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“Do you know what the problem is with an invasive species? Okay, let’s be honest, in your case, it’s more of a parasite issue.” Her nostrils flared at my reference to her not belonging here, or maybe it was me calling her a parasite. Either way, she allowed emotions to lead her, which was my intention. “If you don’t know the answer, it’s okay to admit it, Hecate. Seriously, no one knows everything. Since you’re too stupid to even make a guess, I’ll explain.”
“You little bitch.”
“Name-calling is the lowest form of argument on the Graham’s Hierarchy of Disagreement chart, I can explain that too if you need. No? Still, I expected better.” I tutted as I tilted my head. “The problem with parasites is that all one must do to rid the world of them is to give it a natural cleanse. In the sake of you needing small words, we’ll call it a purge. Once you begin this purge, one-by-one the parasites begin to vanish. They’re also easy enough to spot, since again, they don’t belong here. So, to get this show started? I’m going to send every single victim you’ve ever created after your sources of power. We’ll call it karma.”
“You don’t even know what my power is, Aria. I bet you think you’re so fucking clever, don’t you? But you’re not. Just as you lost Knox, you’ll lose this fight as well.”
“It’s in the witches you’ve created by infecting them with pieces of yourself. It’s something you’ve been doing since you first got banished to the Nine Realms.” Her composure slipped just enough to tell me I’d been right. “You never needed them. You merely wanted them to worship you to feed that over-inflated ego. But you realized that they held poweryoucould use. If they held the power for you, then you never would weaken. That was something you’d already attempted with the humans, which was why they put you here, among creatures who weren’t as feeble. They assumed you’d merely slip-in without much of a fuss. But not you.”
“Oh, don’t stop now. I’m enjoying your little made-up fairy tale.”
Snorting, I forced my nails to push through my fingertips. “You see, youwerea powerful goddess before they sent you here. Youhadworshipers who’d idolized you—and rightly so. After all, you didn’t start out so vicious or inhuman. You were a symbol of witchcraft, the night, the moon, and lastly, necromancy. Things that didn’t bring you the adoration you desired.” Slicing through my palms, I held my hands out with my palms down. Droplets rolled to the tips of my fingers before dropping to the ground, summoning the dead.
“I’m not the only one who can control the dead, darling.” Her eyes sparkled with pride, which made my stomach churn. “I take it you intend to raise King Karnavious as well, yes? If not, I’d enjoy his corpse. After all, I enjoyed him while he lived.”
“We’ll see about Knox, since he’s no longer among us. And no, I’m not like you, but where you murdered them for your sick enjoyment, or as batteries. Me? I’m about to unleash them as a form of cosmic karma, right back at you. They’re going to hunt downeverysingle dark witch housing your dark magic and release them. The moment they fall, I’ll claim them and add them to the hunting party.”
“You can’t kill all of them or me. The only creatures who could are—” Dragon fire erupted behind me, bathing the city in molten flames. The heat of it scorched my back, and the flames reflected in Hecate’s eyes. The pentagram on her forehead glowed, even as the rattles of the many dragons echoed through the night, lighting it up until it mirrored day.
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you that it was rude to interrupt people?” Tapping my chin, I feigned ignorance. “Oh, yes. There’s a balance in every world. So, of course, we’ll be keeping your magic, but you? You’ll go back into your tomb. It’s not personal, but you see, you fucked with the wrong bitch. I warned you not to touch him, but you just couldn’t help yourself. Are you listening? If I were you, I’d listen.”
The fear in her eyes was thick in the air. Her eyes continually trailed the dragons, who were now throwing dark witches into the air, tearing them apart. They flew over the ruins of the citadel, gliding through the air, effortlessly. Dragons were a thing of true beauty. Savage, murderous beauty, but semantics.
“It’s rude not to listen when someone speaks to you. Especially when that person is the Queen of Dragons, Hecate.” Flicking my lethal claws open, I licked one, staring right at her. “Make me forget where I was again? Oh, into the tomb you’ll go. In fact, I intend to shove you so fucking far deep inside that tomb, that’ll you’ll be ringing the devil’s doorbell. To clarify that, I’m not talking about your fucking clit. But I’m not a complete bitch, granny-saggy-tits. Once a month, I’ll bring Knox’s corpse to your tomb.”
“You’d let me have him after all the effort you endured in order to get him back?”
“Of course, I intend to bring him to you at least once a month. Aren’t you listening to me? Of course, I’ll have to make it worth his time. So, I’ll fuck him on top of your coffin. You’ll get the pleasure of hearing him moan my name while you lay there, unable to move or escape. You’ll have to put up with my screams, but honestly? He’s a fucking beast when he fucks. Oh, that’s right. You don’t know that because your darkness makes them, how shall I put this? Unfuckable? Impotent? How much of your power did you waste trying to get him to stand up? Because I saw the kiss he gave you, but you couldn’t even get his lips to move. Damn, must really piss you off. After everything you did to take him from me, and you still didn’t get that monster dick of his.”
