Page 97 of Their War

My mother laughed maniacally. “If you could do that, you would have done so already. Truth is, I already match you in power. It’s only a matter of time before I will fully ascend to take your place.”

“Don’t be foolish, my child. That will never happen,” Rhowyn said mechanically, little emotion in her voice as her body remained taught and motionless.

“Won’t it?” my mother questioned, confident in the answer. Shock rolled through me. Everything made sense now. Her designs, the grasping, the needs that kept her hungering for more power. It was all so crystal clear.

A blast of power burst from my mother’s hands as she thrust them forward to direct them at Rhowyn. Rhowyn doubled over with an oomph, Callum’s arms catching her again.

“Time to leave,” a voice sounded out beside me. I turned to see the Trickster, Loki, standing there in a guard’s armor. “I’ll put up a glamor to make her think you’re all still here, but it won’t last long.”

I nodded, jumping up and running over to Brannoc. “Be ready,” I told him. He placed a hand on Callum and me as I reached for Rhowyn’s father, my hand clamping over his forearm.

Cyerra clamped a hand on Master Jude and Arryn, who still held Baer’s stub, both of them covered with blood. So much blood.

“Now!” I shouted. The trickster threw his hand up, and I saw the air waver as if we were in the middle of a desert and surrounded by heat waves.

“NO!” I heard my mother scream as she realized we were escaping, our forms turned to shadow as Brannoc and Cyerra carried us to safety. I watched as the image of our bodies still on the stage crumpled, a smile of relief and triumph gracing my face. If she thought this was the end, she was sadly mistaken. Now, it was time we took the fight to her. Now, we would take everything she held dear from her, one by one. Now, it was time for war.