Page 187

VALEEN

Valeen’s breathcaught seeing Dax’s motionless body. His eyes were wide open, but his head hung lifeless to the side. Thane,Piper, Leif, and Fennan immediately started cutting down those closing in around them.

Hel slammed both fists into the ground and opened up a massive split. Wails and shrieks of those falling in followed.

The sound of her pulse hammering in her ears drowned out the battle. Valeen dropped to her knees and touched Dax’s face. Already he felt colder. “Rest now in Serenity, Dax. You fought well.” Her throat tightened and she lifted her gaze to his prince. “He’s gone, Ronan.”

Ronan screamed, gently laid him on the ground and brushed his fingers over his eyes to close them. With his face twisted in rage, he rose up and his talons shot out. He charged into the fight with a fury of swings.

A cry of pain took her from sadness to wrath in an instant. It was Leif, he stumbled back with a sword sticking through his right shoulder and fell to the ground. A battle cry tore from her throat, and she shoved her sword through the belly of his attacker. Then she went crazy, hacking and swinging. Her shadows rolled out, spreading like a fog on a cold day across the battlefield, sliding into ears and eyes, burning them from the inside. Screams of terror echoed all around.All of you die, just fucking die.

A man ran past her with blood pouring out of his eyes and mouth.

“Take her down! Get those cuffs on Valeen and Hel! Kill War!” Pricilla’s shrill voice enraged her further. Someone jumped on her back, then two more. She shifted to shadow, the enemy soldiers fell through, and she let her vines finish the work.

A whoosh cut through the air. Something gold caught the light. A chain suddenly wrapped around Hel’s neck.

Her heart shot into her throat. A furious heat rushed through her.

The pounding in her ears drummed harder.That is my mate.

“HEL!” Thane bellowed.

An explosion from a catapult rocked the ground ten feet from her, sending bodies flying into the air, knocking her off balance. She hit her knees, her hand falling into the squishy guts of a body. She might have been horrified if there was time for it.

But there wasn’t.

She shoved to her feet and turned to shadow, drifting on the breeze until she stood between Hel and the god who held the golden chain. This was one of the gods on the council who’d voted to destroy her life, to take everything from her.

Corded with rippling muscular arms and as tall as any dragon, he smiled at her. He wore a halo of golden thorns for his crown. Bright green eyes shined against his black skin.

She raised Soulender. “You will not take my husband.”

“Get her, Envar!” Pricilla yelled.

Hel fought to get the chain off his throat, but it must have been suppressing his magic.

With Soulender in hand, she ran at him.

“Cuff her!” Pricilla shrieked. “Cuff her now!”

The god, Envar, wearing all gold, pulled another chain from his hip, and with a whirl and a snap, he lassoed it around the wrist that held Soulender. Jerking it taught, he grinned. “Give me the dagger.”

Her magic surged and tingled against her skin to turn to shadow, but nothing happened. It was as if her magic was in a cage while Envar’s power fought against hers through the chain. His ability was a suppressor, and he could force his magic into precious metals. Her arm shook as she pulled against him. “Release me or I will kill you.”

“Get Soulender!” Pricilla hopped off her hippogriff and charged with two others at her sides.

A second chain wrapped around Valeen’s other wrist. Without her magic she couldn’t send Soulender to the aether.

Pricilla reached for Soulender, and gritting her teeth, Valeen slammed her forehead into Pricilla’s and sent her stumbling. “You can’t have it!”

“Take her down!” Pricilla shouted.

Envar lassoed another chain around her torso, pinning her arms to her sides.

“Valeen, no!” Hel roared, sounding half mad. “I will fucking kill all of you!” He wrenched on the chain and jerked Envar off balance.

Thane slammed into Envar, tackling him to the ground. The chains fell and her magic flooded out, shadows rolling all around her and she set her sights on Pricilla.