At the reminder that she wasn't alone, Elena went still. She'd almost forgotten about him.
"How about you release me instead?" Elena tried hopefully.
Fyr's snort was tired. "I don't think so."
Elena shifted on the bed until she could spot Fyr out of the corner of her eye. "What do you have to lose at this point? They betrayed you. As long as you remain in the Osiri's control, your future will be nothing but the pain you warned me about."
The general boy was sitting on the edge of the platform near Elise's prone body. His shoulders sagged and his head bowed in a posture of defeat.
It was strange to see him so down trodden when he'd been nothing but arrogant not too long ago.
"They didn't betray me."
"It sure seems that way to me."
He needed to take a good look at his situation. From where Elena was lying, he'd just been stabbed in the back, assassin style, and was now bleeding out from a mortal wound.
"This is just how things happen sometimes," Fyr said, sounding like he was trying to comfort himself. "This is our fate. It's always been our fate."
Elena rolled her eyes at the ceiling. Boy, these generals sure were dramatic.
"You do what you want. I'm getting out of here."
And she was taking her mother with her. For that matter, her siblings too.
"You're tied to a bed."
Regrettably, that was true.
"And even if you weren't, you'd collapse after being exposed to the oteron field. Just like last time."
Elena's forehead furrowed. "Oteron?"
"It's what cut off your connection to your soul's breath. The pod you're in negates some of the effects but as soon as you step down, it'll return."
"So that's what that was."
No wonder it felt like something had drained the essence out of her.
"It caught me off guard last time is all," Elena declared with a mental shrug. "I'll be better prepared next time."
"Doubtful," Fyr said with a curl of his lip.
"Even if I collapse again. You heard Ajix. Auntie is on her way. All we have to do is wait for her to arrive."
There was despair in Fyr's laugh. A hopelessness that said he'd already given up as he rested his forehead against his knees. "You're so naive. Not even the Phoenix could make it this far."
Elena glared at the ceiling, biting back her argument. He'd see soon enough. Elena wasn't naive. She was confident. Auntie was going to come. And when she did, she'd bring a whole lot of pain down on the Tsavitee and their masters.
Fyr's head lifted. "Someone's coming."
"Wow, that was fast," Elena said.
She'd just barely gotten done telling him about Auntie and here she was.
Except instead of the aunt she was expecting, it was Kai who appeared on the stairs. The Sye's dispassionate gaze swept the chamber, zeroing in on Elise's still form.
"What are you doing here?" Fyr demanded, the arrogance that so irritated Elena infusing his voice with a dangerous rumble that had never been aimed at the Sye.
"Peace, child." Kai couldn't have been more dismissive as the Sye headed for Elena's mother. "You must realize I had no choice."
"I don't have to do anything you say anymore. I'm the Osiri's now."
"Do not speak of them in that tone of voice."
"I will do as I please. I'm not the one trespassing in the Osiri's territory," Fyr snarled.
"I would not stand against me, boy," Kai warned. "Or do you want me to tell the exalted ones just who brought that child to my door?"
Fyr flinched at the insinuation.
The corners of Kai's lips hooked up in a sly smile. "I wonder what they would do if they found out about the generals' conspiracies."
"You don't know anything."
"Are you willing to test that hypothesis?"
There was a look of triumph on Kai's features at Fyr's hesitation.
"Are you kidding me?" Elena shouted. "He just betrayed you and now you're going to do what he says?"
What happened to the big, scary enemy Auntie had always warned her about? Right now, the generals seemed more like pushovers than actual predators.
Kai stepped around Fyr.
"What are you doing?" Elena demanded as the Sye stopped next to her mother. "Don't touch her."
Kai regarded Elise with a half lidded gaze. Almost covetous as the Sye looked her over.
"I never thought I'd get this chance," Kai murmured, glancing Elena's way. "I really have to thank you."
Elena was quiet as Kai went to pick Elise up.
Fyr stopped him. "I can't let you do whatever you're thinking."
"I was afraid you'd be stubborn," Kai said with a regretful sigh.
Fyr jerked, making a pained sound.
Kai looked on with an inscrutable expression. "That's why I made a few preparations beforehand."
Fyr collapsed, falling to the ground.
"Fyr?" Elena called. "What did you do to him?"
Kai squatted beside Elise. "Nothing that will cause long term harm. After all, he is the exalted one's possession now."
Elena's gaze darted to Fyr's still body. "Why would you hurt him?"
Kai looked over at her with an inscrutable expression. "Did you know that when a Sye leaves their haven without the permission of our masters their entire genetic line is stamped out?"
Elena kept quiet, staring at the Sye warily.
The Sye’s gaze deepened. "You've met one of my kind before. I can tell."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Maybe it's not your mother who I should be focusing on."
Elena tried to scoot further away as Kai rose, crossing the walkway to her.
"You have what I want, don't you?" Kai crooned.
There was something strange in Kai's gaze. Obsession and an avarice that made Elena sick.
"I'll ask you one time, child." Kai's hand wrapped around her throat. "Where is that person?"
Elena whimpered, her pulse racing against the Sye’s fingers.
Auntie, if you're going to get here, now would be a good time.
"So stubborn. All the way to the end. Perhaps your mother will be more forthcoming."
Kai started to squeeze.
Despair caught Elena in its grip. No, this couldn't be how she died. She still had too much to do with her life.
A pained grunt came from Kai, the Sye's grip loosening as something wet splashed Elena's face.
There were similar expressions of surprise on her and Kai's faces as they both stared at the blade sticking out of the Sye's chest.
Auntie put her lips next to Kai's ear. "You're right. Odin is alive."
She ripped the blade out of Kai's back. Her gaze cruel as the Sye collapsed.
"Too bad you won't be able to tell anyone."
No wonder the generals feared her aunt. There was no one more terrifying. Or awesome.
Kira
"Let's get you out of those," Kira said, stepping over the Sye's already cooling body.
Odin wasn't going to be happy about the death of a relative, given how far the Sye had gone in trying to liberate them, but Kira couldn’t let herself care about that right now. The Sye had tried to kill her niece. They were lucky she'd given them a quick death.
"Your dad is going to be so mad I didn't wait for him," Kira informed Elena, cutting her niece free of the strange bindings covering her.
Especially since she'd ordered him to wait for her if he found Elena first.