“Broken so soon, flower?” Amon whispered just above her lips, and her eyes jerked open. His smile spread slowly across his face.“There she is. Would you like me to unbind you?”
Hope sparked. If she pretended to be beaten and he let his guard down, she could try to kill him, assuming her power came back the moment the magic was lifted.
Emma nodded.
He took his time uncoiling the ropes. When the first slid away like a python unwrapping her from its deadly hold, she flexed her wrist, the telltale tingling of power skating beneath her skin. Amon worked on the other, and Emma cast a glance at Blaze.
His dark, wavy hair hung like a curtain, hiding his eyes from her, but she felt his gaze regardless.
She gave him a small smile, her split lip stinging in the process.
The coarse rope fibers scratched her raw skin when the last enchanted binding coiled to the floor, and Emma was on Amon in an instant. They tumbled back, the prince’s head slamming into the edge of the steel tub before crashing to the floor. She straddled him, his eyes wide and for once, fearful. Her hands wrapped around his throat, a feral snarl tearing from somewhere deep and dark inside her.
Heavy, sensual, lustful power burst through her veins, filling her.
“You can kill me, flower, but I’ll never be gone. I’ll be inside you, haunting you,” Amon choked. “I’ll make sure you’re every bit the wicked demon you hate so much.”
Fire raged inside her; she was sure he could see it in her eyes when she pulled a hand back. With a crack, her fist came down on his face. Then another.
Cool black liquid splashed her face.
The prince’s face crunched, his power so drained his skin was papery and sallow. Yet Emma’s fist raised to deliver another punishing blow.
Finish it, the monster inside her hissed.
She grabbed the sides of his face, fingers buried in his pale, blood-slicked hair. Her nails dug in, deeper. Deeper. Drawing blood.
A laugh bubbled up from her lips, shaking her frame.
“That’s it, Prince. Give in and die.”
Though his face was too distorted to be sure, she thought he smiled.
With a dry crackling noise, she fell through his chest, every inch of him crumpling to ash on the shaggy rug. Amon’s energy pumped through her thick and slow. She gritted her teeth, forcing herself to bear it.
Everything was warm, her clothing too tight.Too restrictive. Emma didn’t move, letting his power settle inside her.
“It’s mine now,” she told the clumps of ash with a satisfied smile.
So powerful.
Inhaling deeply, she felt like a goddess. Three princes’energies flowed through her. It was intoxicating. The world would bow at her feet with just a crook of her finger.
Three more, the voice in her mind cooed. Then the king. After that, they’ll all worship you.
She stared at her hands, examining the black that coated them. Her heart beat hard but steady. Calm.
You were made for this. Your touch is lethal. Death is your blade. The voice spoke truth in her mind, and she let its words sink in.
I was made for this.
She smiled at the blood on her hands. It looked good. Looked right.
“Emma?”a familiar female voice spoke from the tent opening.
“Get out,” she said quietly.
“Emma, come on, we’ve got to get you out of here.”
She turned to see a wild, dark beauty with violet eyes. Behind her stood a tall, sexy man with a head full of dreads that hung past his shoulders. His chest was bare though blades were strapped on his back, daggers and throwing knives holstered in perfect view.
A warrior.
Emma licked her lips and stood.
The familiar girl watched her with hesitation before glancing sidelong at the man still hanging from a cross.
He was familiar too, especially when she met his piercing grey eyes. A band of light wrapped around his mouth, making him unable to speak.
Cocking her head to the side, she stepped toward the intruders. “Who are you, warrior?” she asked the muscular ebony-skinned man.
He grunted a sound that might have been a laugh.“General Tlahaz, Shediem-Slayer. Listen to the witch: we need to get out of here, now.” With a disdainful look at the man on the cross he added,“I suppose you’ll want to take the Giborim with you. Levaroth spoke of the filthy angel-blooded soldier that had managed to steal your affection away from him.”
Levaroth. The name made her stagger back a step as though she’d been punched in the chest. Her vision swam briefly, and she shook her head, trying to clear it.
“Emma, please, what’s going on? This isn’t like you.”
Ringing in her ears made her grind her teeth. Don’t let go. Drain the Shediem. Feed.
