4 dampnr.

  I looked at the writing and the pictures and winced. It looked like a child wrote it, or worse: a gross, horny teenaged boy. But that was the best I could do. I barely had enough beet juice to finish the last word. I sighed and went to wash my hands, the pink still lingering underneath my fingernails. I scrubbed them until they were raw, and dumped the beet pulps in the toilet and flushed.

  I went back and took some bites of the food, hoping that Maurice was following my instructions. I waited until the stain dried, then I folded it up as best as I could so it hid the stain completely. Sighing, I waited for Elijiah. I hoped that would be enough information for her to get the message and to come in with reinforcements. Tomorrow, all hell would break loose. Literally. I would need all the help I could get to free the queen and save the realms from one another.

  I lay down on my bed with no intention of falling asleep, but I drifted off anyway, thinking of how tomorrow could actually be the end of the world as I know it.

  Pounding on the door woke me up and I groggily realized that I was clutched around the white bundle of fabric.

  “Lincoln, it’s time. I’m coming in.” Elijiah stepped in and looked at me funny with the fabric in my hands.

  “It’s sentimental. Priya gave this to me and I want her to have it back,” I said, sticking my chin out.

  “Right. You mortals and your love charms. Well, they’ve been stripped of magic so they won’t do you much good now,” he said with a snicker. “Let’s go.” He held out his hand and I reached for it tentatively.

  A sudden vortex swooshed around me, and my whole body was stretched like Laffy Taffy. I was pulled apart and put back together again, then plopped in the mortal realm. I could feel myself slam into my body in the bed that held my beacon. I gasped and sat up. Mara nearly fell out of her chair and looked at me with tears in her eyes. She glanced quickly at Elijiah, who was looming over her.

  “You son of a bitch!” she screamed. Her hair flew around her and she lunged at him, fingernails at the ready. He simply side-stepped her as she snarled. My heart broke in two. I wasn’t expecting Mara to be here. They’d been taking care of her and including her in what was going on.

  “Mara, please. I don't have much time. I love you so much, but I have to talk to Priya, like, now.” I ran to her, wrapping my arms around her.

  “I know. Are you safe?” she whispered. I looked directly at Elijiah and he gave me a warning look.

  “I’m safe right now.” It wasn’t a lie or truth, really. Something in between.

  Mara pulled away and looked into my eyes. I begged her to see the truth, that I was fighting for my own life and hers and the entire fucking realms. I wanted to live in this moment with my best friend, but I didn't have time. None of us did.

  “I’ll get Priya,” Mara said, nodding and understanding. She gave Elijiah a blood-curdling glare and left the room.

  “Ten minutes is all you get, make it last. I will be here but not visible, so behave.” Elijiah said. “If you so much as speak of anything, I will kill everyone here, starting with your precious Mara. Do you understand?”

  I nodded dumbly and kept my eyes trained on the door.

  I felt Elijiah leave. Priya bursted in twenty seconds later, looking wild and frazzled. Her eyes widened, silent tears slipping down her face as a sob broke out. We ran toward one another, colliding in a tangle of arms, and her lips were on mine. Our tears mingled together. The kiss felt like coming home, like everything was normal and right for one split second before I painfully broke away.

  “Are you okay, love? I’ve been so worried. Where is he?” Priya said, looking around scowling. She had that I’m-going-to-kill-a-demon look going on. Her and Mara are always so fierce.

  “Priya, look at me. He is here but you can’t see him. I can’t say anything, otherwise, he’ll kill you all,” I said, pleading with my eyes. “I wanted to give this to you. I’m not allowed to have it anymore and it’s no longer charmed, so it’s just fabric now. It's your favorite color because I know how much you love white,” I said, trying to speak with my eyes.

  Priya hates white. She’s a color fiend. Rich, vibrant hues are hers. But Elijiah didn’t know that weird detail, and Priya seemed to understand.

  “Thank you for being so thoughtful. I’ll treasure it,” she said, taking it from me and setting it aside.

  “Thank you for taking care of Mara,” I said. She squeezed me tighter and I almost fell apart at the seams.

  “Can we just sit here and hold one another for the rest of the time?” I whispered.

  “Six minutes,” Elijiah said from nowhere and everywhere at once.

  “Yes, Lincoln. Whatever you want,” Priya said, her eyes clouding with tears. So we sat like that, wrapped in one another. She stroked my hair and we swapped small kisses to make the minutes stretch to hours until Elijiah reappeared.

  “Time’s up.”

  “When will I see you again?” Priya asked, her arms clutching tight around me.

  “I don’t know,” I whispered.

  “She will be busy for eternity, so who knows?” Elijiah smirked.

  Cocky bastard.

  Priya’s face turned into fury.

  “If you hurt her, I swear to god!” Priya snarled.

  “There is no god! There is only me, and you have nothing to threaten me with, little gatekeeper. You’re simply a pawn in a larger game. I will come back for you. Not for the sake of Lincoln, but rather to control her.” He smiled maliciously and we snapped back into the afterworld, where I collapsed in a heap of tears.

  27

  I felt it, the moment the barrier broke around me and the realms became exposed to one another. My skin pebbled and I woke up in a sweat. Cold air blasted around me. The queen’s magic was no longer able to protect the realms from one another. Her time was almost done.

  I had purposefully fallen asleep in clothes I could fight in, even though I had no idea what the fight would look like. The air around me shifted, cracking and bubbling as the two worlds became open to one another. I could feel the heavy tension in the room, thick and suffocating. There was a loud pop and the air itself seemed to shake. I flew to the door where Selene was standing, her eyes scanning the hall as if waiting for something to pop up out of nowhere. I had no concept of time, but I knew Priya would come as soon as the barrier fell. I hoped she had brought enough firepower to fight what lie ahead.

