Six (24 page)

I see Liam. He is in the middle. His rich purple robe wafts with the gusts of smoke. He leers in my direction with knowing eyes. The ridges of Finn’s shoulders tense when he sees him. I am more uncomfortable hiding so I step forward.

“Emma…no. This isn’t about you,” Finn says, confusing me.
Of course this is about me
. Finn does not tear his gaze from the witch prince. Liam is leering at Finn, not me. I peek up to study Finn’s face, to try and understand, but I am surprised to find a fierce look in his eye. I hear his gun click and know he is ready to fire it off. Lana strings an arrow behind us. The wave of fear and anger that washes over me is all encompassing. It nearly topples me over.

I watch Liam stride toward us, his gait purposeful, smooth. He knows he has won. For the first time in my life I do not think of myself, or the outcome of my actions. I think of my friends. I burst out running toward Liam, vaguely aware Finn is yelling something as I sprint. I block his voice out. I know what I must do. I know what I trust Lana to do if everything goes horribly wrong. Finn’s face, his smooth voice, will only sway my deathly intentions.

As I get closer to Liam the savages snarl and the witches look more alert. I stop in front of him, panting, and shake my head.

“Leave them alone. This is done,” I say. I hold my hands in front of me hoping to stop him from moving another inch. Liam’s gaze is calculating, as he looks me over. His lips twitch. He glances over my head and smiles at Finn. “I will go back with you. You win. I do not feel all six emotions.” I blow out a long, heated breath. Liam squints his glowing eyes at something behind me. I glance over my shoulder and see Lana walking toward us. It does not look like Lana, though—it looks like me. She has used the second cloaking potion.

“What is this? What is going on?” Liam asks through clenched teeth. He grates them, and I shrink back. The sound is unnerving. Finn follows behind Lana with a look of horror on his face. Tricking dark witches is an offense. One that is punishable by death. I swallow hard.

Lana disguised as me stops when she reaches my side. Liam slides his gaze from my face to hers several times. When I stay silent Lana speaks.

“You didn’t actually think it was sweet Emma that night, did you?” Lana licks her mouth, and then bites the corner of her bottom lip.

Finn separates Lana and I when he pushes to stand between us. Liam’s eyes do not flicker. They glow a wild white as he scrutinizes Lana. The air around us hums with a magic current, prickling my skin. An uncomfortable haze wraps my body.

“Don’t be surprised, freak. We fight fire with fire in the circles. You should know that, though. I guess you didn’t expect it from Emma. Did you?” Lana hisses. Finn watches Lana speak with curiosity. Liam does not say anything. I hear the savages start for us and the smoke begins to swirl furiously overhead. The witches are now controlling it. It weaves and bobs unnaturally around us.

“I would have left them out of this had you not fooled me, Emmalina,” Liam says. I flinch at his cold tone. The savages and witches are now surrounding us at all angles. There is no escape from them. They inch closer to us. They close in.

“You made a deal with
me
while I was in Emma’s form. You must honor it,” Lana says. The smoke whips around us at a fiercer speed. The heat causes sweat to soak my clothing. “I will go back with you. She will return to the circle,” Lana says, challenge ringing in her voice. It is odd to see her words come out of my mouth. “You made the deal with me. Not her. It’s only fair.”

Liam appraises her, his stare finally landing on her eyes. He looks over at me and smiles widely. “A deal is a deal. You will return with me to the Enchanted Palace. You will never leave. You will also stay in this form whenever we are together,” Liam says as he waves a hand over her body.
My body
. I feel sick.

“Lana, I will go back with Liam,” I say. I feel panic. She shakes her head, her decision made. Liam fixes me with his gaze and edges closer to me. I recognize the glint in his eyes. He leans down and I suppress the urge to jump back. Liam’s cold lips brush mine when he speaks.

