Page 62 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

“I know you’re studying me, Isa. I know you have spies reporting what I do.” I dragged my dagger over my palm and let the blood drip and pool to the floor. “But while you were trying to become me, I became better.” My blood began shifting, morphing, taking the shape of a long-feathered serpent. “Five.”

Isa sneered, glancing between me and the blood snake inching closer to her. “What is this?”

“Four.”

“Dark magic? Blood magic?”

“Three.”

“Is this what you’ve become!” she shouted, scurrying back.

“Two.”

She laughed. Madly. “You’ve sold your soul, haven't you! You dealt a hand with hells for this? All so you could defeat me? How pathetic.”

I’d sold my soul over a thousand times. One more time wouldn’t kill me. “One.”

Isa’s eyes blew wide when the serpent shot in the air like an arrow, aiming in her direction. It tore through her barrier of ice, almost melting through it.

Blood was indeed thicker than water. Scorching against ice. Denser than ice.

Dropping the bloodied dagger, I took a seat on my throne, watching it all unfold before me—the red serpent circling Isa who helplessly blew all of her mana in magic to try and keep it away.

Just before the blood serpent was about to make the final blow, its body melted into a puddle of crimson liquid. At my command, Isa would live. She was my stepping stone to have this kingdom become entirely mine. My people only had to choose right. Isa would help them choose right—she would help them choose me. If I intended to join Isjord again, she had to be part of the game—a game entirely of politics. She just had to play it my way.

“Why?” she asked, trying to lift her body up from the ground and failing.

“It’s time you start playing by the rules, Isa. You want to win this, them, this kingdom? Follow the damn rules.”

“Your rules, you mean?”

“Why would there be any others? My rules are the only rules. I am queen. King. God. You name it.”

“There will never be any winning.”

“Then I’m fine with playing until my very last breath. But stray from the rules and gone will the game be. Do not touch my people if they choose to not follow you. Do not threaten them. Do not do anything at all. Preach your little tales and sing your pitiful songs, buy them with coin and promises of power. I do not care, but you do not touch what is mine to protect. You don’t want to see me play without rules.”

“You’ll give me my war, then?”

“I’ll give you your ruin, and your ruin alone. Be grateful I am giving you a fighting chance. Be grateful that I want Isjordians to be free of the shackles rulers like you put on them. Be grateful I am offering them a choice. Change. A new future.”

“I don’t know if you’re stupid or plainly naive.”

“It’s concerning that you think trying to protect this kingdom could mark me as naive, Isa.”

Her pale eyes narrowed as if she couldn’t grasp a single word I had just said.

“Toss her back to her people,” I said when Elias stepped inside.

He sighed, shaking his head. “Again?”

“Yes, Elias, again.”

If not for the way my skin prickled, I wouldn’t have noticed any other presence in the room but my own—so lost in my own head. Malik pushed inside the room. Not even acknowledging Isa’s bleeding body being dragged out the corridor. He simply raised a brow at the whole scene.

“What?” I asked.

Stopping in the middle of the room, he inspected everything slowly and then me. “Frankly, you’re scaring me a little.”