Free Evanescent by Andria Buchanan Page B

head. “I forgot how funny you can be, how endearing, how ridiculous .”
    He straightened and let a smirk curl his lip. “There are always other means of moving between worlds. Dark magic you can’t even imagine. So remember, do things my way or you just might find yourself an orphan. Or even better still—replaced. You do have an aunt who can take your throne if I need her to.”
    “What is it you really want? Why are you here now?”
    “To offer you a deal. To give you a chance to save your pathetic land and its people. To save your own life. In three days I’ll be back here…with an army. If you want your people to live you’ll come out and bow to me. Then, as a show of good faith, you’ll bring me the tear.”
    “The tear? What’s the tear?”
    “The Dragon’s Tear. I know you’ve found it. The cat hid the relics from me but she made sure you would have them. If you want this kingdom to survive you’ll bring it to me.”
    “Esmeralda didn’t give me anything, let alone a powerful relic.” It wasn’t entirely a lie. She told me they were in the palace, but not where they were or what they were. “And even if I did have it, which I don’t, why would I give it to you?”
    “Three days,” he hissed. “You, on your knees, pledging allegiance to me and giving me the tear, or this entire land will burn.”
    “I’m telling you, I don’t even know what it is!”
    He turned to look around the room. “Then find it. Now, I think it’s time for me to go. It’s been lovely chatting with you, my dear, but the hour is late and I do have an invasion to begin.”
    “One of these days,” I called out as he started to walk away from me, “I’m going to kill you.”
    “No, you won’t.” He snapped his fingers and I felt the magical bonds tying me to the throne fall away as time started again. People screamed, and then Rhys rushed forward, his sword drawn, pushing through the now stampeding crowd toward us.
    “This world will be mine. No matter who I have to kill to possess it,” the Fate Maker said with a snarl. He lifted a hand and Rhys and two burly guards who’d been flanking him froze with their swords lifted to attack.
    “We’ll see each other soon, my dearest one. So very, very soon.” The Fate Maker turned to smile at me, his eyes glittering with hate. There was another brilliant burst of light and I flinched as three swords sliced through the air in front of me.
    Rhys’s blade stopped an inch from the tip of my nose and quivered there. I sat, looking cross-eyed at the steel blade and sighed. To think, back in the real world my biggest hassle had been gym class. At least there no one had tried to kill me.
    I looked around. The Fate Maker’s light show had gotten everyone’s attention, and now, instead of rushing the doors, they were all standing there, dumbfounded, staring as Rhys shoved a razor-sharp sword in my face.
    “I think you missed him.” I shook my head and tried not to look terrified. Right now the last thing I needed was for my people to think that I was afraid. Even though I was totally terrified.
    “I can see that.” He pulled his sword back with a quick jerk and sheathed it. “How long was he here?”
    “A minute, maybe two.” I stood as the other two guards put their swords away, and then I began to pace, clenching my hands into fists to keep them from shaking. “He froze all of you and the next thing I knew I was trapped on the throne so he could rant at me.”
    “He put a spell on you?” Winston pushed forward, past Rhys’s guards, and grabbed my hands. “Did he hurt you?”
    “No, but he wants some sort of magical relic—the Dragon’s Tear. It’s supposed to be like the mirror. Something that lets him move between this world and the World That Is.”
    “Or what?” Rhys asked.
    “Oh you know, the usual bad-guy stuff,” I said and huffed out a panicky laugh. “He has an army and they’re marching toward Neris. When they get here I can either give him