“As you just saw, the Empress bites into their wrist,” Elijah explained, “opening a wound, then bites her own wrist. The mixture of her venom and blood dripping into the human’s wound, allows for the start of the transition.”
I’d always assumed it would simply require the bite.
“How long does the process ta—”
My words were cut off as a horn suddenly sounded. The ominous tone vibrated the very air, causing a chill of apprehension to roll over my skin.
What the hell was that?
I looked around at the three of them, each frozen in alert.
The horn sounded again.
My mouth opened to ask…but the horn sounded a final, third time.
“Fuck.”
“What?” I asked, feeling panicked. His harsh tone told me there was something very wrong.
“It’s a signal. A warning.” Elijah stood, his eyes flaring with something dark as his hands clenched at his sides and he barked in command, “To the private library.”
“A signal for what?”
“There’s an enemy ship approaching.”
ChapterTwenty-Four
Elijah
“Malakai has made a formal declaration of war. A naval ship flying his flag has sailed into our waters.”
Our Empress’s words rang in my ears. My vision narrowed into a tunnel, and my hearing went static. A wave of pure fury like I’d never experienced before slammed into me hard enough that I grasped my chest, feeling like my heart was going to explode out.
A pair of soft hands tugged on my arm. Distantly I knew it was Kyella, but I could barely see straight, let alone look down at her. I was positive my expression was contorted into something she wouldn’t recognize. I heard someone else say my name, most likely Kolvar or Dakath because no one else would dare, but I didn’t respond. If I opened my mouth, I couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t lose my shit.
I took pride in my controlled calm—my level of professionalism was unparalleled—but right now I felt like a different person. One ruled by the base instinct of rage and possessiveness that nearly brought me to my knees. I felt like my brain was void of any rational thought except one…
Malakai was trying to take Kyella back.
A violent growl left my throat at the idea of that. I turned on my heel, storming from the Empress’s private library, needing a moment alone. I had never in my life left a room I was needed in, and absolutely never during an emergency strategy meeting, but I couldn’t stay in that space without detonating in front of everyone. I ran a hand through my hair, tugging on it in hopes that the bite of pain would pull me from this dark, twisted place.
He couldn’t fucking take her. I wouldn’t allow it.
Walking across the hallway, I slammed my fist into the wall and watched the stone crumble.What the fuck was I doing?Blinking, I sped as fast as I could towards my room, needing to lock myself away. Not even that violent action had calmed me, which was really fucking concerning.
I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t protect our empire, our Empress, and for sure not Kyella when I was in this state, when all I was ruled by was the pure instinct to hide her away from the rest of the world. To keep her safe from Malakai, everything and everyone else be damned.
My breaths were harsh, and when I finally closed my bedroom door, I snapped. I completely lost it. I should’ve known my suppressed emotions would eventually catch up to me. I should’ve known that denying the intense depth of affection and desire I felt for Kyella would be my ruin.
It didn’t matter how careful I’d been, how hard I tried tonotfeel for her to avoid putting her in danger and causing me to fail in my duty at the same time. All of it paled in comparison to the idea of her being taken from me and returned to that piece of shit.
The memory of seeing her so broken at his feet, being fed off of by his Lords, then begging me not to… It made me see red.
Everything I’d been afraid of was coming to fruition. I would let everything burn in order to keep Kyella safe, to keep her here. It didn’t matter who I’d been loyal to before if it interfered with my desperate instinct to make sure Kyella was within arms’ reach and safe. Nothing else fucking mattered anymore, and I couldn’t lie to myself any longer.
“Elijah.”
The soft, feminine voice calling my name caused everything to come to a halt.
