“No one said anything about abusing your post,” says Lincoln coolly. “Although now that you bring it up, unscheduled visits to Ghost Towers should be investigated.”
“You misunderstand, my love,” coos Adair. “I work day and night for the good of all thrax.”
She’s so full of it. The good of all thrax is the absolute last thing on her to-do list.
Lincoln folds his arms over his chest. “Time to talk. You defied an official command from your High Prince. Twice. Any comment?”
“I am your loyal subject, Lincoln, first and always,” whimpers Adair. “Especially in my role as Diplomat. You must believe me.” Her eyes turn watery and pleading. Behind her, her ghouls still writhe in my bonds. Their portal wavers in and out of focus, but it doesn’t disappear completely. Got to give them points for dedication.
“Excellent,” says Lincoln. “In that case, you won’t mind answering a few questions.”
Adair stares at the igni cords around her waist. When she speaks, her voice comes out low and dreamy. All her attention is focused on her igni bindings. “What’s your question about?”
Something about the way Adair is staring at my igni is wrong. Way wrong. My chest tightens with alarm. It becomes harder to breathe.
“I should think that would be obvious,” says Lincoln. “I want to discuss your behavior towards the Great Scala. Following her around. And now, visiting the Ghost Towers without Senator Frederickson. You know that breaks protocol.”
A slow, evil smile rounds Adair’s lips. “I didn’t know igni could do this.”
“Lady Adair,” says Lincoln, his tone sharp. “Are you listening to me?”
Adair shifts her weight against my cords, testing them. Her poor-little-girl persona visibly melts away, replaced by something nasty, fierce and predatory. The sense of alarm inside my nervous system escalates into downright panic. I fight the sudden urge to run.
“I won’t ask this again,” states Lincoln. “Why’ve you been following the Great Scala around for months? Why did you run away from my command?”
Adair looks up, her eyes bright. “Here’s what I have to say. Myla Lewis is infected with the Bloodstone Curse. The igni have chosen me instead.” With that, she raises her arms. My igni cords snap, setting her free.
The world around me freezes into one of those ‘oh my freaking Hell’ moments that stick in your mind forever. Adair just broke my igni cords. I outright gasp. There’s no way she should be able to do that. Not unless Adair can control igni. But that would mean she’s really the Scala Heir, which is impossible. Adair’s only part human and angel. You must have demon blood, too.
At that moment, my igni cords reform, the ends looping around Adair’s palms. This wasn’t my wish. Adair made this alteration on her own. We stare at each other, each of us holding the end of two igni cords. It’s like we’re in some kind of supernatural tug of war. Adair’s ghouls stand free beside her, satisfied looks on their faces, their escape portal standing wide open.
My igni-cord changed, and I didn’t alter it. Now, Adair’s free. Her ghouls are free. I try to make the igni-cord break or disappear. I can’t.
Now, I’m the one who’s trapped.
My mind goes blank with shock. How could Adair block my powers, let alone change what I’ve done? At any point in time, only two people can wield igni: the Scala and the Scala Heir. And both of those beings must have the blood of an angel, demon and human in them. Could Adair have gotten demon blood in her somehow?
The igni cord winds tightly around my hands, making my palms freeze over with an ethereal chill. A sickly feeling seeps into my belly. This is exactly what I experienced when Adair held my hands at the end of her so-called ‘inspection’ of Ghost Tower Six. Only this time, the sensation is far more intense. What is she doing, exactly? The answer to my question appears inside my mind, because the igni have started to scream. Both light and dark howl inside my head, their voices a mix of pain and terror.
This can’t be happening. But it is.
Somehow, the igni cord between Adair and me has become a conduit. No matter how hard I try, I can’t break the connection. I try to reverse the flow of power, pulling it from Adair to me instead. No go. All I can do is slow the transfer of my precious igni, but the effort makes every cell in my body hurt.
Light plays under my skin as igni are dragged from my soul, across the cord, and into Adair. Their tiny voices scream louder. My hands feel like blocks of ice. Adair’s skin starts to glow with an otherworldly light.
Lincoln steps to my side. “Myla, what’s going on?”
I speak through gritted teeth. “She’s stealing my powers.” I focus all my mental strength, slowing the loss of my igni. Pain spikes through my temples. “She needs to set me free. I can’t break the connection from here. I can only slow the transfer.”