Page 20 of The Shadow Fae Rhapsody (Elven Fantasy Romance #3)

Chapter 19 Svenn

S corching flames engulf me. Every inch of my body feels the burn. How long has Nel been corrupted?

From the very beginning, a voice whispers, embedding itself like a thorn deep in my heart.

Another dark spear slices through the air, stabbing me on the shoulder. I jerk from the sharp sensation lancing through my body. The blow reverberates in my bones. My jaw clenches shut at the excruciating torment.

I know this familiar darkness. I’ve felt this numbing ache before.

It’s sinister, deathless, and unforgiving.

It’s her.

Lilith, that fucking witch.

“Rhianelle!” I hiss her name as another pointed barb strikes over my back.

I take assault after assault from the shadow lances until I collapse on the floor; the agony ripping through me.

Shit. I’m back in hell.

“I’ll win the fortress for you. There’s no need for this,” I beg her.

Dark vines with thorns rise from the ground. The shadows slither around my neck like a noose, squeezing the air out of my lungs. I convince myself I do not need to breathe. The cords wind tighter, threatening to sever my head completely.

“Nel…” I whisper, struggling to my hands and knees.

The pain on my back, neck, and hands is nothing compared to the one I have in my heart.I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to withstand the torture of the blades piercing through my body.

The pain is making it hard for me to focus, but I glimpse a ray of light through the cloud of darkness.

My suffering ceases and I take the opportunity to gather whatever dignity I have left to crawl out of the tent.

Rhianelle Wiolant is a fucking liar, the voice whispers again.

A beautiful fucking liar.