Page 278 of The Queen’s Shadow

Darkness tore up from the ground and snaked around her throat. My magick yanked her off me and my shades pulled me to my feet, ripping me into the air. My toes dragged in the sand as my dark magick pulled me slowly forward.

Her eyes widened in terror for a moment as she registered that fact that I had her and wouldn’t be fucking letting go. I jerked my chin and we both skyrocketed upward, hanging like puppets above the battle-torn arena.

“You like touching things that don’t belong to you, don’t you?” My voice was no longer human. The ancient drum that echoed through my chest was outpacing the beat of my heart. I jerked my head to the side, and my shadows rushed to do my bidding. I smiled, as I tore her hands clean off her wrists. Crimson exploded from the bloody stumps of her arms and her screams echoed through the colosseum.

I watched as her dismembered hands fell to the ground beneath us, feeling a rush of satisfaction bleed through my chest at the sight of them lying limp on the ground.

I glanced back up to see Ash Nevra screaming in horror at the sight of her mutilated arms. I floated closer to her, unable to stop what I knew must have been a sinister smile from curling across my lips.

“Looks like you won’t be touching anyone anymore.” I purred. She looked up at me, her face pale and her eyes filled with panic.

Her fear pleased me.

With my left hand, I powered up one last blast, a rush of ecstasy erupting through my veins in anticipation. I was going to kill her and it was going to be fucking glorious.

I floated directly in front of her, moving my face so close that the tips of our noses touched. Her eyes widened in horror as I placed the burning palm of my hand over her chest. Our eyes met and I let her see the monster that lived inside of me.

The monster that she had created.

“The embarrassing thing, Ash Nevra, is I really think you believed he was yours.” I murmured, watching the dark energy in my palm burn against her. My shadows held her still as I melted her flesh with my touch. I snapped my gaze up to meet her crimson stare, relishing in the slow look of terror that spread across her face, as she realized she was about to die.

“He’s never been yours. He’s MY fucking Shadow, and you were dead the moment you laid a finger on him.”

She began to shake her head in denial, and my grin widened.

“Time to say goodbye, bitch.”

Then, I let go.

The quasar that erupted from me blasted a hole directly through her chest, melting her black heart as it went. Her life force rushed from her body and I laughed as her mangled corpse fell to the ground with a dull thud.

I hung in the air, basking in the afterglow of her death, when suddenly, the seriousness of my injuries overtook me and I lost my grip on my magick. I felt myself begin to fall, but could barely register the fact that I was plummeting to the ground.

“RAVEN!” Strong arms wrapped around me, and I sighed as I found myself cradled against Amon’s chest, the warm scent of cinnamon enveloping me.

I smiled up at him with heavy lidded eyes. He looked worried and pale, but he was here.

“Hey, you.” I smirked up at him dumbly. “I killed her… did you see?”

His mouth moved but I couldn’t hear what he was saying. I reached up with the arm that still seemed to work and laid my hand against his cheek, frowning.

“Why do you look so sad?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. Then, everything went black.

Rycon

Cats don’t fly for a fucking reason. I hated every second of the ride on the sea drake’s back. If I had been in my panther form all my fur would have been standing on end for the entire trip. Kasha loved it though.

She whooped and laughed where she sat in front of me as the sea drake slithered through a huge glowing golden portal, transporting us across the entire continent to The Court of Envy in less than a few moments.

My knuckles were white from gripping Kasha’s hips so tightly. We were way too fucking high. I didn’t have any control over the thing I was currently perched on. I had never been so uncomfortable in my life.

“I thought cats weren’t afraid of heights?” Kasha asked, clearly finding my deathgrip on her hips amusing.

“I don’t mind heights if I fucking climbed something to get there. This is just straight up unnatural. How is it possible that this thing is even in the air? It probably weighs a godsdamned tonne.”

Kasha just laughed and shook her head as the drake sped towards the now looming islands ahead of us.

Suddenly, Raven’s bond reappeared and my already out of control heart rate sped up even more. This kid was going to put me into fucking cardiac arrest.