He slammed Vermont to the wall, and I blinked consciously, taming Lightsdeath to make out their bodies of flesh though the edges of my vision still swirled with light and liquid silver.
Nyte ripped the vial from Vermont’s hand, and his fury, as he realized what it was, stoked the inferno already blazing within me.
“You were going todrugher with this?” Nyte said, his words cold as death.
“It’s the only way she can be tamed,” Vermont choked under Nyte’s forearm wedged against his neck.
“Tamed? You shouldbowbefore your queen, your star-maiden, who is not a thing to tame but a goddess to worship.”
Nyte gripped him, forcing the lord to his knees before me.
This reaping was mine.
Before I took his life, I turned to the onlookers pressed against the walls, clutching each other. I raised my voice to be sure all could hear me through the storming winds of my magick.
“You’ve ruled here, draped in arrogance, clinging to the illusion of power like it was handed to you by the heavens. But look at you—you’re no god. Gods don’t falter when their masks are ripped away. Gods don’t need to shout their greatness to be believed. You’re just a man. Flesh and bone. Fragile.”
“As are you,” he spat.
My smile bordered on villainous.
I gripped his wrist. “They whisper that your touch is golden. Call on it to save you now.”
Vermont began to scream when my magick spilled down his arm. Then, by Nyte’s interference, his ability to voice his agony was stolen.
“He’s just a man, trembling under the weight of his own falsehoods,” I said calmly as my light flooded into his open mouth, determined to devour the dark mass of his soul harbored in his frail body. I let him fall. “I am your star-maiden, and you are free from a tyrant ruler who fed you lies for decades.”
After a pause of silent judgment, the robed citizens started to drop to their knees one by one. They muttered their praises, their prayers, their wishes. But I could hardly hear any of it when Lightsdeath strained to reap more souls, and among these esteemed guests of Vermont’s… there was too much temptation.
Dozens of innocent lives were piled before me, and all of these people on their knees for me now had justwatched.
What were they to do?I tried to reason in my mind.
They would have slept soundly after the terror; they have done so before,Lightsdeath hissed as a more prominent voice in my head now.
They’ve surrendered to us.
Fear is not respect.
Respect can’t be gained by slaughter.
My teeth gritted, and I closed my eyes, battling my inner conflict with Lightsdeath.
Although I’d triumphed by slaying one evil, it only fed a hunger to hunt for more. There were endless dark souls in this world, and right now I wanted to comb the lands for them.
A touch on my arm made my eyes snap open.
“Stay with me,” the beautiful darkness said.
The darkest night.
I gripped his waistcoat, trying to fight back the otherworldly power trying to dominate me, but it hurt so badly to refuse it.
Because I didn’twantto.
Right now, I was grieving for the lives that were taken because of me.
“He killed them all,” I cried softly.
