I put a fist to my mouth. “Stefan was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Elijah was always jealous of the bond we had, and Stefan never acted like an entitled little prick, like Eli had the tendency to do. Elijah said I was choosing Stefan over him, and we had an argument. I told Elijah his views were archaic and despicable, and they had no place in modern fae society. He accused me of trying to force him to my opinion. He took it as a grave insult I thought he was in the wrong, and if you know anything about Malovians, they always have to be right.”
“How is it not obvious to him that hewas wrong, though?” Emma asked. “It’s the simplest virtue of all to believe everyone should have equal rights and opportunities.”
“He convinced himself otherwise, at any cost— even at the cost of his soul. Evil people always think they’re right, Emma. They believe they’re serving the greatest good. I’m certain Eli believes in his heart the changes he wants to make to our world will benefit our people instead of hurt them.”
I made a scoffing noise. “He had the gall to accuse me of being offensive and hurtful. I did no such thing. It’s not hurtful to call someone out on their bullshit. If anything, it’s an act of love. And I did it to save Eli from himself, for all the good it did.”
“So what’s the difference, then, between you and him? You had similar lives, but turned out differently. Why?”
“I was willing to see things from a different perspective. I think when I lost my leg was the big turning point. Once you become disabled, your entire view on the world changes. Even as a prince, I had insight to disadvantages that oppressed people face. Once I became an amputee, I couldn’t pull the wool over my eyes anymore. I couldn’t continue to pretend the royals had it right, and there wasn’t a need for our society to change. So after my father died, I turned away from the traditional ideals our fae ancestors held. Eli clung to them. When I refused to join in on his twisted way of thinking, he took it as me condemning his actions, turning my back on our ancestors. I’m certain he believes I’ve abandoned him, too. It’s why he hates me so. In his eyes, I’m ashamed of the family.”
Emma gave a huff. “What a narcissistic bastard. Not everything’s about him.”
“He’s not alone, though, which is why he’s dangerous,” I added. “The Circle thinks that way.Gabbythinks that way. Along with thousands of other fae who stick to the old ways of our ancestors, regardless of whether they’re morally sound or not. Any attempt to be progressive or come up with a new way is seen as attacking our way of life. Even if the old way causes suffering for others.”
“I can hear the way you talk about it. It’s like you’re in pain,” Emma commented. “Like… I don’t know. It’s as if Elijah died years ago, and this man walking around now is just a stranger to you.”
“I hate Elijah for the person he has become. That boy that I loved like a brother is gone. He no longer exists. Any good trait Eli once had was devoured by his need to be right. I wish you could’ve met him then, when he was as I like to remember him. That boy would’venevertaken a life to maintain power.”
I sighed. “It shows you how dramatically people can change, with the right motivation. Or the wrong one, I suppose.”
Emma reached out. She laid a few fingers on my wrist and said, “Well… whatever happened to Eli wasn’t your fault. And I’m glad you made the right decision.”
Her gesture should’ve comforted me. And it did… for a moment or so.
Then it left me wholly enraged.
I was able to decipher the difference between my emotions and the leshane’s immediately. When Emma touched me, the leshane’s hold on me weakened. The magic that bound us together began pushing at the edges of his being.
Things happened so quickly. The red stone in my hand turned to ashes, which fell to the floor between my fingers. I felt the protective shield I had created be drained by the leshane as he sucked ravenously at its energy. I wasn’t looking in a mirror, but when Emma gasped and wrenched away, I knew that my eyes had gone red.
“Emma, get away from me.” My whole form shook as I struggled to maintain control.
Emma jumped up from her chair. She began backing away slowly, hand inching for the doorknob as she kept her eyes on me. “Ethan?”
“Run.”
I was able to utter that one word before the leshane took hold of my body. I exploded into my wolven form, and landed on three paws. Emma gave a scream and dove out of the way just before my jaws could latch onto her legs. She ran out the door, and all I could do was force my body to pause for a moment before the leshane dragged me into a run.
Emma was sprinting down the dark hallway, while my body raced after her. I fought against the leshane with all my might, but he had the upper hand. The leshane took advantage of the dark magic inside of me. Instead of causing the protective spell to do what it was made to, he turned it around, using it as a shield against me to prevent me from breaking a way through. I watched helplessly through my own eyes as I chased Emma down the corridor, my jaws salivating as the leshane longed to taste blood again.
Emma looked back and gave another scream just as I jumped into the air to take her down. Fear exploded in my heart and took over, pinning me down with despair as I prepared to watch the leshane take her life.
An alicorn came barreling out of nowhere, hooves smacking the stone. He slammed into me, ramming his shoulder into my chest. I went flying backward and crashed against the wall, which knocked the wind right out of me. As I gasped for breath, the leshane forced my body to stand again, though the alicorn blocked my way to Emma.
It was Theo. His sides were heaving, head bowed as he waved his horn in a warning to stay back.
The leshane didn’t care. He’d do whatever it took to stop Emma from breaking me free of his hold, and that meant killing her and anyone that got in the way. I felt him tilt my body toward Theo, before I felt the bodies of two men overhead.
Alexei and Stefan had arrived, and piled on top of me. Though they were still in their human forms, they had all the strength they did as shifters, and held me down. The protective shield began to ebb away. I put all my will into fighting the leshane as my body frothed and shook like a rabid dog’s, the leshane desperately trying to break through to Emma.
“Bud, you gotta snap out of it,” Stefan growled. Even as a dragon shifter, he was having trouble holding me still. The leshane was strong.
Theo changed back and got on top of me, alongside Alexei. I could hear the griffin’s panic as he shouted, “We can’t hold him for much longer! Emma, get out of here!”
Though Emma’s expression was pale, she didn’t turn away. She crept forward at a slow pace, reaching out her hand.
“Emma, what the hell are you doing? He’s mad!” Theo growled.
