Page 71 of Bite The Power That Feeds

My heart dropped onto the stone ground and splattered everywhere. I felt panic, as if I were trapped in a burning building with no way out. The smoke made it impossible to breathe. I did my best to keep a straight face and control the emotions that had broken loose, but it was a losing battle. “You speak as if this is reversible…”

“Because it is.”

The fire continued to surround me. My lungs struggled to breathe. My flesh melted off my bones. “And he knew this?”

“He’s always known. When we spoke in Crescent Falls, I told him that I discovered how to execute it. It’s a complicated process, but one very few embark upon because no one would ever want to be mortal again.” He took a drink as he stared at me, and his expression tightened. “He didn’t share this with you?”

I couldn’t bring myself to speak. It was too difficult. All I did was shake my head.

“Well, I assume it’s because he knew what your answer would be.”

I couldn’t look at him anymore. Couldn’t focus on my reality at all. The rage was so deep that no amount of rain would dampen my flames. “Would you excuse me?” Before he even had a chance to grant my request, I was gone. I set my glass on the edge of a stone wall and took the stairs back to the palace, lifting my ridiculous gown that suddenly felt heavier than a boulder.

The servants all looked at me as I entered, giving quick bows of their heads with salutations. “Your Highness.”

I ignored them, entered the bedchambers where Kingsnake and I had made love passionately for days, and grabbed a bag and stuffed it with whatever I could find. I took the vials of venom we’d gathered from our voyage across the sea then headed to the stables.

The stable master was on duty, but he cast a quizzical look at my arrival.

“Fetch me a horse.”

He stilled at the order, glancing back at the festivities where Kingsnake remained. “Your Highness—”

“I gave you my order. Now follow it.”

He finally saddled a horse and packed my belongings on the sides. “Your Highness, I don’t think you should—”

I shoved him against the edge of one of the stalls and grabbed the rope hanging there. I bound his wrists and tied him in place. Out of fear of disobedience, he allowed me. I could tell by the look on his face he would run to Kingsnake the moment I was gone, and I couldn’t have him hot on my tail. “It’s nothing personal.”

I mounted the horse and dug in my heels to take off at a run.

But then I realized…I had nowhere to go.

Grayson had become my home.

My everything.

And now…I had nothing.

18

KINGSNAKE

When I finished my conversation, I searched for my queen.

I assumed she was with Viper, but when I found him, he was tangled up with his favorite prey in a dark alleyway. Cobra remained where I left him, talking with my soldiers because he refused to feed if Clara wasn’t his prey. Some of the goblets were full of animal blood, a poor substitute but a curb for the hunger.

I started to walk around, looking in the groups of people to see if she was mingling with the men and women we’d fought beside in the last two battles. But I didn’t find her. I didn’t spot her thick coat and beautiful hair.Fang?

Yesssss?

Have you seen Larisa?

No.

A jolt of fear rushed through me, but I quickly quieted it, knowing there was nothing to fear. Larisa was no longer human, so my own men hadn’t turned against me to feed on her flesh. The Ethereal no longer wanted her dead, so she was no longer a target. Nothing was a threat to her.

But that didn’t make me feel better.