Gage rises, withdraws his gun once more, and twirls it around one finger.
Show-off.
“Yes, well, that was unfortunate. It was you I aimed for.” He jiggles the gun at Stormy as if it’s a finger and not a deadly weapon. “I thought a little maiming was due, a little convincing in the way of returning the favors you owed. Of course, thanks to your dimwitted husband, none of that matters now.”
“How dare you.” Stormy stands, mirroring Gage. How can she be so . . . with it? When I thought I lost Mom, the fog lasted much longer.
“What’s wrong, sweetheart? Offended I speak ill of the dead?”
“You’ll be the dead one soon enough. The cost of your crime is termination by sword.” Her voice wavers, hinting at the turmoil beneath her collected surface.
Gage shakes his head. “We’ll see about that. I have more than you know on my side. Kuna was an unfortunate loss, as now you owe me nothing. If I could, I’d bring the imbecile back myself.”
“Hold your tongue!” she screams, letting loose the storm.
And then she charges.
I reach out to grab her ankle, her leg, something to hold her back. Pain sucker-punches my wound and I clutch my knee once again. Ky’s touch vanishes and my heart falters.
Gage laughs, the sound resonant of an out-of-tune clarinet. He deflects Stormy, tossing her aside like a rag doll when she reaches him. It’s not like her to act so rashly. To use physical force instead of relying on the strength of her water Magnet Calling.
Grief’s a witch. It changes you. Makes you do things you’d never do.
I know all too well.
Gage cracks his neck. Returns his focus to me. “Looks like it’s just you and me, kid. And I’m betting you’re not so tough without your protector to rescue you this time. Tell me, where is Kyaphus?”
Chills. Everywhere. My pulse thrums in my ears. Something about his question makes me think he knows the answer. He knows where Ky is. He has the upper hand there. But I have an advantage. Because Gage has no idea what I’m capable of.
Insert maniacal laugh here.
He advances again, his steps sure. Not at all afraid.
Suspicion confirmed. My heart beats out of sync with my breaths. My body’s off beat but my mind is perfectly in tune.
Bring it on, dude. Cuz this chick’s ready to rumble.
I brace my injured self. I may not be a physical match for him, but the mind—the soul—is better than brawn. My heart swells, my Mirror song begging to release, to order Gage to his knees. If it didn’t work on Kuna to power my Physic ability, will it let me down on another aspect of my unique gift?
Only one way to find out.
Click. Gage cocks his gun.
“Stop!” My voice quavers.
“Oh, how the Thresholds have turned. Doesn’t feel so good being helpless, does it?”
I force calm into my voice. Then new lyrics to my Mirror melody rush out.
“Don’t you dare move, don’t you dare breathe.
You are finished, you will not succeed.
Fall to your knees, it’s time to go—”
My insides convulse without warning. A sharp pain takes up residence in my throat, inhibiting my voice. I hug my middle and retch onto the snow. Gross. What in the Reflections is wrong with me?
Gage takes one step. Another. Heel, toe, heel, toe. His combat boots crunch the snow like teeth crushing ice. When he’s standing over me he asks, “What’s the matter, girl? Is the Verity within not enough to overtake even me, a Calling-less traitor?”
He knows? But how? “I’m not sure what you mean.” Why can’t I be a good liar?
“I’m not daft. Mistress Isabeau has eyes and ears within the castle walls. We’re well aware of who you are and what you are capable of, as well as who you’ve kissed.”
I have the urge to puke again but I contain it. So Isabeau is involved. Which means Mom’s in danger.
“Don’t worry. I have no intention of killing you. Ending you would allow the Verity to latch onto a much-less-tainted soul. And we can’t have that.”
Tainted? No. The Verity chooses the purest—
“I only desired to see you bleed. To see if your link to David’s Ever blood would still heal you now that you are queen.”
Dizziness clouds my vision. I close my eyes. Open them. Blink. What’s happening? How does he know?
“As Isabeau suspected, the Ever Calling was the first to go. Now we need only bide our time until every last Called is weak. Vulnerable. Defenseless.”
I glance at the spot where Stormy landed. It’s empty. Vacant. My pulse ramps. “Isabeau is a Mask.” If I could stand, I’d spit in his face. “How can she want the Callings harmed?”
“Isabeau Archer is more than she seems.”
“A jagged surface doesn’t always allude to what truly lies beneath.”
Another Ky-quote memory. They seem to pop up more and more these days.
Stormy appears then, launches her toothpick self onto Gage’s meatloaf back, locks the crook of her elbow around his neck.
Gage’s eyes bulge. His gun falls to the snow and I lurch to snatch it. It’s wet and cold and slips between my numb fingers. My knee throb, throb, throbs. Do not pass out, do not pass out.
Gage claws at Stormy’s arm, gasps for air.
I dry my fingers on my dress, try for the gun again. This time I capture it.
Stormy is stronger than she looks, wrapping her legs around Gage’s waist, refusing to give as he tears at her skin with his fingernails.
I thrust my nausea to my toes, force myself to ignore the pain splitting my leg open. My arm shakes but I steady it.
Gage pries Stormy’s arm off and flings her against a nearby tree for the second time. “That was stupid,” he growls, advancing on her.
Stormy whimpers. She shields her face with her arms. Thunder roars in the distance, but it’s faint. Rain sprinkles but doesn’t pour as it should. “Something’s wrong.” Her arms lower and her eyes find the sky. “It shouldn’t take this much effort to summon a storm.”
She doesn’t need to explain. The ache in my throat says it all. Something is definitely affecting the Callings. Which means we’re left with fewer options of defense.
I widen my gaze and level the barrel at Gage’s center. He’s too focused on Stormy to notice. One. Calming. Breath. And then . . .
Bang!
Unprepared for the gun’s force, I drop the weapon. Did I hit him? Is he down? Gah, my ears are ringing. My leg—I can’t feel it anymore.
A moan breaks through the din inside. Stormy? Gage?
“El.”
My heart reaches for Stormy but my body can’t move. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.” I wish my words weren’t so halfhearted.
Gage sputters behind me. “It has begun.”
Panting, I turn. He lies feet away, ripped arm encompassing his middle. He moves to his knees and blood drip, drip, drips like red tears onto the snow.
He coughs and crimson spurts from his mouth. “This is the beginning of the end. It began the moment you kissed—”
Fwit! An arrow soars inches past my left shoulder and sinks into Gage’s chest before he can continue. He releases his hold on his stomach, and blood oozes with the loss of pressure. Arm shaking, he grabs the arrow and yanks it out. Then he collapses.