“No,” Liam says. “Mr. White will bring you back to the circle.” Liam inclines his head to Finn. Finn’s lips press into a firm line, knowing I am to be his teasing punishment for all time. “Do not even think of breaking the decree, Mr. White. Not only will it mean your death, but after this large indiscretion, it will mean her death as well. The other palaces will be unaware she is in your circle with the decoy in my palace. Keep it that way.” Liam looks at me and then turns his focus to his fingernails, disinterested. He brushes a small piece of ash off the arm of his shirt. Finn drops his head and looks to the ground. I want to spare him the pain I know courses through him and I hate that Liam makes him feel this way. I cannot save him, so I turn my head away, refusing to watch, giving Finn this moment to keep his pride. These could be our last seconds together.

We are trapped. I start to cry. My knees hit the scalding cement. The savages are upon us. Their hisses and growls are loud and I can feel their hot breath on the back of my neck, saturating my oxygen.

Despite Liam’s words I know we will not make it back to the circle. I will die in the abandoned city, closer to freedom than I have ever been.

Liam tilts my chin up with the tip of his ash-covered boot. “You could have avoided all of this. You could have had the world, princess. Instead you have
nothing
. I will also see to it you never feel the emotion you so desperately seek. You will never feel love. I will take the beginnings of it.” Through watery eyes, I see the magic orb Liam spins on his palm.

I see my mother and a blond haired man. His smile is contagious. My mother laughs as the man bends in to place a soft, brief kiss on her neck. My mother is full of life and beauty. I know this man is my father. He brings his lips up to her ear and whispers quietly, “I love you.” She does not see it, but I do. His eyes glow white. My mother responds to the sentiment quietly.

She does not know he is a dark witch. He hides it from her.

I see my memories start flashing in the orb. Memories of my mother. Sweet embraces and longing looks with Finn. Hugs with Lana. Jokes shared with the darklings back in the circle. I see Finn’s red heart glinting as it balances on someone’s palm.

“Not one memory of your prince? What a disgusting shame,” Liam says after he watches my precious recollections. I clutch my chest. It feels as if he is ripping out my soul, my heart—everything. Liam is taking it all. I sink down lower and bring my head down to the scalding hot ground because I want to
feel
something. I hear Finn roar.

“No!” he screams. His voice echoes off the mangled buildings and pierces the sky.

It is enough to break me from the torturous trance. I make it stop.

“He can’t take it if you don’t offer it, Emma,” Finn says, through ragged breaths.

I do not give Liam my feelings of love. I hold them back. I vault them deep inside to keep forever. I remember I am clutching my knife. I stand up and swing behind me wildly. I know the savages are there. The blade connects with an arm. The thick blood sprays, soaking the savage next to it. They are obviously surprised by my outburst. I keep slicing, oblivious to anything except the urge to kill. I want to kill for my mother’s blind trust, for Liam’s pride, for everything that they took from me in the past. They will take nothing from me. Ever again.

A sucking noise sounds as I pull my knife out of one of the beastly savages. Spinning around I drive the blade up and pierce another in the chest. My fingers lose purchase on the knife because of all the blood and it clatters to the ground. I gasp for air, unable to control even my own breathing.

A sweet, soprano voice fills the air around us. “Enough,” the voice says.

Hundreds of savages part and the blond haired sorceress glides up to us. Her dress glimmers. Her creamy white skin is flawless. I notice, with horror, that Lana is held by two dark witches behind Liam. Liam, for all his worldly prince charm, appears stunned by the sorceress’ presence. He looks fearful. His white eyes wide, he backs away from me. Finn, as expected, has not left my side. I grab his hand and squeeze it tightly. He taps my hand three times with a finger interlaced with mine. I manage to stop my chest from heaving and I calm.

“All of this to entertain yourself, Iliam Aithe? I am sorely disappointed in you. I gave you power over my demons as you asked, and this is what you do?” The sorceress says.

My body shakes involuntarily. The sorceress is working with Liam. My mind processes what she has said and I know this will end badly. Liam opens his mouth to respond, but she cuts him off.

