Kell had been standing on the bridge, leaning against the rail and trying to make sense of how and why heโd been set upโthe false letter, the humble plea, the compelled cutthroatsโwhen he caught the scent of magic on the air. Not a faint tendril, either, but a flare. A beacon of light in a darkened city. And a signature he would know anywhere. Heated steel and ash.
Holland.
Kellโs feet carried him toward it; it wasnโt until he stepped off the south edge of the bridge that he heard the first scream. He should have stopped right then, should have thought things through. It was a blunt and obvious trapโ the only reason Holland would send up a flare of power was if he wanted to be noticed, and the only person in Grey London who would notice him was Kellโbut he still broke into a sprint.
Were you followed?ย Lila had asked him.
No. They canโt follow me here.
But Kell had been wrong. No one in the worlds could follow him โฆ except for Holland. He was the only one who could, and had, which meant that he was after the stone. It also meant that Kell should be runningย awayย from the signature and the scream, not toward them.
The voice cried out again, and this time he was near enough to recognize the source of the cry being raked across the heavy air.
Lila.
Why would Holland go afterย her?
But Kell knew the answer. It sat like a weight in his chest. Holland would go after Lila because ofย him. Because in a world with so little magic, every trace stood out. And Lila would have tracesโboth his magic, and the stoneโs
โwritten all over her. Kell knew how to cover his. Lila couldnโt possibly. Sheโd be like a torch.
Itโs her own fault, thought Kell, even as he ran toward the scream.ย Her own damn fault.
He raced down the street, ignoring the burn across his ribs and the voice in his head that told him to leave her, to get away while he still could.
A blunt and obvious trap.
He cut down along the river, through an alley, around a bend, and came to a staggering halt on a narrow street just in time to hear Lilaโs scream cut off, to see her body sagging forward to the cobblestones. Holland stood over her, but his eyes were trained on Kell.
โThere you are,โ he said, as if he were happy to see the otherย Antari. Kellโs mind spun. Lila looked up.
โRun,โ he told her, but she just kept staring at him. โLila,ย go.โ Her eyes focused then, and she staggered to her feet, but Holland caught her by the shoulder and pressed a pistol to the base of her neck.
โNo, Lila,โ he said in his calm, infuriating way. โStay.โ Kellโs hands curled into fists. โWhat is this about, Holland?โ โYou know quite well. You have something that isnโt yours.โ
The stone hung heavy in his pocket. No, it wasnโt his. But it wasnโt Hollandโs, either. And it certainly didnโt belong to the White throne. Had the power-hungry Danes possessed the talisman, they never would have relinquished it, let alone sent it away. But whoย would? Whoย did?
With its power, Astrid and Athos would be nearly invincible, yes, but a commoner could use the stoneโs magic to become a king. In a world starving for power, why would anyone go to such lengths to be rid of it?
Fear, thought Kell. Fear of the magic, and fear of what would happen if it fell into the twinsโ hands. Astrid and Athos must have learned of the stone and its escape, and sent Holland to retrieve it.
โGive me the stone, Kell.โ
His mind spun. โI donโt know what youโre talking about.โ
Holland gave him a withering look. His fingers tightened almost imperceptibly around Lila, and power crackled across her skin. She bit back a scream and fought to stay on her feet.
โStop,โย demanded Kell. Holland did.
โWill you make me repeat myself?โ he asked. โJust let her go,โ said Kell.
โThe stone first,โ said Holland.
Kell swallowed as he drew the talisman from his coat. It sang through his fingertips, wanting to be used. โYou can try and take it from me,โ he said, โas soon as you let her go.โ Even as the words left Kellโs lips, he regretted them.
The corner of Hollandโs mouth curled grimly up. He withdrew his hand, one finger at a time, from Lilaโs arm. She staggered forward and spun on him.
โFly away, little bird,โ he said, his gaze still trained on Kell. โGo,โ snapped Kell.
He could feel Lilaโs eyes hanging on him, but he wasnโt foolish enough to let his own stray from Hollandโnot nowโand he let out a small breath when he finally heard her boots echoing on the street stones.ย Good, he thought.ย Good.
โThat was foolish,โ said Holland, tossing the revolver aside as if it were beneath him. โTell me, are you are as arrogant as you seem, or only as naรฏve?โ
โHolland, pleaseโโ
Theย Antariโs gaze darkened. โYou look at me, Kell, and think we are alike. That we are the same, even, one person on two divergent paths. Perhaps you think our power bonds us. Allow me to correct your misapprehension. We may share an ability, you and I, but that does not make us equals.โ
He flexed his fingers, and Kell had the sneaking suspicion that this was going to end badly. Holland had fought against the Danes. Holland had spilled blood and life and magic. Holland had nearly claimed the White throne as his own.
Kell must seem like a spoiled child to the otherย Antari.
But Kell still had the stone. It was bad magic, forbidden magic, but it was something. It called to him, and he tightened his grip, the jagged side digging into his palm. Its power pressed at his edges, wanting to be let in, and he resisted, keeping a wall between the talismanโs energy and his own. He didnโt need much. He only needed to summon something inanimateโsomething that would stop Holland without turning on them both.
