Page 56 of Birthright

Reacting to the rage and hate in my heart, I lunged at her, knocking her off the far side of the bed as she finished her chant. Cliona was there instantly and she grabbed Feldema by the throat, lifting her to the wall. Feldema’s head made a satisfying crunching sound as it bounced from the force, sending her white hair across her face.

“What did you do to him?” Cliona roared. Feldema tried to speak but couldn’t. Cliona’s hold on her throat was too strong. Feldema tried to cast, but Cliona just tightened her grip. Feldema’s feet started kicking out at the Vamp.

“Hogan, go get Bevin! Now!” I shouted at the stunned Gnome, sending him running out of the room. I turned to Tynan. In the center of his mark, bisecting the sun, was what looked to be an insignificant cut. From it trickled the precious blood that kept him alive.

I watched as the mark started to fade before my eyes…

“What have you done?” Cliona demanded, but Feldema’s face was red from lack of oxygen. Cliona’s fingers easily tightened on her neck, digging in, cutting at her flesh. Blood trickled down Feldema’s pale skin.

I felt a tightening on my own neck. Breathing started to become harder. I tried to take a breath, only to find my throat tight and pain enveloping me. Blackness started to dance at the periphery of my vision.

I felt the world slipping away. Shadows crossed my vision. I was a baby again and Mother appeared in the dingy cave, chanting over the two of us, Feldema and me. I was focused on the blood dripping from the point of her blade into the cauldron between us. Her voice was musical, soothing, sending waves of her magic over us.

I remembered the feeling of warmth and love spreading over me, over my sister, binding our lives together…

“Cliona!” Doran’s shrill voice barely pierced the vision. I was watching my mother’s tender face as she chanted, head tilted to the heavens…

“Cliona, you’re killing them both!” Doran’s panic pulled me from the vision. I struggled to breathe, writhing on the floor, holding my neck, digging and scratching at the invisible hand that held my throat.

I felt the hand loosen on my neck, Feldema’s neck, and air rushed into my burning lungs. I was coughing, gagging. Feldema was doing the same, still held to the wall.

Cliona didn’t let go of her or let her down. She just held her less tightly so we could take in breaths. The pain eased from my throat. I tried to get up but could only make it to my knees, dizzy and weak from the lack of air, tired beyond belief from the time spent on Thule.

Through her gasps, Feldema actually started to laugh.

Bevin was unloading a bag of stuff onto the table. Doran moved closer, kneeling at my side. “You felt Feldema’s pain as her death was coming?” she asked as her hand stroked my back. I nodded.

I tied to clear my thoughts, none of them making any sense. “I saw another vision of Trevina. She was binding us together.”

Bevin let out a small gasp. Doran’s face held cold fear. I was still dizzy and confused.

Feldema’s laugh got more cynical as she cried, “You can’t kill me!” She kicked again, trying to get loose from the grip Cliona still had on her. “You have no power over me! I have taken the strongest to my bed and I have his strength in me!”

The memory of the brush with strands of her white, silky hair danced through my mind.

“Nessum is going to ensure that you never take Doran’s place! He will not allow it. And through me, he will be able to rule the Kith. Through me, he will!”

Doran stood and paced to the far side of the room, her face tight. “What’s going on?” I asked hoarsely. Doran looked tentatively between Bevin and me. I struggled to stand, anger taking over from my pain and tiredness. “No more smoke and mirrors, Doran! Tell me what this is about! None of it seems to be a great surprise to you. What the hell is going on here?” She didn’t say a word. “Doran—tell me the damn truth!”

I was seething.

Bevin put her head down. “Your mother had two children to fulfill the prophecy…to ensure that one of you would be our salvation. Once you were born, she clearly couldn’t bear the thought that her children might have to battle to the death. She must have cast the spell to bind you, to prevent either’s destruction.”

“Can you break that spell?” I asked.

She didn’t look at me. “No. It’s old and has been with you both your entire lives.”

My knees felt weak again. I really didn’t know if I could have killed Feldema anyway. I had killed some of the Slaugh, but they were soulless monsters. I hated my sister for her betrayal, but I had truly hoped she would choose to serve Karackos over death. “Can you strip her powers and put her away?”

Doran answered, “We can lock her up and keep her here, but…” She trailed off, looked over my shoulder to the window. “The Battle of Birthright can no longer be to the death. If she dies, you die too.”

Feldema tried to pull herself away from Cliona again. The Vamp tightened down. “You can lock me up if you wish, Doran. You are losing your hold on the Kith! Nessum and Bran have been busy building loyalties, and they will have me as High Priestess. You will die and Keena will be a prisoner to the Slaugh as her father was!”

“What have you done to Tynan, Feldema?” I was tired. This new information was not sinking in at all. I needed to get Tynan healed from her poisonous spell and I needed to rest.

“Your precious love is yours no more, old Witch,” she spat at me. “He will not remember you. He will not long for you.” She was proud of what she had done. Even through the hoarseness from being choked, I could hear it. “He will find you unworthy of his attentions.”

Bevin put some healing herbs on his stomach. It was a small wound but she did it anyway. I helplessly watched as my mark continued to fade, all but gone now. Doran strode to Cliona, taking Feldema by the arm and flinging her at Manus. “Take her and lock her up!”