Page 191 of Rebellious Royals

Feathers rustled as they snapped out, fully extended. I felt the relief as they could finally relax, and it was so fucking nice. Somewhere to my left, I heard a scream, but I'd already given into my needs. That sound fueled me now, so when Celeste's head whipped around and her eyes landed on me, I had nothing left to hide.

I grabbed her mind and showed everyone here exactly what a wildling could do. All it took was one little nudge and her reason fled, her fear kicked in, and nothing else mattered. A wave of magical paranoia rushed out from me, filling the room.

"Run," I breathed, closing the distance between our table and the bubble she'd built around her. "Go ahead. I need to hunt."

Unfortunately, Celeste wasn't the only one running. Dozens of students scrambled away from me. Most weren't even close, but every wildling had a natural ability. Mermaids could breathe underwater. Sirens could entrance with sound. Dryads seduced, boggarts could steal their form from someone's thoughts, and kelpies could lure the unsuspecting to their deaths.

I did this.

Wrapping my wings around me, I shoved through the shield. The moment her sidhe magic touched my wings, the whole thing shattered into sparkles of magic. I didn't even slow down. Celeste flung Charlotte toward me, clearly hoping I'd take the easy prey, but I pushed the helpless faeling to the side.

My eyes were locked on that glow. With each second, it was getting brighter and bigger. The scent of its magic called to me like a feast to a starving man. Ineededit, but to get to that, I had to go through this bitch.

"You," I growled, grabbing her with both hands, "will not," and I pushed my thumbs into her biceps, "harm my people!" I pulled hard.

Her magic tasted like dry air and sizzling grass. Yes, it was Summer, but not in the rich sense of that season I was used to. This was more like a drought: too much and dangerous in its heat. I also didn't care. I was fucking starving.

"Release the enchantment!" Torian demanded. "Celeste, dispel the power you've put into thereuciand he'll let you live!"

"Or try to set it off before I kill you," I snarled. "I hear wicked little faelings don't survive without their magic. Want to test it?"

"You're a monster!" she screamed, desperately struggling to break my grip on her. "You're not a duke! You're not even Summer!"

"I'm not sidhe," I told her, still pulling power at a rate I hadn't been able to enjoy in years. "IamSummer. I am the Duke of the Elysian Fields, advisor to the Prince of Summer, and executioner of betrayers!"

Celeste swung, catching me in the gut because it was the only thing she could reach. I felt it, but the pain was distant, not really mine. Her thrashing, however, made me want to rip and tear. I could imagine hearing her joints pop. I needed to smell her blood.

Instead, I slung her to the ground, following her down. She bounced against the floor, but I couldn't make it harder without letting go. Without breaking the grip that was sucking magic from her, and thus that stone. I had to keep draining her so she couldn't set off this magical bomb!

I wanted to knock the stone from her hand, but she kept the fingers of one hand clenched tight around it. Her arm was stretched away from me as far as she could reach. That mean I only had one option left, so I pulled harder at her magic, keeping my focus on the pulsing light. It wasn't growing anymore, but she was fighting me magically even more than physically.

"Keir!" I roared. "I need a shield around us!"

"No!"

That voice. It was the sweetest refusal I could imagine, because it came from Rain. Right after came steps, but I couldn't turn to check. I couldn't look away from my prey. I couldn't let this woman go, because she wanted us all dead, and I would notbe the first wildling accepted by the sidhe just to be the reason hundreds died!

I had to stop this. I had to end this. I had to pull more magic, and faster, draining the stone through this bitch - because I couldn't take my talons out of her body until there was nothing left for her to use.

Then Rain slid to my side. "Hawke?" she begged.

"The stone," I panted, struggling not to look at her, and hating that she was looking at me. "Drain it and I can let her go!"

"Hawke..." Rain breathed, grabbing Celeste's hand.

The girls' fingers dropped open, but the stone was still glowing. I had to keep pulling. Iwantedto keep doing it. I longed for the last drop of her power, aware my wings were splayed above me, flared out like a beast.

Rain grabbed the stone and the green light dimmed quickly. "Hawke?" she asked again, her words a mere whisper this time. "You can let go."

"I do not want to let go!" I roared, snapping my head up to snarl at her.

And with the stone in one hand, she cupped my cheek with the other, looking right into my dangerous eyes without a hint of fear. Meeting my gaze as if unaware - or uncaring - that I could control her just as easily as this faeling.

"Hawke, I think she's dead," Rain told me. "It's ok now. You can let go. You saved us."

Chapter Sixty

RAIN