A cage, he thought. And then commanded.ย A cage.
The stone hummed in his hand, and black smoke began to pour between his fingers, andโ
But Holland didnโt wait.
A gust of wind ripped through the air and slammed Kell forcefully into the door of a shop behind him. The stone tumbled from his grip, the wisps of black smoke dissolving back into nothing as the talisman hit the street. Before Kell could lunge for it, the metal nails of another door shuddered free and sang through the air, driving into his coat and pinning him to the wood. Most of the nails found fabric, but one of them found flesh, and Kell gasped in pain as the spike drove through his arm and into the door behind him.
โHesitation is the death of advantage,โ mused Holland as Kell fought in vain against the metal pinnings. He willed them to move, but Holland willed them to stay, and Hollandโs will proved stronger.
โWhat are you doing here?โ asked Kell through gritted teeth.
Holland sighed. โI thought it would be obvious,โ he said, stepping toward the stone. โIโm cleaning up a mess.โ
As Holland made his way toward the talisman, Kell fought to focus on the metal pinning him. The nails began to tremble as his will pushed against the otherย Antariโs. They slid free an inchโKell clenched his jaw as the one in his arm shiftedโHollandโs attention wavering as he knelt to fetch the stone from the ground.
โDonโt,โ warned Kell.
But Holland ignored him. He took up the talisman and straightened, weighing it in his palm. His will and attention were both centered on the stone now, and this time when Kell focused, the nails holding him shuddered and slid free. They drew themselves out of the wallโand out of his coat and his fleshโand clattered to the ground just as Holland held the stone up to the nearest lamplight.
โDrop it,โ ordered Kell, clutching his wounded arm. Holland didnโt.
Instead, he cocked his head and considered the small black stone. โHave you figured out yet how it works?โ And then, as Kell lunged forward, Hollandโs thin fingers folded over it. Such a small gesture, slow, casual, but the moment his fist closed, black smoke poured between his fingers and swept around Kell. It happened so fast. One moment he was surging forward, and the next his legs froze mid-step. When he looked down, he saw shadows swirling around his boots.
โStay,โ commanded Holland as the smoke turned to steel, heavy black chains that grew straight out of the street and clanged as they locked around Kellโs ankles, bolting him in place. When he reached for them, they burned his hands, and he pulled back, hissing in pain.
โConviction is key,โ observed Holland, running his thumb over the stoneโs surface. โYouย believe that magic is an equal. A companion. A friend. But it is not. The stone is proof. You are either magicโs master, or its slave.โ
โPut it down,โ said Kell. โNo good will come of it.โ
โYouโre right,โ said Holland, still clutching the stone. โBut I have my orders.โ
More smoke poured forth from the talisman, and Kell braced himself, but the magic didnโt settle, didnโt take shape. It swirled and curled around them, as if Holland hadnโt yet decided what to do with it. Kell summoned a gust of air, hoping to dispel it, but the wind passed straight through, billowing Hollandโs cloak but leaving the dark magic untouched.
โStrange,โ said Holland as much to himself as to Kell. โHow one small rock can do so much.โ His fingers tightened around the stone then, and the smoke coiled around Kell. Suddenly it was everywhere, Blotting out his
vision and forcing its way into his nose and mouth, down his throat, choking him, smothering him.
And then it was gone.
Kell coughed and gasped for breath, and looked down at himself, unhurt. For an instant, he thought the magic had failed.
And then he tasted blood.
Kell brought his fingers toward his lips, but stopped when he saw that his entire palm was wet with red. His wrists and arms felt damp, too.
โWhat โฆ ,โ he started, but couldnโt finish. His mouth filled with copper and salt. He doubled over and retched before losing his balance and collapsing to his hands and knees in the street.
โSome people say magic lives in the mind, others the heart,โ said Holland quietly, โbut you and I both know it lives in the blood.โ
Kell coughed again, and fresh red dotted the ground. It dripped from his nose and mouth. It poured from his palms and wrists. Kellโs head spun and his heart raced as he bled out onto the street. He wasnโt bleeding from a wound. He was justย bleeding. The cobblestones beneath him were quickly turning slick. He couldnโt stop it. He couldnโt even get to his feet. The only person who could break the spell was staring down at him with a resignation that bordered on disinterest.
โHolland โฆ listen to me,โ pleaded Kell. โYou can โฆโ he fought to focus. โThe stone โฆ it can make โฆโ
โSave your breath.โ
Kell swallowed and forced the words out. โYou can use the stone โฆ to
break your seal.โ
The Whiteย Antariย raised a charcoal brow, and then shook his head. โThisย thing,โ he said, tapping the silver circle at his shoulder, โis not whatโs binding me.โ He knelt before Kell, careful to avoid the spreading blood. โItโs only the iron.โ He pulled aside his collar to reveal the mark scorched into the skin over his heart. โThisย is the brand.โ The skin was silvery, the mark strangely fresh, and even though Kell couldnโt see Hollandโs back, he knew the symbol went all the way through.ย A soul seal. A spell burned not only into oneโs body, but into oneโs life.
