Page 113 of Omen of ice
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Keltania
Delkin has never called me by anything other than my name, so it’s a bit of a shock when he refers to Levina as Aphelian.
“This is Levina, our high priestess.” I glare at her. What she’d been willing to do to Valen—to me—is unforgivable. Part of me is furious, while another part is devastated. She’s supposed to be our example. The standard to which we hold ourselves. Instead, she’s just as bad as Servis.
Inside, I want to crumble. I want to curl up and cry, to weep for everything I’ve lost—all the things I never considered might slip from my grasp. But on the outside? I am as Levina taught me to be. Nature’s sword and her fury. “She’s also a dishonor to the Order.”
Delkin shakes his head. “No, Tania.” His voice is soft, and the look of pity in his eyes makes my stomach clench. “Sheisthe Order. This isn’tanAphelian. This istheAphelian. The very same druid who channeled half of druid magic to win the war.”
The weight of his words settles like a thick fog, and I find it hard to breathe. What he’s saying is… No. Not on top of everything else. It’s too much. Too impossible.
“How could that be?” I ask. “Aphelian was a human, and that was thousands of years ago.”
Levina—Aphelian—laughs. The sound is grating and cold, skittering down my spine like razors against skin. “Indeed, it was.” Her expression darkens. “And I have spent every moment of that time waiting for an opportunity to repay the Fae for their cruelty.”
“But you werehelpingthe Fae.” My head spins. “You were working with Liani to steal Valen’s power.”
Aphelian waves toward Liani and shakes her head. “I knew where our power was. I simply bided my time until someone came along—someone I could manipulate like Servis did me—and struck a deal. She’s nothing more than common Fae scum clamoring for power. The daughter of a simple healer determined to claw her way to the top by whatever means possible. I never had any intention of giving her what she wanted.” Turning, she flashes Valen’s aunt a saccharine smile.
“You bitch,” Liani spits. She struggles in Daroose’s grip, but the kelpie holds tight.
Aphelian sighs. With a wave of her hand, the ground beneath Liani’s feet rumbles. Daroose lets go of his prisoner and jumps back as the earth cracks and thick, thorny vines sprout from the dirt. They slither upward and wrap around Liani—up both legs, around her torso and arms, then encircling her neck. The assault continues across her face and mouth and stops just shy of covering her nose.
When I find my voice, there’s a slight shake to it. Now is not the time to fall apart. I refuse to let her see the devastation she’s caused me. “She said you helped put Orbik into her thrall. And this—” I point to the now-bound Winter Lady. “This is more power than a priestess sigil would afford. If you gave Servis half of everything, how can you do this?”
“When I created the tear, I left myself with a little something extra,” she says. “A modicum of what I used to have—but more than enough to fell each of you should you decide to act foolishly.”
Delkin must know this because, if not, he could have destroyed her ten times over. But, as fierce a warrior as he is, he is still just a Fae. And a Fae without magic would be no match for her.
“How did you fool the druids? How did you get them to believe you’d killed yourself?” They hailed her as a hero, a true protector of life. They created the Order to celebrate her…
“My first disguise, the very first incarnation I took after shedding this skin, was of Lily Rose.”
Valen’s confusion slides down the link. “Lily Rose was the druid who created the Order,” I tell him. “She was Aphelian’s daughter.”
“Did you kill her?” Valen’s revulsion hits me hard.
“Of course not, you disgusting beast. After Servis betrayed me, I fled the Winter Lands. I had Lily and hid her in Harabin.”
Valen shakes his head. “Wait. Was Servis—”
“Her father? Goddess, no. I became pregnant after I left.”
“Harabin was destroyed not long after the war,” I say.
“Indeed. It was.” Anguish blazes in her eyes for a moment before turning to rage. “I created the Order, disguised as her. As what I believed she might have looked like had she been given a chance to grow. I’ve had several children over the centuries. Their offspring continued my line so that the Order could survive.”
“Why didn’t you try to get the tear back?” Valen asks.
“I almost did. My plan was mapped out, a trap laid. I could have been in and out before Servis even knew I was there.” There’s a flicker of guilt in her eyes. “But an opportunity presented itself, and revenge burned within me. I failed to kill him, and as punishment, Servis bound me to his bloodline. While any one of his male descendants lived, I would be unable to act against his bloodline and, by extension, the Winter Fae.”
Understanding filters through the link, and Valen nods. “You somehow convinced the courtesan to assassinate him.”
Her lips slip into a sly grin. “With his death, my next step was to be rid of your grandfather, Envrill, so I bided my time. It was during his reign that I met a young Liani.” She winks at the Fae. “We conspired long before she married Orbik, playing the long game in order to gain the power we both sought. I convinced her that as long as she won him over and didn’t give him an heir, she would be the most powerful Fae in the Winter Lands one day. But alas, you were never destined for the throne, my old friend. And now that you’ve given me a way to be rid of the Icekeeper line…”
With the smallest flick of Aphelian’s wrist, the vines finish their ascent, covering the rest of Liani’s face. For a moment, her enshrouded form trembles and shakes as she fights like a banshee for air.
