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I looked down to find the blade’s tip had met an oval barrier, the protection plate thrown in front of his chest, right where his heart would be. He was never distracted. Araki knew what I had planned to do and how he’d saved himself.
Clenching my jaw, I wrenched the dagger back and stabbed it through again. But Araki surged up with his magic as his wings did the same, drawing it from that terrifying endless fount until the power reverberated through my arm and shook the blade. Araki then bucked his knees, sending me flying out of his lap. My arm twisted with my fall, and I dropped the dagger. I quickly bent down to grab the dagger again before he could. Dashing forward, I drew him with me, ducked under him, and shoved him with enough strength in my legs and hands. He fell on impact but sprang back to his feet in a flash, his massive wings spreading out, a broadsword in his hands. My eyes widened—where had that come from?
“Did you think I wasn’t waiting for one of you?” Araki smirked at me, his violet eyes glowing with fury.
His taunting made me stiffen for a moment. Was there a traitor among us?
“How did you know?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“Oh, you played your part alright, and I’ll admit, your body would’ve brought in a lesser man. You’re beautiful and strong with curves in all the right places….” He flew forward fast, swinging his sword toward my neck.
I spun away, bringing up my dagger to deflect the blade as he descended on me with it. With one smooth stroke, I cut through the sash at my waist and let my skirts drop. I jumped out of them and grabbed the dagger from my other thigh.
“But how did I know you were the assassin? You weren’t embarrassed or shy. You didn’t want me to think you were too interested in becoming the king’s consort.” Araki continued as he landed gracefully, his wings still spread out.
Damn, damn, damn! I cursed. I had four daggers, two inside my bloomers against my inner thighs, one at my ankle, and a fourth inside the sapphire at my neck. That one was poisoned, and all I’d need was a single cut, and I’d end this murderer before me. First, though, I needed to get the space to pull it. He came at me swiftly, his sword slashing first to my left and then to the right. I kept moving, dancing away from him as I used my small blades to block his long one from me.
My lip curled back as I snarled. “I will kill you for everything you’ve done, and when I dance on your grave, your victims will finally have peace.”
His smirk faltered, and wrath encompassed his face. I drew in close, but he dropped the sword. I hissed when hegrabbed both my wrists. I brought my knee up, but he twisted away, preventing me from hitting between his legs and spun me around. I used my momentum to pull him with me and throw him over. The dagger dropped from my hands as I did. No need for it.
I drew from the magic I’d taken from the guests in the ballroom. A mixture of magic flowed through me, and I snagged on a thread of water, yanking it from the fountain as it spurted from the shell and weaved it into a spear. I sent it crashing toward Araki, but his hand circled the protective plate over his heart until it grew and grew, pitching toward me, forcing me backwards. My body trembled from the impact, my control over the water spear faltering. The water spear dissolved, merely drenching the two of us, collapsing without my focus to keep it sharp as a weapon.
Araki lunged for me, but I quickly darted out of the way, reaching for another dagger at my hip. I held it out before me, but Araki’s eyes were already glowing purple full of magic, and with the knowledge that he was more powerful than I was.
Witches were powerful if practised from birth and possessed the right magic. My magic was a mirror. If someone possessed magic, I could mimic others’, borrow it, and make it my own. But Araki’s magic was a twisted depth I’d never seen before, a combination of powerful parents, while mine were both witches. The Nightshade Coven had only trained me since I was exiled after my parents’ death. I was suddenly struck with the possibility that I could lose against him.
“It’s so easy to get you alone, isn’t it?” King Araki sneered. “A suggestion of a tumble in my bed, a pretty compliment,looking where you want me to, and you think you have me. But, little assassin witch, you’ll find it is me that has you.”
His words twisted like a knife in my chest. And I retaliated by draining more of my stolen magic to pull the steady ground from beneath his feet. Araki stumbled before he could take flight, falling back towards the fountain. Forming claws from the water, I told it to rise, claim the king, and fill his lungs with water long enough so I could kill him myself.
Araki caught himself before I could finish the order, and the water vanished, the basin drying up instantly. He circled his hand, the water wound around his fingers, sparking with power.Shit! He had the gift to manipulate the water element too.
“What’s wrong, witch? No power of your own? Let’s make this a fair battle, then.” He taunted with a cruel smile as his drenched wings shook the water and snapped tightly to his back.
He thought I was far beneath him, but I was one of the most powerful witches in the Nightshade Coven. With my mirror magic, I could use anyone’s magic. Bound to no magical alignment.
And Araki hadn’t figured that out yet. It was my very last card to use.
Araki let the water fall from his fingertips, soaking the ground I dug up beneath him, and drew his sword again. He dashed for me and brought down the sword over me. I ripped the jewel off my neck, the poisoned blade exposed.
I flung my arm up, met his attack with my blade, and shoved back, yelling. I darted back, my dress catching beneath my shoes and tearing a line down the side. I spun back to Araki,my blade angled and aimed for his throat. So…so close to his neck. Araki knocked my dagger away with his sword. I staggered back.
Fury ignited my magic, setting it spiralling out at him, snatches of power delivering whatever damage it could manage without form to take as it flew to him. Tiny cuts appeared on Araki’s face, disappearing as soon as they formed—his Dhajork blood healing him—but enough to distract him. Like swatting an insect, Araki kept batting away the blows, staggering further back, his grip on his sword loosening.
I advanced on him, searching for the loose thread that all magic owned—something to tug and unravel. The only thing that would help me was using his power against him. I braced for the impact of taking his magic, more powerful than anything I have ever tasted, and pulled. I commanded it to come to me.
The force of it threw us apart. I landed on my knees, my hands breaking the fall. I lifted my head and saw Araki catching himself before he fell. He gaped at me, his magic writhing as it resisted my call. Yet this is where my power overwhelmed his. I pushed back his resistance and kept pulling, cutting myself a sliver of his magic to use however I desired.
Briefly, I mused if my eyes glowed like Araki's.
My mouth curled up into a grin, something nasty and wicked. I must have looked like something dangerous, as Araki had called me, come to hunt him down.Oh, I have.
Then dizziness slammed into me, the warning signs of magic that wasn’t mine proving too much for me to wield.
Araki’s magic ripped inside me, roaring through my veins. It hit me like a sea storm. The power that bolted through him surged forward, and I merely nudged the gates keeping it from flowing into me. I slammed down the flow, gasping at even the slight bit of power that had gotten through. My head spun, and my body was on fire. My jaw dropped, and all my muscles tensed and released, heat pulses working through me like a shower of shooting stars. Terror was quick to follow. How could he have so much power? I swayed on my feet just from the slight feel of his power. How could he stand so much magic inside him?
It terrified me.
