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“What does it mean?” Cade frowned.
“Shouldn’t it turn red or green, likely red for Barbie?” Louis questioned.
“Evil incarnate!” the druid shouted, pointing his black-nailed finger at me. “The crystal of the oracle has recognized Barbie as the evil prophesized to bring blight to this realm.” He sliced his pointing finger in my direction. “Seize her! We must contain the evil.”
A burn erupted in my stomach.
Shit! The effect of the potion that the druid had forced down me had just kicked in. No potion could get to me before, but the pill in my cup must’ve targeted me genetically. It dawned on me that the druid might’ve known about me all along.
He’d mentioned something about tracking a demigod when he tried to take me captive in the ice rink. If he sacrificed a demigoddess like me, he would harvest great power. Was he behind hiring the mercenaries from CrimsonTide to kidnap me?
Framing me as a monster that brought blight to Mist of Cinder was a clever way to get his hands on me, especially since he had waited until Killian was out of town. Who would stop him from taking me now?
As the burn spread in my veins, I stretched a hand out to grasp his druid magic. I’d siphon it then turn it against him. I’d kill the fucker before he laid his hands on me or anyone else.
Yet my dark wind couldn’t grab his power, incapacitated by the potion he’d slipped into me. I’d break through the venom of the potion eventually, but I was running out of time.
Burn the motherfucker! I roared at my core power, the darkest flame that had proven hotter than heavenly fire and hellfire. It was the only power that could help me take down the druid.
My dark flame lashed out. Instead of toasting the druid, it slammed into his crystal ball, which exploded into hundreds of pieces. The druid staggered back and screamed in pain. A second later, it dawned on me that the crystal ball had been his magical shield and he’d infused part of his essence into it.
My flame had destroyed his shield, but now it had no fuel to keep going, as something in that pill had taken root in me. It couldn’t kill me, but it rendered me immobile.
I collapsed, falling at an odd angle, my numb limbs unable to move an inch. Sy roared, trying to break out to defend me, but she was also crippled alongside me.
I stared up as the druid stalked toward me, ready to claim his prize.
25
Barbie
The druid tossed his black mesh net toward me. Once he trapped me, he’d drag me to his lair and deal with me however he wanted. I was his ultimate purpose, but he didn’t know that I’d be more than he could chew.
I didn’t even struggle to get up to fight. I had to save my strength to fight off the poison in my bloodstream. My core magic was already working on purging the alien poison in me.
So, I’d allow the druid to take me as his trophy, but I vowed that he was done.
“Not so fast, druid!” a powerful voice snarled, and a figure jumped across the space in one leap, slashing through the net before it landed on me, and positioned himself between me and my hunter.
My head still swam, my body raw with pain and numbness at the same time, yet my heart leapt in relief and gratitude.
Killian had reached me again. He’d come!
A second later, I realized it wasn’t him but Prince Silas. Of all people, the heir of the House of Shifters had come to defend me in front of thousands.
“You’ll not take Barbie, druid,” Silas said firmly.
“You should not meddle, Prince Silas,” the druid reproached. “She doesn’t belong to your house. And since the heir of the House of Chaos isn’t here, the academy has every right to step in and deal with a sinner in his house.”
The fucker had planned this. They’d planned to take me after luring Killian away.
“Barbie is only temporarily assigned to the House of Chaos,” Silas insisted. “She was taken from my house unlawfully. I’ve been trying to use the legal channels to get Barbie back to my house, since she’s a dormant shifter. Some might’ve called her a chihuahua, but I bet that she’s a little wolf. She has claws. Now that Killian isn’t even present at the most important event, I’m exacting my right and reclaiming Barbie back to the House of Shifters.”
“If I were you, Prince Silas,” the druid said as if facing a toddler throwing a tantrum, “I wouldn’t take such a creature into my house. Haven’t you seen what chaos and unrest and darkness she’s brought? Look at her lying at our feet, crumpled on the ground without any dignity. She can never be a potential mate to any of you. Let her go, Highness, I urge you, and let me take this dark creature to where she belongs so she’ll never cause harm again.”
“Now that’s bullshit,” Louis called. “And everyone can smell it.”
The vampire prince had snuck over to park himself behind the druid at a strategic angle. Rowan and Cade had also come forward, letting out their predatory sides and standing on either side of the shifter prince. The trio formed a barrier between me and the druid.
