AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“You’re too weak for such power, Anaria. You always were.”
He ran his tongue up the side of my face and Raz’s eyes ignited, chest heaving. My blood turned to ice when his powerful muscles bunched, his body gathering for the leap that would take him across the clearing.
And straight to his death.
Solok crooned, his voice as cold as the deepest pits of Hades, “I wanted you to know that. She will be mine and I will finish what I started, that day in the prison.”
“Over my dead, fucking…”
I screamed when Raz’s feet left the ground, but he was already hurtling towards us.
Until a blast of monstrous power struck him full in the chest.
His body buckled from the impact, ribs crunching as his limp form hurtledaway, away, awaybetween the dense trees, Solok’s claws ripping my flesh as I strained to escape. There was a crash in the darkness, a groan, then silence. Tavion took one flowing, stalking step, wicked sword gripped in both hands, ready to slice Solok’s head from his shoulders.
“Fucking get your hands off me.Let me go.” I tried to turn my head to see Raziel, but I couldn’t move. Couldn’t see if he still breathed, or if…
“The slave’s dead, or soon will be.” The Axe chuckled, cupped my breast, and squeezed. Tavion lifted his sword, Zorander growled, a deep, feral rumble that had Solok tensing against me, his grip on my throat tightening as he dragged me backwards.
“I do hope we meet on the battlefield, general.” He said, ignoring Tavion completely. “The Fae king is anxious to bring this war to an end, after he regains his full powers. I am looking forward to marching into Solarys with my armies and burning this shitehole city to the ground.”
Solok’s cold amusement made me shudder. If he returned, he wouldn’t leave a single Fae alive. He would destroy every innocent in this city, with no mercy and no quarter and he would enjoy every minute of their suffering.
Just like he’d done with the Descendants, with Ember…with me.
“Take Raziel somewhere safe.” I implored Zor and Tavion.Please, I begged them silently, praying they understood what I intended, and why none of them could be here.
Once you’re gone, I’ll unleash myself on Solok and you cannot be here when I do.
Zor just shook his head and swung his sword, battering against the dark wind surrounding us, but he couldn’t get past Solok’s dark, seething power, and I refused to doom them to whatever horrible end waited for us if I used my magic.
“Please.” I begged Tavion, tears of frustration streaming down my face. “Please,you have to go.”
“We’re not fucking leaving you, Anaria.” Tavion’s primal growl was more predator than Fae, his teeth longer than I’d ever seen, his eyes burning with feral rage.
“How noble. The little thief believes she can take me on all by herself.” Solok kept his hand cupped around my breast, bile rising in my throat as I racked my brain for how to save us, without dooming us.
“But it’s time to meet your fate, Anaria.” My next breath was pure frost, as cold as the darkness between the stars, Tavion and Zor fading from view as Solok prepared to spirit me away.
“Take care of Raz.” I rasped as Solok’s claws dug in deeper, the pain a reminder of the tortures in store for me when we returned to Tempeste. “Tell him I’m sorry. Tell him…I’d still choose him.”
There. That was all I could do.
This could have been my home. But I didn’t have time for regrets and wishes.
I had to decide what to do with the moments I had left. And this terrible magic raging to escape. The stench of Solok’s magic choked me, but I was not afraid.
When we landed in Tempeste, before Solok locked me in a cage or shackled me to an altar, I’d rip these iron bands off and I’d yank up every last piece of this cursed magic and I’d burn with power like I’d always dreamed.
I’d incinerate Solok right along with me, until we were both piles of ash, just like the Oracle’s prophecy.
That was my plan, before everything went completely to shite.
57
ANARIA
One second, Solok held me in a death grip, cold shadows erupting all around us.
