Page 26

M y heart leaped into my throat and I set my jaw.

“Nikolai, you need to let me go.” I kept my voice steady. Authoritative.

His eyes blazed. “I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

He reached out for me and I backed up, narrowly escaping his grasp.

“Diana—” my name in his mouth was a warning, his hand still extended towards me.

“I’m sorry, Nikolai.” I turned, rushing away from him and towards the dining area, but he beat me to it, backing me into the narrow kitchen.

There . On the peninsula was a small dagger.

My small dagger .

Stormslayer.

I had told myself I would risk my magic if it came down to it, and it had. Nikolai had found me trying to escape, and I wouldn’t get a second chance. It had been a luxury that he had allowed me to stay with him in his bedroom here, but after this… he would simply throw me back in the dungeon.

I reached out to my magic, and it filled my core, extending to my fingertips.

As if Nik could sense the rush of energy, he lunged forward.

Unlike in the training field that day he had captured me, this time I was faster.

I used my magic to propel me and I stepped out of his grasp.

I pushed my magic out once more and sent the dagger flying off the counter and into my waiting grasp.

I held it between us as I circled, herding Nikolai’s back towards the front door.

“You are going to use my own blade against me?” he asked, raising a brow.

“It isn’t your blade , ” I ground out, shaking my head.

“I had it made for you, did I not?” he replied, cocking his head to the side.

“You did, but Stormslayer belongs to me. Let me pass, and I will not hurt you,” I said. I had meant to be stern, but I could hear my own voice shaking.

“Diana.” He smiled, a patronizing edge to his voice. “You couldn’t hurt me even if you tried. But I know you, and you won’t hurt me, regardless. You don’t want to.”

“I might not want to… ” I answered, steeling myself for what I was about to do next. “But I will do what needs to be done.”

I lunged, slicing Stormslayer down towards Nik.

As I predicted, he hadn’t been expecting it, and he hadn’t moved out of the way in time.

Stormslayer buried in his right shoulder and I pulled it free, a thick stream of blood cascading down his bare chest. His hand moved to the wound as if he couldn’t believe it was truly there before he turned back towards me, teeth bared in a snarl.

I didn’t give him any more time for small talk, I lunged again. I had a weapon, and he didn’t, so that gave me the upper hand—even if he was a weapon in and of himself.

I sliced Stormslayer through his forearm and he backed up with a hiss. I lunged towards the front door, crossing the space as quickly as I could. I had almost cleared the entryway, my hand reaching for the knob when I was snatched back by my hair.

I cursed.

I had wanted to tie it back but there wasn’t a hair tie in sight in this Godforsaken house.

He wrenched me back by the hair and I let out a hiss of my own, slamming Stormslayer into his arm.

He released me with a grunt, and I lunged for the door again.

This time I drew on my magic once more to propel me forward faster.

I had to get out now .

The other Noctani were sure to hear the commotion and come, and I didn’t stand a chance against all of them. The use of my magic was sure to create a storm any minute now, and as the thought crossed my mind, I could hear a soft rumble of thunder growing in the distance.

I turned back towards Nik—extending my hand as I allowed my magic to surge forth—sending him flying backwards.

He hit the dining table with a crash and fell to his knees, but I didn’t stay to see how long it had taken him down for.

I wrenched the door open and crossed the threshold, blinded by the afternoon sun.

It had been days since I had seen its welcoming rays, but the sudden flash of light stung.

I wanted to lift my arm to shield my eyes but I didn’t, pushing onward, trying to put as much space between me and the house as possible.

I could hear Nik close on my heels, cursing.

I pulled more magic from my core and faced him, throwing him back with an amethyst burst of energy once more.

He hit the side of the house, which was incidentally made of brick, cracking his head against it.

I cringed internally, but I knew an injury such as this one wouldn’t kill him.

It would barely wound him in his current state.

I propelled myself forward pulling on more of that magic that simmered in my core, the sky darkening rapidly overhead.

“Diana, you cannot run from me,” Nik ground out from behind me.

Good. His voice was further away.

“That is exactly what I intend to do,” I muttered, not turning.

The streets here were sparse, only a few homes scattered about at this end of the road. I pushed myself down the street, pumping my arms at my sides and pushing my body to its absolute limits. I wished I had Tess’s spidery long legs in this moment.

A hand grasped my arm and tore me back against something hard .

Nik’s chest.

He held me against him, his arm around my throat cutting off my airway. He was going to suffocate me. I slammed my boot down on his foot but he didn’t flinch. I brought Stormslayer down to stab into his thigh, and that caused him to release me with a howl.

Blood trickled down the wound in his chest, his forearm, now his thigh. His hair was a mess, matted across his forehead as he narrowed his eyes on me, rage simmering in the darkness.

Thunder boomed loudly overhead, and I jumped, startling. A rain drop fell from the darkening sky and kissed my cheek, sliding off.

“Come back to the house with me, Diana. I don’t want to hurt you.” His words were sweet but his voice was sinister.

He was angry. Beyond angry.

“I can’t do that.” I swallowed hard.

The raindrops spattered around us. They bounced off my cheeks, soaking into my tunic.

Soaking through my unruly mess of hair. Stinging my skin.

I reached out to the storm above with my magic—but as I expected it to—it reared back.

It sent a strike of lightning down close enough that I had to jump to avoid it.

The cobbles where I had stood only moments ago were darkened, smoking.

“Have you not had an enjoyable time here?” he asked, his smile malicious.

I shook my head. “You held me here against my will. Drank from me. ”

“Ah,” he said, taking a measured step towards me. I took a step back. “You let me do those things.”

“I didn’t have a choice,” I spit out, tightening my grip on Stormslayer.

His smile widened. “Didn’t you?”

He could see how a part of me had loved it.

The rough sex, the blood drinking. There was a part of me that did…

but I didn’t want this . I didn’t want Nik when he was Noctani.

I wanted my Nikolai back. My protective, cocky, stubborn Nikolai who would never dream of hurting me.

This abomination before me wasn’t that man, despite how easy it was to pretend.

A tear slid down my cheek, mingling with the rain that now lashed against us. I was soaked through, the tunic sticking to me in an uncomfortable way. A sob racked my body as I felt myself losing him again . The Mother above had a cruel sense of humor.

How many times would I have to lose him? How many times could I endure?

I didn’t want to leave him here, but I had to. I had to trust that I could get the antidote and cure him. That everything would be ok.

I opened my mouth to speak, and another cry escaped me.

He moved forward, to capture me or console me I would never know.

I reached out to the storm above and I grasped a thread of its magic, pulling it down towards us with all my strength.

Lightning struck, and this time I knew to shy away, shielding my eyes .

When I turned back Nikolai was on his knees, grasping his arm as he grimaced, his fangs exposed as he threw his head back with a cry.

Thank the Mother I hadn’t killed him .

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I took a step back.

“This isn’t you. I only want the old Nikolai back. The one who was mine ,” I cried, my vision blurred from the tears and pelting rain.

That first time, when my magic had detonated, and he had escaped, it had felt as if he was the one who left me. But it was me leaving him now. I was leaving a piece of myself here—wherever that was.

A piece I would never get back.

I turned, Stormslayer tight in my grasp as I took off down the street.

Soft words spoken behind me met my ears, but I didn’t stop, didn’t turn, I just kept running, tears streaming down my face.

“ I still am yours .”