“I had himmanytimes,” she lied as her chest heaved with her anger intensifying. It was fine since she had no magic I’d allow her to use. I’d walked right in and had taken it from the bitch.
“You and I both know the truth of it. He never even kissed you. Not unless you call placing lifeless lips against yours. Let us not forget that, when he did, he dripped goo onto your old, saggy-ass tits? That’s because you had to fill him to the bream with your oily magic even for a lifeless kiss from him. How fucking desperately pathetic it was to watch you forcing his lips against yours.”
Her snarl of outrage caught the ear of a dragon, who dove for her. Hecate dove for the ground, escaping the flames by mere inches. Once they passed over her, she stood, slapping against the skirt of her gown. Wide, horrified eyes darted between the dragons flying above her. Lifting her hands, she aimed them toward the dragons, only for me to forcefully pull her magic away each time she sought to use it. I just smiled.
“I warned you, Hecate. He’s mine, and even as he is, I am keeping him.” Stepping closer, I smiled as my head canted to the side. “The best thing about Knox, Hecate? Is his soul. A soul you’ve spent eons attempting to destroy. It still shines from within that beast. If you stare into his eyes when those shields are down? You’ll be able to see how truly exquisite they are. Of course, you fractured it as you sought to force the darkness into him, but you created fissures. All you did was create a way for the light to reach in, to heal him. How do I know? I’ve felt the heat from his actual soul when I’m with him. His flame calls to mine, which made little sense at first. My flames were red, as were his—”
“He’s a murderer of witches, in case that’s slipped your empty head.” Hecate’s inability to not be the center of every single thing happening, was telling. She was the true definition of a narcissist.
“There was no such thing before you entered the Nine Realms. You created the history of witches. But it wasn’t enough, you forced it down everyone’s throats until they believed it to be true. You changed the history of the events. That’s why no one remembers the wars before your entrance into this world. Well, other than those who actually fought them. That’s why you attacked the royal families, killing the elders and every king and queen who refused to bow or bend a knee.” She was panicking, but I remained unaffected. I didn’t want to take joy from anyone’s misery, but I allowed myself to taste the bitterness of hers.
Flaming arrows shot through the air, slamming into the witches she’d been calling to her. Her hair singed as one of the arrows barely missed giving her a haircut. A snort of amusement left my lips as another bevy of arrows crashed into the next wave. Then, dragons shot through the air to the right of us, opening their mouths to reveal the serrated teeth, which reflected the fire within their throats, seconds before it released, decimating the witches.
“Once you’d murdered the weaker ones, you then went after the more powerful ones. Of course, you brought the weaker beings with you, in your army. But what to do about those ones that terrified you most? Wasn’t it the races who’d been able to wield flames? Can’t have fire around all the witches you’d crafted. No, because the light they wield is pure. It would have exposed you, and driven the darkness out. That would have exposed you, since the day you came here is the same as the first existence of witches or witchcraft. Then there was the pesky issue of a prince, one who’d pissed you off. You didn’t want him gone, not with all the plans you had in mind for him. But, alas, when in their true forms, dragons and phoenixes could discern the truth behind your little secret infliction that created an entire race.”
“I admit, you are much smarter than you look. It doesn’t change the fact that I won, and I’ll always win. This world is mine! You’re not strong enough to stop me, little girl. You should’ve chosen your side more carefully.” She folded her arms across her ample chest, and I snorted. “So, pray tell, what the fuck are you doing here? If you came to die, I won’t hesitate to end you.”
She was trying to pull on millions of lines at once, which allowed me to send one after another to the dead army. Merging minds with the weaver’s, I gave the signal as I handed off braided ropes of thin, wispy lines allowing them to diligently hand each one. The largest ones, which were here, I held in place with mana.
“No, I came for my fucking throne, and I’m intending to leave here with it as well as your fucking head.”
A malicious smile spread over my lips as she caught the flicker of gold lines swirling over my forehead. The bright, startling shade of turquoise glowed as the radiance of the gold fleck floated within them, as well. Thin, wispy tendrils slowly slid down my throat, then encircled it like the finest jewelry.
She ducked as a dragon turned, sending his leathery wing toward her. “Do you think your little symbol scares me?” she asked, darting her eyes to the skies as dragons, flaming arrows, and the din of swords meeting in battle echoed around us.
Spinning on my heel, I took in the melee forces she’d called in, who were even now being mowed down, easily. Without her controlling each one with her magic, they were worthless corpses. Unlike mine, who I’d enhanced with the ability to wield weapons from countless hours of watching Knox, and his men train before he’d returned, forcing me to the battlefield where he’d kept my sister in a cage.
“I don’t care if it does or it doesn’t. I’m not here for just you. No, that’s the easiest part of this visit. I’m here to make good on exactly what I said I’d do to you. I’m an honorable bitch like that.”
