Page 121 of The Queen’s Shadow

“Why haven’t you killed me, Obeah Man?” She asked, pressing close to me. She was tall, but I was still nearly a head taller than her. She tilted her head back and gripped the front of my t-shirt, aggressively pulling me into her. She pointed the tip of her blade to my throat and her lips pulled back in an angry snarl. “You’re not even wearing your armor.” She suddenly looked appalled. “Do you feel safe with me, Conrad?” The way she phrased it was meant to be hurtful. She was mocking me. Being cruel. She was trying to make me feel stupid for trusting that she wouldn’t harm me during our sessions.

Well, I wasn’t stupid. I had always been excellent at reading people. I would not let her make me feel like I had made a mistake, not when we both knew she wasn’t going to kill me. Not here at least. Not now. I narrowed my eyes at her and leaned into her blade.

“Yuh a guh kill mi, Nytara?” I challenged, meeting her ebony gaze without fear. “Show mi, den. Finish what yuh start.”

I slid my hand around her narrow waist and pulled her in even closer, until the tip of her blade reopened the scar she had made. A small trickle of blood escaped and slid down my neck, soaking into the collar of my t-shirt. Her lips parted as she looked up at me from mere inches away. We stayed that way for a long, tense moment, before she finally shoved me in the chest, pulling her blade away from my throat. Anger was etched on every line of her beautiful face.

“You should have let Blackwood kill me.” She said, her tone even but somber.

The sadness in her voice made my chest tighten. I gripped the hilt of my shadowstone blade before I suddenly had an idea. I snaked my aura out to her, running my magick against the slavery bond that I knew kept her in check. Taking a small step forward, I brought my rapier up, and her eyes flashed.

“You really are a fool.” She snapped, a look of devastation crossing her face. “Do you know what she would do, if you freed me?” She took a step back, eyeing my blade with an expression I didn’t understand.

“Nytara-” I tried to get her to listen, but she held up a hand, silencing me.

“Make sure you’re good enough to beat me next time we meet, Obeah Man. You won’t get a second chance.”

I took a step forward, reaching toward her, but she backed away.

“We’re done here.” She snapped, before stalking away and disappearing into the forest, leaving me alone to feel every inch the fool she had accused me of being.

“Once you are cleansed of your rings, we will begin the binding ceremony.” Trenton informed the crowd of magick folk as they dutifully lined up before him. The most eager had lined up first, handing their rings over to be melted down. The magick that bound them to their oaths to The Board dissipated under the inferno of Trenton’s fire.

‘Binding ceremony.’ Dossidian snarled into my mind. ‘He will enslave them.’ My fists gripped the wooden banister before me in rage. I had warned them. I had told them this would happen, and they had been blinded by their fear. I glanced up at Nytara who glared at me, her ice blade still pressed against Meredith’s neck. I knew she wouldn’t let me out of her sight. Any move I made would be tracked, and Meredith would suffer the consequences of my actions.

‘Conrad.’ Meredith whispered into my mind. It took everything in me not to react. I didn’t want Nytara to know that we were communicating. ‘Look down.’ I allowed my gaze to flick toward the floor, where I saw tiny green seedlings pushing through minute cracks in the stone floor.

‘I can feel Sofia. She’s alive.’ Meredith whispered to me. I forced my gaze toward Trenton. I did my best to pretend I was listening to him as he ordered more and more magick folk to submit their rings. Internally, I pressed my magick behind me, searching for Sofia’s airy aura.

Found her.

Meredith was right. She was alive.

‘Sofia.’ I whispered into her mind. I felt a flicker of response before her voice breathed through my mind.

‘Conrad.’

Forcing myself not to let my excitement show, I took a slow, calm, breath.

‘Yuh can move?’ I asked.

‘Yes. I’m alright. I’m in pain but I will survive.’

‘Trenton has di entire Board captive. Yuh need tuh release di wards so wi can escape. Do not let dem know yuh awake.’

I felt her weakened metaphysical nod. ‘I will not allow this.’ She said sternly.

‘Dey have Meredith.’ I whispered to her. ‘Please Sofia, we cyaan do nothin’ rash.’

‘The wards are released.’ She said curtly, and I marveled at the fact that I hadn’t even noticed it myself. There was no way Trenton knew the wards had been removed, and we could now escape easily. All I needed to do was extrapolate my sister and get us out of here safely. Then we could regroup.

‘I am going to blow these traitors out of my boardroom.’ Sofia informed me. I stiffened. Sofia was an air witch. Air and earth were the two most versatile elements, in the sense that they were abundant. Air and earth were all around us. Fire and water magick folk had to ensure they had the element nearby to manipulate. Some mages had learned how to spontaneously manifest fire, but it was rare. It was one of the more significant differences between how daemons and magick folk operated. Daemons could create that which did not already exist, magick folk could only manipulate that which was already there.

‘I am ready,’ Meredith’s voice chimed like bells across my mind, and the way Dossidian stiffened next to me, told me he was privy to her plan as well.

‘Togetha,’ I whispered through our minds. Dossidian nodded.

‘Together.’ He confirmed, and I felt the air suck from the room, dampening Trenton’s ribbons of fire just as Meredith’s vines erupted through the ground, breaking the stone beneath her feet. I watched in awe as she spun lightly on her feet and the green shoots shot up around her, twisting around Nytara. With a flick of her wrist, she threw The Siren against the wall with a deafening crack.