“I gave you two chances to redeem yourself. Not that long ago I sent a darkling girl into your palace. You should have helped her. You should have taught her. You disposed of her instead.”

The girl my former factotum spoke of.
As she glides to stand nose to nose to Liam, a sweet melody fills the air. The soft hum relaxes me further.

“You asked me for control over the savages. I gave you that.” The sorceress pauses. “I also protected these three when I realized your foul intentions.” The air around her shimmers with sparkling light. The charmed smoke was the sorceress’s doing. She did help us. ‘There are always two sides to a story and here in
my
city I decide what will transpire.”

“Sorceress. She is mine. I only came here to bring her back to my palace,” Liam says.

Her magic fills the air, evaporating the heat. A cool breeze picks up and I take in a deep, cleansing breath. The savages have dissipated. Lana’s form flickers as she struggles in the witch’s hands. The sorceress notices and nods. They immediately let her go. Lana scrambles over to us as the cloaking potion wears off and Lana’s body returns. The sorceress looks at me with fond eyes. Her white smile is breathtaking. She places her hand over my heart, and if possible, her smile widens further.

“She is
not
yours, Iliam Aithe. Her heart will be given,” the sorceress says. The tale is true, she is also a mystic. She sees the future.

“Emmalina has already been queened in my castle. That trumps anything that may be in her
heart
,” Liam sneers. “We had a deal. Challenges cannot be broken, sorceress. Even you know that.”

The sorceress floats over to Finn. I watch as his breath hitches. She puts both of her palms on his broad chest. Her ringing laughter is beautiful as she senses Finn. She turns to face Liam.

“You will break the decree with this one. You will also release Emmalina from any challenge or agreement she may have entered with you,” she says without removing her hands from Finn. Liam’s eyes are glowing so white they nearly blind me.

“I would never,” Liam hisses.

“You will if you do not wish me to stretch
my
city to encompass your territories,” the sorceress says, her eyes cold. “I believe in old world morals. It is why I live here.” She waves her hand around to show the destruction. “I prefer reality. The one thing I hold dear over everything else is love, dark prince. I will let nothing come between it,” she says. She swoops over, leaving a trail of silvery glitter behind her and she touches the side of Liam’s face. “But you already know that, I am sure.”

She tilts her head and smiles. I sense a familiarity between the two. With the blond heads so close, it is hard to tell how they would not be familiar.

Her high voice drops several octaves when she speaks. “I challenge you to doubt me. I
will
take over your palace, Iliam. Love is the strongest entity ever to exist. It is the only thing I trust to twist and shape to better the future on its own accord.” She presses a firm kiss to Liam’s lips. I fear for her. Though deep down I know she is stronger than him—or anyone for that matter. Liam feels something with the brush of her lips. I see it on his face. I wonder what small taste she allows him.

Without another word, the sorceress waves her hand over Lana’s collarbone and then down over her heart. She frowns at what she senses or sees in Lana. I feel my heart hammering against my own chest. The sorceress’s happiness is not present when she reads her. Lana’s eyes are wide, yet she is unafraid. She is just as transfixed by the sorceress’s beauty as the rest of us. She removes her hands and does not say anything about what she finds in Lana.

The sorceress dips her head. I watch as sparkles of magic litter the ground around her.

“I always take an emotion as toll when darklings wish to enter the Dark Citadel by my hand. You should know that what I take, I always give back two-fold,” she says sadly. I do not understand. I think it means she may restore Finn and Lana’s emotions.

Liam looks at the sorceress with fury. “What do I get out of this?” His voice is gravelly, violent.

When the sorceress answers, she looks amused. “It saddens me to do so, but to be fair, you may keep the last half of your bargain with this one.” She points to Lana. Lana’s eyes are wary, but she holds her head up proudly and nods in agreement.

“What is the last half?” I ask. It was part of the challenge Lana made with Liam behind closed doors when she posed as me. I am clueless. Liam, a dark witch with no emotions, laughs loudly. It is an evil laugh, a caustic laugh that threatens something horrible.