  “To the throne room,” Selene bit out. Silently, I followed her through the hallways. I still didn’t know how to navigate the house, but Selene led me to where Elijiah sat with several other angels of death. I didn’t hide my disgust or my sneer at those who had betrayed the queen for Elijiah’s selfish quest.

  He’s a virus that has festered and infected so many of the queen’s people.

  “What happens now?” I whispered, looking at the row of angels and other sentient beings of the afterworld.

  “The queen’s power is almost fully in the blood ruby. This is merely a precursor of what is to come. The barrier is no longer being fueled by her magic and is slowly breaking down until it runs out. In just a few days, her power will be completely ours to control. The siphoning will be complete,” Elijiah said flippantly, like he wasn’t addressing the end of my world. “You will stay in this room with me as a precaution, considering the realm is now vulnerable to your little gatekeepers, but I would guess they won’t get very far.” He offered a smug smile.

  I tried to hide my emotions as fear stabbed my chest. I hoped that whatever Elijiah had planned, the gatekeepers could handle it. I balled my fist up and reigned in the need to punch something. I began pacing back and forth.

  “You said you wouldn’t hurt Priya,” I said coolly, knowing anything that came out of his mouth couldn’t be trusted.

  “Yes and I won’t, but the other gatekeepers will need to be taken care of at some point. My demon beast friend is an easy way to fulfill that task without much energy and attention,” he said, flopping down in what looked like his new throne.

  I snapped my head around as a roar echoed and the ground rumbled.

  “What was that?” I asked, trying not to seem scared. Everything around me was buzzing with energy and chaos. I didn’t know where to look or where to focus.

  “That, my dear, is what I have for the gatekeepers.” The other angels chuckled.

  I swallowed, praying that Priya and the others would make it to the throne room in one piece, that whatever Elijiah thought he could do to them, they would come out stronger.

  I ended up sitting on the floor for a long time, unable to do much of anything else. I curled myself into a ball and tried to steady my breathing. More roars, rumbles, and loud booms erupted around the room. I tried not to let my imagination run wild. It was horrible to be stuck here, unable to do anything but listen. At one point, Elijiah demanded that I eat something. Time crawled by, and with each passing minute my hope plummeted further and further.

  At one point, I heard what sounded like human screams. It sounded like it was just on the other side of these four walls. Other noises jarred me, like wet slapping and aggressive cracks. I pounded my fists against each of the walls and ran around trying all the doors and slamming my body against each one. Elijiah laughed and I decided that it wasn’t worth battering my body for a fight I couldn’t get to.

  I was just starting to truly give up the idea that they would be able to find their way in, when there was a crack in the main door. It sounded like wood splintering and exploding. I whipped my head up, my hopes soaring once again.

  “What in the…” Elijiah snarled.

  I could feel him summoning his magic, then the explosion hit. Pieces of wood flew about as a blast of hot white air erupted around everyone. My ears began to ring and it was impossible to see with smoke and bits of wooden debris swirling around.

  I heard coughing and cursing.

  The angels of death were strong, but they appeared worried. It seems as if they truly believed the gatekeepers would be incapable of penetrating their small throne room fortress. They started to speak hurriedly and I wondered idly if my plan had been doomed from the start. How could gatekeepers work against formidable immortal beings or damned demon beasts?

  But then something swelled inside me. I looked around and saw that Selene was lying on the ground, seemingly uninjured but unconscious, and Elijiah was nowhere to be seen. The whole room was filled with a foggy hue as the smoke from the explosion started to fill the space.

  I blinked then screamed in agony. It was like a dam had been unlocked from within and I howled, falling to the floor as magic surged into my veins, hot and intense, scorching my insides. The dampener was no longer active.

  “No,” I heard a whisper and Elijiah was there, his eyes wide. “Not yet!” He whispered something as his fingers moved, magic forming as he shoved a hand to my heart. It burned like a hot iron and I screamed again, but it was too late. Whatever had been unlocked was raging through my veins. It would not be contained or controlled by Elijiah’s magic anymore.

  I shoved out my hands and I felt the force of it singe my fingertips as I blasted him away. He slammed against the far wall, sputtering and cursing, his fingertips touching the base of his skull and coming away wet with blood.

  The power raged inside me. It was the power of the angels. A power that was meant to be a light was now dark and grotesque in Elijiah’s hands, tainted by his and Anthonia’s selfishness. It fueled something in me. It was ancient, angry, and ready to be unleashed. Too bad their own anger was now what was fueling mine. Their rage now turned against them.

  The queen’s own anger and magic swirled underneath my skin, glittering and moving organically. Both seemed to move together, molding to form something that was my own. It wanted to fuel my own hatred. It wanted to help me rid the world of Elijiah’s deviance.

  I locked eyes with Elijiah. “This ends…today.” I held my hands out on either side of me and guided power to my fingers. It felt as natural as breathing. It sang and hummed in my palms as I shoved my energy out again and slammed him farther into the wall.

  His body cracked against the wood as his wings folded around him to try and protect him from further assault. The wall gave in to an Elijiah-sized dent. A look of disbelief flashed quickly across his features, but it didn’t last.

  Abruptly, he was on his feet and in my face, shoving his magic at me, and it was like I was being guided by a puppet string. Every blast of energy or shift of his movement, I saw and I blocked easily. Instincts that were not mine kicked in, and I fought with this new magic, as if my body and soul had this dance memorized.

  It was as if the queen’s magic took control and guided me through every breath. We tangoed with fists and energy, both never yielding. One moment I would be down, and the next he would be the one slammed against the ground. Our powers met each other with vigor and intensity.