“It’s the princes’ power,” Tlahaz answered. “She’s part Shediem, so the more she feeds on them, the more she becomes full Shediem. And if I’m reading her energy right, she has at least three princes’ powers rioting inside her.”
She snarled at the voices breaking through her bloodlust.
“What do I do?”
It was that voice. Her friend’s voice, filled with despair, that burned away the last of the haze.
Emma’s head shot up.“Adrianna!”
Her friend let out a choked sound of relief and she rushed to Emma, throwing arms around her neck. Emma returned the embrace, squeezing hard enough to hear a squeak of pain. She eased her grasp but didn’t let go.
Tears formed in her eyes.“You’re here.”A sob broke from her chest, and Adrianna’s own frame shook while they both cried.
“Witch, we need to hurry.”
Emma whipped up her head, shooting a menacing glare at the general.“Move, A. I’ll kill him.”
Tlahaz barked a laugh at the same time her best friend shouted,“No!”
Emma blinked in shock, meeting her friend’s gaze. Her irises were no longer purple. Sensing Emma’s surprise, Adrianna turned sheepish.
“Are you…?”
Adrianna looked over her shoulder, then shrugged.“We kind of have an alliance.”
The warrior stepped up behind her, gripping her shoulder possessively. “The witch is mine.” He paused as Emma quirked a brow.“Did I say that right?”
Adrianna giggled.“Sure, Demon.”
Rustling sounded next to Emma, and she snapped her gaze from the confusing—and somewhat concerning—scenario in front of her to Blaze struggling against the ropes binding him.
“Crap, sorry. Uh…” She reached up, attempting to pry the knotted rope untied.
“Here, let me,” Adrianna said, bumping her hip against Emma’s.
Her brows furrowed but she stepped to the side, giving her friend some space.At Adrianna’s back,Tlahaz stood, arms folded over his chest, somehow managing to not tear his arms to shreds on the weapons strapped there.
Dark violet light drew Emma’s attention. The ropes that tied Blaze to the cross vanished, as did the magical gag.
He dropped to his feet gracefully, eyes fixed on the general with murderous rage.
Emma threw herself in front of Blaze, hugging around his middle.“Are you okay?”
After a few tense seconds, he hugged her back.“I’m fine. Are you all right? That looked rough.”
Emma shrugged, not wanting to discuss it yet.
“We really need to be going. Everyone in sworn service to Amon now knows he’s gone and will be thirsting for your blood,” Tlahaz said in his deep, gravelly voice. Adrianna nodded her agreement.
Slowly the muffled sounds of chaos outside reached Emma’s ears.
Before she could ask, Adrianna said,“I cast a protection spell over the tent to keep everyone else out.”
“Right, yeah. Makes sense.” In truth, she still couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that her best friend was a Spellcaster.
The general led the way out and Adrianna followed. Emma grabbed Blaze’s hand, pulling him along, hoping she’d be able to stop
him from killing the Shediem if need be.
She didn’t particularly like the fact that her best friend was in some sort of relationship with a general. Distantly she recalled her unconventional relationship with Levaroth. It wasn’t even a friendship; it was complicated. She wondered where he was, but a pang in her chest had her pushing all thoughts of him away. She didn’t miss Levaroth, but the last she’d heard from him was when he’d told her Adrianna was attempting to tamper with his memories. Then his mark had disappeared.
Hundreds of Shediem rushed around,angrily and desperately trying to penetrate the invisible barrier that enclosed the tent.
“Now what?” Blaze asked with a huff.
Tlahaz flashed him a grin.“Surely you know this part,Angelblood. We fight.”
As one, they surged into the throng. The sticky feel of magic coated Emma’s skin in one moment, and the next, it was gone.
Then Shediem were everywhere. Snarls, blades, teeth all around her.
Emma took a deep breath and dove into action. Between the four of them, they easily carved a path through the Shediem, and when they were through Adrianna sent a blast over her shoulder, erecting an invisible wall that Shediem and humans alike collided with.
Emma’s stomach turned. “Wait, the humans. We need to rescue them.”
Tlahaz shook his head. “Sorry, Shediem-Slayer. None of those humans look like they want to be free.”
