Page 114 of The Queen’s Shadow

Vespara’s manic eyes widened, and I thought I saw a glimmer of fear cut through her madness.

“Not like this.” She hissed but he just chuckled.

“You’re right, how could I forget? You prefer a little bit of pain with your pleasure. Please, allow me to oblige.” He snapped his fingers, and I winced as a sickening crack echoed across the megaron. I realized with a start that he broke the humerus on her already injured arm. The break was mirrored in each one of her clones and my eyes widened in surprise. Vespara seemed to be just as shocked. There was a moment’s delay before she started screaming in pain and rage.

Zayne’s evil smile only grew wider.

“Ouch, that sounded like it hurt.” He sneered, and he brought his hand slowly down before him. Vespara’s knees buckled, and she sank to the ground as his hand slid lower and lower through the air. “Do you know how long I’ve waited for this moment, Vespara?” He asked, stepping even closer to her, looking down at her now from only a foot away.

Without taking my eyes off the twins, I made my way closer to Cerenah. She was still struggling to pry the hands of the clones off of her. She was so uncomfortably close to the Storm Ring. Zayne hadn’t seemed to notice. He only had eyes for Vespara. I moved slowly so as not to draw any attention to Cerenah. I wanted to grab her and get the fuck out of here. I was so close, just a couple more feet…

Finally, Cerenah broke free from the clones that restrained her. I lowered myself closer to the ground so she could reach me more easily, but to my horror and shock, she did not run to me.

Instead, she turned and launched herself directly into the center of the stormy carving on the floor.

“CERENAH!” I screamed, and Zayne’s head whipped in our direction, his face turning white. Before either of us could react, a bolt of lightning ripped free from the clouds above and struck Cerenah down before our very eyes.

Cerenah

The moment the lightning struck my body, everything went white. The first thing I was aware of was the pain, it was abrupt and blunt, as if I had been violently kicked in the head. Then the pain turned to a warm tingling sensation that spread through my limbs. I revelled in the buzz and crackle of power that danced through my veins, lighting up the long dead channels that ran through my body like a tiny, parched river system. The electricity flared, and intensified, turning the pleasant pins and needles sensation to an intense burning that grew brighter and hotter until I was sure the flesh would melt from my bones. Something inside me broke, like a crack in a dam. There was a rush, and a roaring between my ears. Everything was so loud, bright, and raw. When the sensations came to be so powerful I felt I might die, they stopped. I went numb, and everything went silent and dark.

‘Now they can’t hurt you anymore.’ A voice whispered, and I allowed myself to succumb to death, as it floated over me on razor sharp wings.

Raven

“CERENAH!” I screamed. I was flying toward the ring, toward Cerenah. Her broken body lay still and limp in the center. I reached the edge of the still raging carving when someone grabbed my hand and tore me away. I glanced back to see Rycon with an angry look on his face.

“Get the fuck back, Kitten.” He snarled, and I shook my head, refusing to accept that she was dead.

“We need to get her out of there!”

“No. She’s gone. The last thing we need is for you to get fucking electrocuted too.” He hissed.

Suddenly, I heard a laugh. My head snapped up to see Vespara, still kneeling before Zayne, clutching her broken arm, laughing. Rage flooded through me, and I felt my eyes bleed black. I was going to kill her.

I ripped my arm away from Rycon and took a step toward the mad princess, pushing past her still frozen clones as I did so. Zayne held up a hand, motioning for me to stop. I narrowed my eyes, prepared to ignore him, but the expression on his face caused me to pause. He looked as if he were someone with nothing left to lose, and he wanted nothing more than to watch the world burn for taking so much from him. I knew that look. I had worn that look more than one occasion.

I scoffed at myself but stepped back.

Me and my bleeding heart.

He turned to face his sister, his lip curling up in revulsion.

“Dirty little whore, got what was coming to her.” Vespara squealed, looking up at Zayne, an insane grin cutting across her face. “Ash Nevra will come with her armies and she will throw you into the Storm Ring too.” She sneered at him. “You will all burn under the might of the Titan Elektraz.”

Zayne knelt down until he was eye level with his manic sister, his face white with rage. I could see the vengeance in his eyes. He had hidden his hatred for his sister so well. I remembered his kiss on her cheek at dinner, and the way he had gently tucked her hair behind her ear when we had first come here. He had me convinced that he cared for her.

Looking at him now, I felt as if I must have been a blind fool for believing the act. He hated her, with every fiber of his being.

“Even if that were true, sister, there will be nothing left of you to find.” He touched his fingers gently to her chin, a cruel smile of his own painted on his lips. “Tell me… Do you know how many bones you have in your body?” He asked her softly. Her eyes widened, but she shook her head. “Of course you don’t.” He sighed. “You never did pay attention in any of our classes, or take an interest in anything that didn’t directly apply to you.” He pulled his hand away from her face and held his fingers up, as if he were going to snap them together.

“No…” She begged and he chuckled.

“There are two hundred and six bones in your body, Vespara. I have already broken one.” He snapped his fingers together and there was another sickening crack. Her other arm broke so violently, that it jutted out at an unnatural angle. She doubled over in agony, her voice cracking in a blood curdling scream. There was a roll of thunder overhead, and a screech from what sounded like a far-off eagle. “Make that two bones.” He smirked as she writhed before him. He stood up, using his magick to tilt her face up as he did so, forcing her to look at him.

“I am going to break every single one of your bones, Vespara. I’ll save the fatal ones for last. I want you to feel it when I break you.”

She looked stricken at his words. I wondered if they had some sort of significance, or meaning between the two of them, because when he snapped his fingers a third time, the scream she released was filled with rage. There was another screeching sound overhead, and I tore my eyes away from Zayne and Vespara to look up at the angry sky.