I ball my fists, holding onto my anger.
“I knew a Nightside would come along who would be stronger than me, someday. Time is long. And I waited, because I did not want to risk my own life. Olivia was strong, and after the battle on the Beaumonts, I knew I had to use her. I had to get her alone and mold her into someone who could help me rise to power. I worked with Li to make this night perfect. We would eliminate the other High Council members, together, and start a new order. I told her that Nightsides and Truebloods should be equal, but I planned to have Olivia eliminate her, too. Also, I had to make the fight look genuine.”
Li whirls on the Duke, eyes widening, but Stella and Enrico seize her arms, pulling her back.
Uproar follows, and everyone's shouting so loud that I can't make out any words. Dominic lifts his sword, but Ursala steps in front of him, making him lower it with his glare.
“I think we've heard enough,” Ursala says. “Shall we hold a vote on Li's fate, or is it even necessary at this point? There is a law about dispatching traitors quickly should they pose such a dire threat to our order. And I invoke that law.”
I hold on to the Duke's body and mind, not daring to back down, and then I nod to Dominic. “This is my gift to you and the High Council. Take it as a sign of my goodwill.” And I seize control of Carrington's blood and force him to kneel in front of Dominic Beaumont, the first person he betrayed, and the High Council, who closes in on him as his head hangs.
The other members force Li down to her knees, to sit in shame next her conspirator. And I back away, keeping just enough control over the Duke to stop him from blabbing that the Prophecy is real after all, and that I'm double dominant and dangerous.
The High Council motions for Dominic to step forward and take his revenge. He slowly lifts his sword, relishing the moment.
And he and the Council make it quick, but not too quick.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
I back into Riley, and he wraps his arms around me and holds me there as I allow the control to slip away. As the Duke continues to scream, and then gurgle, the stench of his acrid blood meets my nostrils.
Li takes her execution like the ancient Trueblood she is, hardly making a sound, but Riley turns me away and marches me towards the edge of the Convening.
Li takes it like the ancient Trueblood she is, hardly making a sound, but Riley turns me away and marches me towards the edge of the Convening.
The world is a blur. Everyone else fades away.
Riley stands there, embracing me, breathing in my ear, one breath at a time. He shuts out the sounds of cutting and ripping and breaking bones, and of the High Council pouncing on the Duke and on Li to finish the job.
I focus all on Riley, who rests his head on my shoulder. Our surroundings fade into the background.
And as the sounds of killing fade into the background and finally stop, leaving an iron silence over the convention center, he whispers, “You did the right thing. You just saved the Truebloods and the Nightsides.”
I breathe out, not realizing that my ears have been ringing from the terror.
“I did,” I gasp.
I just stopped not only an overthrow, but myself from becoming a monster.
I can use my powers for evil and for good.
“Olivia,” Dad says, appearing at my side as Riley loosens his grip. He's pale, with bags hanging under his eyes from days of planning his own attack. “I don't have words, and I understand if you don't forgive me for this. The Duke was controlling me, turning me away from you. I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. I had to ally with Dominic to help you.” Then he turns to Riley. “The deal was that I could not help you at all. If you want to punch me—”
“You saved us,” I say. Then my heart rises. “Dominic. He can still tell everyone you took, well, you know.” It’s clear he doesn’t care about Riley’s life.
Riley stiffens beside me, and I'm glad he's here. How should I feel about this at all?
“We have to do damage control,” Dad says. “I’ll help keep the Beaumonts from saying anything. They’re disgraced and their words won’t stand up, but we want no suspicion.”
Riley glares at him. “Good. You can start making up for what you did now.”
I whirl and look past Dad. I look past Lily, who is still in the arms of her father and now her mother. She's clutching her neck while another hunter brings a bandage and a bottle of disinfectant closer, probably raided from a first aid kit the center has lying around. The High Council, now without Li, huddles around something on the floor, just inside the half-circle of podiums. They're speaking in low voices while the rest of the Convening stands, waiting, in their rows of chairs. The Beaumont coven hangs off the side, close to where the human servants stand and wait. Even Addie doesn't look at the scene, but waits with her head hanging.
And there are other bodies.
Two of the Nightsides from the kitchen lie face-down in pools of their blood. I only see them because they're close to the edge of the crowd, but I know there must be more who didn't make it. Three other bodies, probably Truebloods, lie near the front.
I spot our coven, all waiting at the front with their arms crossed or by their sides. Becky has a gash down her neck, and she's holding her arm like it's broken. Stanley just hangs back, trying to disappear from his horror. I'm glad to see that Daeshawn has survived, though the front of his dress shirt is bloody,
