ELARA'S POV
"You're lying," I said to Drace, even as my heart screamed that he wasn't.
"I'm not." The commander's face was grim. "Your mother, Lady Amara, was the last Keeper of Divine Locks. She could open or close any divine binding ever created. That's why she was murdered—because she refused to use her power to help the Celestial Court enslave more gods."
Morven's shock pulsed through our bond. "The Keepers were extinct. They died out centuries before I was imprisoned."
"One survived." Drace looked at me. "Your mother. She hid her power, married a nobleman, tried to live a normal life. But Lavinia discovered the truth when you were born. That's why your mother died—Lavinia poisoned her, made it look like she died from childbirth complications."
My hands clenched into fists. Another person who'd destroyed my life. Another name on my list.
"If I have this power," I said slowly, "why haven't I felt it?"
"Because your mother sealed it inside you before she died. She didn't want you hunted like she was." Drace pulled out a small silver key from his pocket. "This was hers. Before she died, she gave it to me—told me to give it to you when you were ready. When you'd suffered enough to understand the weight of the power you'd inherit."
"Suffered enough?" Anger flooded through me. "My mother wanted me to suffer?"
"She wanted you to be strong enough to bear what's coming." Drace held out the key. "This will unlock the seal. But Elara—once you accept this power, there's no going back. Every god, every divine being, every magical creature will sense what you are. You'll be hunted forever."
"I'm already being hunted," I said flatly, taking the key. The moment my fingers touched it, warmth spread through my hand. "What do I do with it?"
"Place it over your heart. The seal will recognize its match."
I looked at Morven. Through our bond, I felt his conflict—part of him wanted me to have power to protect myself. Part of him feared what that power might mean for our binding.
"Do it," he said quietly. "We need every advantage we can get."
I pressed the key to my chest, right over the binding mark—
And screamed.
Power exploded inside me. Not my healing magic. Something older, deeper, fundamental. I could suddenly feel every divine binding in existence—thousands of them, like threads of light connecting gods to prisons, to curses, to chains.
And I knew, instinctively, that I could cut every single one.
Including mine and Morven's.
The knowledge hit us both through the bond. I could free him. Right now. With a thought, I could sever our connection and he'd be a full god again.
"Elara—" Morven started.
"I'm not breaking it," I said quickly. "Not yet. Not when we need each other to survive."
Relief and something else—disappointment?—flickered through him.
The power settled, becoming part of me. I looked at Drace. "Thank you. Now leave before someone sees you helping us."
"There's more." He pulled out a map. "The fastest route to the capital goes through the Shadowpass—a three-day journey on foot. But there's a shortcut. The ancient Gate of Mirrors. It's a divine portal that can transport you directly to the cathedral grounds."
"Divine portals have been sealed for centuries," Morven said.
"Exactly." Drace pointed to a mark on the map. "Sealed with divine locks. Which Elara can now open."
Hope sparked in my chest. "Where is it?"
"Half a day's journey east. But Elara—" Drace's expression darkened. "The gate is guarded by a Sentinel. A divine construct that kills anyone who approaches. Your mother was one of the few who could pass it safely because of her Keeper powers. But you're untrained. If you face the Sentinel without knowing how to use your abilities—"
"I'll die," I finished. "Got it. Any other good news?"
"Lavinia knows about the gate. She'll have forces waiting on the other side if you manage to open it." He rolled up the map. "You're walking into a trap either way."
"Then we spring the trap." I looked at Morven. "But first, I need to not die in the next fight. Can you teach me?"
Morven's eyebrows rose. "Teach you what?"
"To fight. To survive. To be more than the helpless healer everyone destroyed." I met his silver eyes. "You said if I'm bound to you, I won't be weak. Prove it."
Something shifted in his expression. "You're serious."
"Completely."
"Training will hurt. I won't go easy on you."
"Good." I handed the map to Drace. "Mark the gate's location. We leave in two hours."
Drace left, and Morven turned to me with an expression I couldn't read.
"We start now," he said. "And I'm warning you—I don't know how to be gentle."
"Then don't be."
He moved so fast I didn't see it coming. His hand caught my shoulder and flipped me. I hit the ground hard, all the air leaving my lungs.
"Lesson one," Morven said, standing over me. "Always expect the attack."
I gasped for breath, anger and determination flooding through me. I grabbed his ankle and pulled, using his own momentum against him.
He went down—surprised—and I scrambled on top of him, my hand raised to strike.
He caught my wrist easily. "Not bad for a first attempt. Terrible execution, but the instinct was right."
We were inches apart, breathing hard, the bond humming between us.
"Again," I demanded.
We trained for an hour. He knocked me down seventeen times. I knocked him down twice—both times by surprising him rather than overpowering him.
By the end, I was covered in bruises and bleeding from a split lip. But I was still standing.
"Why do you keep getting up?" Morven asked, almost curious. "Most mortals would have quit after the first ten falls."
I spat blood. "Because I'm done being the victim. I was kind and gentle and good, and they destroyed me for it. They threw me away like garbage." I wiped my mouth. "Never again. I'll become whatever I need to be to survive. To win. To make them all pay."
Something flickered in Morven's expression—approval, maybe even respect.
"You're starting to understand," he said quietly. "Power isn't about being strong. It's about refusing to stay down."
"Teach me more."
"There's no time. We need to leave for the gate."
"Then teach me while we walk." I picked up a broken piece of wood to use as a practice weapon. "I need to be ready for whatever's coming."
Morven studied me for a long moment. Then he nodded. "The girl who was sacrificed would never survive what's ahead. But the woman you're becoming?" A slight smile. "She might actually have a chance."
We gathered what little supplies we had and prepared to leave. But as I tied Seraphine up to leave for the authorities later, she laughed—a sound that made my skin crawl.
"You think you're so clever," she wheezed. "Running to save the boy. Opening ancient gates. But you don't know the truth."
"What truth?" Morven demanded.
"Finn isn't just bait for Lavinia's ritual." Seraphine's eyes glittered with malice. "He's bait for you, Elara. Because he's not your half-brother."
My blood ran cold. "What?"
"He's your full brother. Your mother didn't die—she survived, but Lavinia locked her away. She's been alive all this time." Seraphine smiled cruelly. "And Lavinia's had her captive for ten years, forcing her to bear a second child with divine blood. That child is Finn. Your real brother. Your mother is being held in the cathedral's dungeons right now, and if you open that gate?" She laughed. "Lavinia will kill her the moment you arrive."