Bianca comes out and stands just at the doors. Tarina walks to the center, motioning for me and Bianca to step forward. We have to shake hands and I feel Bianca grip my hand tightly, trying to hurt me. I squeeze back and she rips her hand from my grip. Tarina then takes a seat and Bianca and I step back from each other.
Bianca smiles cockily, and I return her smile before letting my eyes flash gold. Her smile instantly falls when she realizes I have my magic again. She steps back, frightened.
“What are you waiting for? Start!” Christopher yells to her.
Bianca shakes herself out before lunging forward. I decide to play with her for a bit, sidestepping at the last minute. She spins on her heels before trying to punch me. One thing I’m good at with Theo and Tobias is predicting their moves, Bianca is no different.
As I snap my head back, her hand hits the air as I bring my foot up and kick her in the stomach. Bianca goes flying backwards and I stalk towards her. She gets up and runs at me, but before she can touch me, I lift my hand, palm up before slamming my palm down. Bianca lifts off the ground and then hits the ground, face first with a loud thud.
I hear Christopher gasp when he realizes I have my magic back. The distraction costs me as Bianca’s fist connects with the side of my face.
My head whips to the side before she kicks me in the stomach, sending me hurtling into the brick wall of the lobby. The impact knocks the air out of my lungs and I grunt before pulling myself onto my hands and knees. I don’t even have time to get up when I see her running at me. I feel my magic surge through my palms, sickly sweet. I draw on the darkness, taking a little of it before hitting the ground with my palms. The ground lifts in a wave, making her lose her footing. Black vines grow from the earth underneath the stone ground, wrapping like tentacles around her. She struggles against the vines trapping her and holding her in place.
She screams loudly as the thorns pierce her skin, long and sharp, moving over her body like a snake.
“She can’t use magic!” Christopher screams angrily when he realizes Bianca is losing. I ignore him, walking toward her.
When he gets to his feet, protesting again, Mara stands, blocking him from the fight. “No one said there were any rules, Christopher. Now sit down, you don’t want to anger me,” she warns, flashing her fangs.
He sits back down when he realizes the entire council is eyeing him angrily. Mara nods toward me to continue. Bianca squirms in the vine’s grip, trying to break free from their restraints. I casually stroll over to her, stopping a few feet off. Now that she is restrained, I feel bad. I hate her, but I won’t be any better than her if I kill her. Killing her won’t bring my mother back or my life back. Not that I want it back now, anyway. The only thing separating me from her is that I’m not a murderer.
“Finish it!” Screams Christopher, angrily.
I shake my thoughts away, deciding to let the darkness take over. I feel my magic zap and crackle between my fingers. Electricity sparks and I roll my arms, creating an enormous ball of electricity. Bianca watches, horrified, and I look to Theo and Tobias. Both of them turn their heads and I can feel that they don’t want to watch me kill my sister, kill their ex-wife.
They don’t enjoy seeing me like this, yet if I don’t do it, I know I forfeit the challenge. Josiah nods to me and I turn back to Bianca. Her blue eyes are the same as mine, looking back at me pleading. I raise my hands, planning to incinerate her when she screams.
“It was his idea! I didn’t want any part of it! I just wanted my father back!” I falter, hearing her pleading.
“Who’s idea?” Josiah and Mara say at the same time, getting up from their seats.
Electricity zaps loudly as I feel my magic building still, while I hold it between my hands.
“Christopher’s, please, Imogen, you don’t want to kill me. I know you don’t!” She pleads, looking at me with tears in her eyes. I snap my head in Christopher’s direction, but he is suddenly gone.
“Where did he go?” I ask, as everyone looks to Christopher’s seat which is now empty.
“Speak?” Mara demands, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at Bianca. Theo places his hand on my shoulder before jumping back, having been electrocuted by my magic running over my skin. I let the magic go, let it fizzle out while we figure out what is going on.
“Christopher didn’t want Josiah getting a seat at the table. We made a deal; he would tell me where my father was if I got him to take his seat back at the table. He refused, Christopher said he wouldn’t come back because of your mother and that if I got rid of her, he would come back. So, I killed her. I am sorry, Imogen, I can’t blame him entirely. I did it and I will admit I enjoyed watching you suffer from it. I was jealous of what you had with Tobias and Theo. Jealous that our father dumped my mother for yours.” I feel my anger rise, hearing her confess. “When my father came back, he refused the position, and I gave it to Alaric, which angered Christopher, so he told me to kill dad and he would take care of Alaric, and I could take the position.”
“Guards find, Christopher,” Mara yells.
Suddenly, men come running out of the empty shops, taking off through the streets.
“Christopher told Alaric information about your wife that he received from me. I was spying on you when you both left. I followed you, then Josiah killed Alaric for Christopher. He knew you would fly off the deep end and kill him and he could also get revenge on you for what Theo did to his son, by getting you punished,” she tells Josiah.
“I can’t believe you killed your own father for a place on the council” Mara booms, before stepping forward and slapping her across the face.
Bianca spits out blood and coughs from the impact, huge claw marks scratch her face from the blow.
“Find Christopher!” Mara shouts, talking to the rest of the council members, they nod but stop when an unfamiliar voice echoes through the quad. One I haven’t heard before.
Spinning around, I hear Tobias growl along with Theo and Josiah. I look in the direction they are looking. “I have him here,” says the stranger’s voice.
When I lay eyes on him, he isn’t a stranger. Percy walks in with another man who has Christopher by the back of his suit. He lays unconscious while Percy and the man get closer, dragging Christopher with them.
He stops in front of me and I look at him in shock. “Hey, Immy,” he says, and I can see the emotion he is trying to hide behind his eyes.
“Dad?”