Unbreakable.
โIt never fades,โ said Holland, โbut Athos still reapplies the mark now and then. When he thinks Iโm wavering.โ He looked down at the stone in his hand. โOr when heโs bored.โ His fingers tightened around it, and Kell coughed up more blood.
Desperately, he reached for the coin pendants around his neck, but Holland got there first. He dug them out from under Kellโs collar and snapped the
cords with a swift tug, tossing the tokens away down the alley. Kellโs heart sank as he heard the sound of them bouncing into the dark. His mind spun over the blood commands, but he couldnโt seem to hold the words in his head, let alone shape them. Every time one rose up, it fell apart, broken by the thing killing him from the inside. Every time he tried to make a word, more blood filled his mouth. He coughed and clutched at syllables, only to choke on them.
โAs โฆ An โฆโย he stammered, but the magic forced blood up his throat, blocking the word.
Holland clucked his tongue. โMy will against yours, Kell. You will never win.โ
โPlease,โ Kell gasped, breath ragged. The dark stain beneath him was spreading too fast. โDonโt โฆ do this.โ
Holland gave him a pitying look. โYou know I donโt have a choice.โ
โMake one.โย The metallic smell of blood filled Kellโs mouth and nose. His vision faltered again. One arm buckled beneath him.
โAre you afraid of dying?โ asked Holland, as if genuinely curious. โDonโt worry. Itโs really quite hard to killย Antari. But I canโt haveโโ
He was cut off by a glint of metal in the air and the ringing sound of it striking bone as it connected with his skull. Holland went down hard, the stone tumbling from his grip and skittering several feet into the dark. Kell managed to focus his eyes enough to see Lila standing there, clutching an iron bar with both hands.
โAm I late?โ
Kell let out a small dazed laugh that quickly dissolved into wracking coughs. Fresh blood stained his lips. The spell hadnโt broken. The chains around his ankles began to tighten, and he gasped. Holland wasnโt attacking him, but the magic still was.
He tried desperately to tell Lila, but he couldnโt find the air. And thankfully, he didnโt need it. She was ahead of him. She snatched up the stone, swiped it across the bloody ground, and then held it out in front of her like a light.
โStop,โย she ordered. Nothing.
โGo away.โย The magic faltered.
Kell pressed his hands flat into the pool of blood beneath him.ย โAs Anasae,โย he said, and coughed, the command finally passing his lips without Hollandโs will to force it down.
And this time, the magic listened.
The spells broke. The chains dissolved to nothing around his legs, and Kellโs lungs filled with air. Power flooded through what little blood was left in his veins. It felt like there was nearly none.
โCan you stand?โ asked Lila. She helped him to his feet, and the whole world swayed, his sight plunging into black for several horrible seconds. He felt her grip on him tighten.
โKeep it together,โ she said.
โHolland โฆโ he murmured, his voice sounding strange and faraway in his own ears. Lila looked back at the man sprawled on the ground. Her hand closed over the stone, and smoke poured out.
โWait โฆโ said Kell shakily, but the chains were already taking shape, first in smoke and then in the same dark metal heโd only just escaped. They seemed to grow straight out of the street and coil around Hollandโs body, his waist and wrists and ankles, pinning him to the damp ground as he had pinned Kell. It wouldnโt hold him long, but it was better than nothing. At first, Kell marveled that Lila could summon something so specific. Then he remembered she didnโt need to have power. She needed only toย wantย a thing. The stone did the rest.
โNo more magic,โ he warned as she shoved the stone into her pocket, the strain showing on her face. Her grip had vanished for a moment, and when he took a step forward, he nearly collapsed, but Lila was there again to catch him.
โSteady now,โ she said, pulling his arm around her narrow shoulders. โI had to find my gun. Stay with me.โ
Kell clung to consciousness as long as he could. But the world was dangerously quiet, the distance between his thoughts and his body growing further apart. He couldnโt feel the pain in his arm where the nail had struckโ couldnโt feel much of anything, which scared him more than the pressing dark. Kell had fought before, but never like this, never for his life. Heโd gotten into his fair share of scrapes (most of them Rhyโs fault) and had had his fair share of bruises, but heโd always walked away intact. Heโd never been seriously hurt, never struggled to keep his own heart beating. Now he feared that if he stopped fighting, if he stopped forcing his feet forward and his eyes open, that he might actually die. He didnโt want to die. Rhy would never forgive him if he died.
โStay with me,โ echoed Lila.
Kell tried to focus on the ground beneath his boots. On the rain that had started to fall. On Lilaโs voice. The words themselves began to blur together, but he held on to the sound as he fought to keep the darkness at bay. He held on as she helped him over the bridge that seemed to go on and on forever, and through the streets that wound and tipped around them. He held on as hands
โLilaโs and then anotherโsโdragged him through a doorway and up a flight of old stairs and into a room, stripping off his blood-soaked clothes.
He held on until he felt a cot beneath him and Lilaโs voice stopped and the thread was gone.
And then he finally, gratefully, plummeted down into black.