Page 251 of The Queen’s Shadow

“I’m going to give you a ten minute head start.” I growled, stalking toward her. I heard her swallow, and she took a nervous step back.

“What are you - Rycon what are you doing?”

“You want to run away Kasha? This is your chance.” I told her, my voice cold and unforgiving.

“Rycon, stop, you’re scaring me.”

I gave her a sinister grin, a low growl erupting from deep in my chest.

“Run Kasha,” I ordered, my voice low and threatening, “And don’t let me catch you. Because if you really want to die, I’m going to be the one to fucking kill you. If you think I’m going to let anyone else have that privilege, then you’re delusional.”

The scent of terror exploded from her and I felt my pupils expand, along with my smile. The hunt was fucking on.

“Hurry up. You’re already down ten seconds.” I breathed, and she pulled back, staring at me with wide eyes. She was looking at me like she didn’t recognize me anymore.

Then, she was gone.

Kasha

He was crazy! The bastard fucking meant it! He was really going to try to kill me. I didn’t know what was worse… the fact that he had broken my trust, or that I had been stupid enough to trust him in the first place.

He had just confirmed all my worst fears. All that shit he said before about wanting to love me? You didn’t hunt down and try to kill people you loved… This was insane.

I didn’t stand a chance against him either, not without my powers… but I would be damned if I didn’t try.

He said I had ten minutes. I could work with that. First, I ran upwind, touching as many trees and running my hands over as many bushes as I could. I intentionally broke branches and left footprints in softer patches of dirt. Once I was satisfied he would be kept busy with that trail, I turned tail and darted in the other direction. I made sure to stay down wind for the rest of the ten minute head start he had given me, but I was still worried it wouldn’t be enough. With his shifter speed he would make it through the fake path I laid for him much quicker than I had, and likely figure out which direction I had gone instead.

I didn’t let that stop me. I kept running, doing my best not to leave a trail or touch anything if I didn’t have to.

The silence of the jungle pressed around me and I found the quiet unnerving. You would think at night there would have been more noise. My ears strained, as I tried to listen for howler monkeys, or any other night time activity. There should have been something. Nighttime was hunting time for predators in the Amazon, and I was prey, streaking through the trees on a silver platter.

Why wasn’t there anything else out here? Unless… there were no predators, because the most dangerous predator of all had already claimed me as his.

The moment the thought crossed my mind, I heard him chuckle, though I couldn’t see him.

“Nice try, Kasha. That was a clever little trick, but I told you already. I will always find you. You can’t hide from me.”

My heart rate accelerated and I choked in terror. Where was he? I spun around looking for him, and caught a flash of golden eyes glowing in the shadows. I spun away from him and forced my legs to move. Tree branches whipped past me, cutting my cheeks, and then my arms as I threw them up to protect my face. But I didn’t stop.

I leapt over roots as they tried to trip me with their woody fingers and ignored the way sharp half buried stones stabbed into the soles of my booted feet.

“I’m coming for you, Kasha.” I heard him say from behind. He sounded impossibly close.

“Rycon, please!” I screamed, not bothering to look back. I couldn’t, he would catch me if I did. He was right on my heels. I could nearly feel his breath on my neck.

“You know I love it when you beg.” He purred, barely sounding winded. I yelped, when I felt him reach out to grab my arm, but I yanked out of the way just at the last second. He snarled, the sound so vicious, I might have mistaken him for his panther form.

“Faster, Kasha… do you know what happens when the bloodlust takes over?” His voice was inhuman. I was nearly sobbing in fear. “There’ll be nothing fucking left of you.” He threatened and I was so afraid I was worried my heart would give out as I ran.

“Rycon, stop!” I tried begging again, pumping my legs even faster, but he just laughed, the sound seeming to amplify around me, bouncing off the trees and echoing through the darkness. I tried to change directions, hoping to surprise him and put more space between us, but my plan backfired when I tripped.

I knew it was over before I hit the ground. I turned as I fell, to find him leaping through the air after me, his pupils were blown and the Rycon I knew was nowhere to be found. The male that came down on top of me was pure animal, and I knew he would kill me if I didn’t do something, and fast.

It felt like a magnet snapping into place. The dam inside me exploded and my entire body lit up with what felt like a thousand volts of electricity. My back hit the ground as Rycon landed on top of me. I shoved my hands into his chest, and shuddered at the familiar feeling of my magick gathering in my palms. I watched, enthralled, as my hands smoked against his t-shirt. I felt the cotton burn away, then the skin on his chest began to warp and curl beneath my touch.

“That’s it, Kasha,” he groaned, pressing himself harder into my burning palms. “Give it to me. I can take it.” He growled, and astonished tears slid down my face.

I screamed, and let go. I blasted him off me, the bright blue light of my quasar tore his chest open and sent him flying through the air. He slammed into a Kapok tree nearly forty feet away with a sickening crack. I watched him fall through the tree, smashing through branches and dragging ropes of thick jungle vines with him as he fell.