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“You’re such a fucking liar.” I rasped. “Julian would have slain you, if you hadn’t cheated. He fought for something he believed in. Unlike you, a dog following orders from his master.”
The taunt cost me, the Axe slicing one of his razor-sharp nails up the side of my throat, blood racing down my neck, between my breasts, yet, I wasn’t afraid.
I was filled with bright, cold fury, my weighty power building inside me, like a growing thunderstorm waiting to erupt.
“Unlike you, a weapon to be used against my enemies. Did she tell you how your brother died, Montgomery?” The Axe gripped my face so tightly I couldn’t look away from Tavion.
Couldn’t unsee the sheer misery in his eyes.
“This little bitch had just come into her power, was so vulnerable that a well-placed axe wound sent the magic exploding out of her and straight into your brother. Nothing but pure Fae magic would have killed one of you creatures.”
“That’show my brother died?” Tavion’s countenance changed. Rage shifted into something sharper, his glittering eyes promising vengeance. “It was you all along?”
“It was me.”
Solok’s tone turned mocking, dark shadowy bands of power lashing the air, forcing them all back. “I wanted to see if her magic could kill such an abomination. He was dead before he hit the ground.”
I squeezed my eyes shut to block out the look of horror on Tavion’s face. Because even the truth didn’t matter. Julian was dead and I’d killed him.
Without me, he’d still be alive.
But when I opened my eyes, I stilled at what shone in Tavion’s face. Apology and forgiveness, freely given, no hint of the cold, consuming rage I was so used to. I took a shaky breath and nodded; my body weak with relief.
The truth shouldn’t have mattered.
Tavion’s forgiveness shouldn’t have made a difference, given Solok’s hand banded around my throat, but somehow…it did.
“Then you and I have a blood debt to settle.” Tavion snarled, his shoulders tensing as he hefted the sword. Zor edged back, out of the way for when he swept that enormous weapon through the air.
Get ready to duck.Zor mouthed, his eyes flicking to the dark trees.Then run.
I didn’t want to run, I wanted to fight.
I could slip the iron bands off. Access my magic that clawed and fought to get free.
With luck, this evil power wouldn’t corrupt anyone except me and Solok, and I didn’t give a shite if I turned him into an even bigger monster. I’d barely reached for the bands when his talons dug in deeper, blood trickling down my neck until the top of my shirt was soaked.
“If you so much as blink, Anaria, I will slice you wide open. I know whose power you possess; I wasfucking therewhen you stole the king’s magic a second time, remember?”
“I suppose I’ve earned the name you gave me, then.” It was hard to get the words out around Solok’s strangling grip, but fuck him.
Him and his bitch of a sister.
Cold drifted off Solok in waves that reeked of foulness, as if he’d come straight from the darkest depths of the Great Beyond, the lowest levels where the cursed and the unworthy languished.
My neck was numb where he held me, my back, pressed against the length of his body, was so frozen my flesh ached.
Raz subtly changed position, so did Zor, angling for a better vantage point and the Axe turned with them, sending out well aimed lashes of shadow, not letting them get too close.
Raziel snarled, but stayed clear and I wished they were further away. Wished it was just me and Solok and my cursed power and I didn’t have to worry about collateral damage or corrupting these males I…cared about.
The revelation shocked me.
Somehow, even Tavion was peripherally included in that sweeping statement, which should have felt wrong, but somehow didn’t. Somehow…yes, keeping them safefeltright, on some deep, intrinsic level I couldn’t logically explain.
“After the Fae king rips his magic from her body, if there is anything left, he’s promised her to me.”
“The king will never get his magic back.” I hissed. “It’s mine.”
