Page 115 of The Queen’s Shadow

Lightning exploded from the clouds without warning. Not just one bolt, but several deadly forks of electricity rained down on the megaron, causing me to leap in front of Jeremy, throwing up a barrier to defend against the blasts.

I watched, horrified as they zapped across the white marble, scorching it black, before gathering together in the center of the Storm Ring, and slamming into Cerenah’s body.

I shuddered, looking away from the blinding flash, knowing that when the storm passed, there would be nothing left of her to bury. She would just be another person I had failed. Another life that Ash Nevra had stolen.

My fists clenched and I felt tears well as another powerful crash of thunder tore through the aftermath of the lightning. However, the bright white light refused to fade.

I peeked out under my lashes, to the burning white beacon that buzzed and crackled in the center of the Storm Ring. The lightning seemed to have separated from the clouds above and come to form a bright figure. Snaps and cracks of electricity arced away from the white-hot form of a daemon. After several long moments, the light faded, and I gasped. There, in the center of the ring, stood Cerenah.

She looked pissed.

“What is happening?” Jeremy yelled to me over the raging storm that blew around us. He was staring at Cerenah in awe. Her eyes were burning white, and lightning cracked and hummed around her body, sparkling between her fingers.

Rycon grinned. “Looks like Sparks got her mojo back.”

“Yeah… but how?” Jeremy asked. “I thought she was dead; she was struck by lightning…twice!”

There was another deafening screech that came from above the clouds, followed by the unmistakable flap of wings. The energy of the storm around us no longer just felt electrical. There was magick to it. Powerful magick. The type of magick that made your blood feel thicker, and your chest feel heavy. The type of magick I had only ever felt when standing before Frira.

“It’s a Titan.” I gasped. Vespara herself had just said it. “Titan Elektraz.” As I spoke its name, a giant bird made of storm clouds and lightning descended from the heavens, great claws curling around the colonnades to perch. It threw its head back and opened its deadly curved beak, before letting out an earth-shattering screech. Lightning bolts exploded from its body, and I was forced to throw up another domed shield to protect us as they arced across the megaron. Zayne did the same for himself, though I noticed he did not extend his protection to his sister. He left her, kneeling and broken on the ground. The thick, deadly arcs of electricity passed through several of Vespara’s clones, and they were immediately vaporized. There was nothing left of them to duplicate and come back from. All that was left were oily, black marks on the bright white marble.

Cerenah turned slowly to face Vespara, who was screaming manically on the ground where Zayne’s magick still pinned her. We watched, enthralled, as Cerenah walked towards the mad princess, her eyes glowing white.

“You will pay! You will all pay!” Vespara screamed and sobbed on the ground as Cerenah approached her.

“Kill her, Cerenah.” Zayne urged, watching Cerenah approach the mad princess with hunger in his eyes. “Kill her for all she has stolen from us.”

Her head turned to face him, and Elektraz screamed in fury behind her, releasing another burst of wild electricity. It wrapped around Cerenah like tinsel before exploding outward from her in deadly whips of light.

I couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction as one hit Vespara directly in the chest, leaving her severely burned. She wasn’t dead, but I was sure Cerenah would not allow her to live for much longer.

“I do not take orders from you.” Cerenah said, pointing a deadly finger at Zayne, who had the decency to wince. He licked his scarred lips, before taking a small step forward.

“It wasn’t an order, little Lightning Bug, merely a suggestion.”

“Not to side with the asshole, but I agree. Can we murder this bitch and get this over with? I have places to be.” Rycon piped up from where he stood next to me. Elektraz cocked its great stormy head at his words, and I elbowed the shifter roughly in his side.

“Unless you want to get roasted by a lightning Titan, shut the fuck up, Rycon.” I growled under my breath, hoping the great bird would turn its attention back to Zayne and Vespara. I wasn’t feeling like adding the giant bird to the list of things I was going to have to fight today.

Rycon rolled his eyes. “I’m just saying. If Ash Nevra is coming, we need to get moving. Believe me, I’m all for vengeance, but we’re running out of time.”

“Tick, tock, tick, tock!” Vespara cackled, her remaining clones laughing maniacally with her. “She’s coming for you. She’s coming and you will all bow before her! You will bow and I will peel the skin from your bodies while you beg for mercy.” She chanted and Cerenah’s face twisted in fury. Her burning, all white eyes flashed as Elektraz beat its great wings behind her.

“You cannot hurt me anymore, Vespara.” Cerenah said, as she raised her arms to the sky. There was a flash and a crack, before Cerenah called a huge bolt of lightning down and onto the mad princess’ head.

Vespara screamed as the lightning gobbled up her flesh, melting her bones to the marble that she crouched upon until there was nothing left, her clones vanishing with her.

Cerenah looked down at the mess she had made of the daemon that had once been her master. The white light faded from her eyes as they bled back to crimson, and a small smile tilted on her lips.

“And now… you cannot hurt anyone else, either.”

Cerenah

The moment Vespara died, the land shifted its allegiance to Zayne. I felt the shift, and so did Elektraz. The great lightning bird let out a piercing wail and shot bolts of electricity up into the still storming sky.

Zayne’s powers had always been formidable, but they tripled in intensity as The Court of Greed’s magick rushed up through the ley lines of the palace and flooded his aura before me.

I backed away from him and his feet lifted off the ground. He hovered in the air momentarily as the power of his court ran through him like a spear. He spread his arms out wide, a terrifying smile curving across his face as his eyes met mine.