Though their contorted faces seemed to confirm his words, Emma snapped,“They’re enthralled, they don’t know any better.”
Digging her heels in, she came to a halt, then spun and sprinted back to the line of clawing, thrashing monsters. With a deep breath she lifted her arms and sent a blast of her power out, never slowing.
A rumble shook the hilltop, and hundreds of ugly creatures turned to ash in an instant. Feeling for the newest power in her arsenal, she tugged on it, hoping she could reverse the lust-driven power Amon had enslaved the humans with.
She kept running, even when they went still, blinking dazedly. Weaving in and out, she repeated the steps over and over, combing through the unending camp. She took what little power was offered to her through their instant annihilation, but it wasn’t enough to sustain her.
Blaze and Adrianna shouted after her, but she didn’t stop.
Her temples throbbed and her knees locked before she tumbled to the icy ground with a cry.
Around her, everything went quiet.
Her breathing was shaky. Her vision blurred. She’d expended too much power, she needed to feed again.
Or sleep.
Rolling onto her back, she groaned.
“Emma!” Adrianna skidded to a stop beside her, panting. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“Tired,” she murmured.
“You’re drained, aren’t you?”Blaze asked with an admonishing tone.
Emma nodded, blinking up to find Tlahaz standing just out of reach.
“Don’t even think about it, Shediem-Slayer.”
“So hungry,” she grumbled.
“We’ll get you back on the plane and you can rest. But you need to get up,” Blaze said above her.
Adrianna brushed a lock of hair away from her face. “Can you sit up?”
With her friend’s help, Emma pushed forward to a sitting position, though she swayed.
Voices sounded behind them, but before she could utter a word, Blaze spun.“Taryn? Over here!”
A group of Giborim soldiers as well as Sergei and two other Spellcasters came into view. She didn’t notice it right away, but behind them, they dragged a large blue-and-yellow Shediem. A thick tail swung wildly beneath it. It thrashed its legs trying to get to its feet, which were tied, and Emma almost felt sorry for the beast.
The voice in her mind spoke through her lips, startling everyone around her.“Bring the prisoner to me. I need to feed.”
Taryn scoffed.“Looks like you’ve got a nice snack right there.”
It was then the Giborim soldiers recognized Tlahaz for what he was: a Shediem general.
The tension was palpable.Tlahaz bared his teeth and hissed, but Adrianna moved in front of him, attempting to block his body with her much smaller frame. It was almost laughable, except for the look of possessiveness in her eyes that glowed with violet light.
“You should go,” Blaze said in an eerily quiet voice.
Adrianna bent down to whisper to Emma, “Levaroth sacrificed his memories of you to break your father’s mark. He has been warped to want to kill you, but there’s a fail-safe. Only you can trigger it.” She stood before Emma could ask what the trigger was, an apology on her face.“I’ll see you soon, Em.”
Then they were gone.
“What the hell was that about?” Dominic asked.
“I’ll explain later,” Blaze said quietly.
Emma got to her feet slowly, everyone’s gaze on her, and a ripple of unease surrounded her. Ignoring them, she walked around to where the prisoner stilled. It looked like a cross between an alligator and a bull, with thick, muscled limbs, a yellow, hairy snout, and black, emotionless eyes. Yet blue alligator skin covered its bottom half. Definitely one of the ugliest Shediem she’d ever encountered.
It grunted when she drew close.
Before it could react, she dove on top of it, letting its dark power fill her. It was over all too soon, its body vanishing in a puff of ash that the breeze broke apart.
The throbbing in her head had ceased, and she straightened. She felt better already. Still tired, but she’d make the trek back to the plane without passing out.
“What the crap! We were going to question that,” Taryn shrieked.
More, the voice in her mind demanded.
Later, she found herself answering.
Whatever monster had developed inside her, it huffed its disappointment.
Was she going crazy? Was it a lingering effect of the mark her father had given her?
The scariest possibility—one she couldn’t entertain—was that it was really just her.
The hunger.
The bloodlust.
It was all her.
Her gaze lowered to her hands, still stained with black, and the pride that rippled through her made her spine jerk. She followed Blaze and the group, not letting them see the truth written on her face.
That deep down, the monster was her.
39
Emma
They were on the plane—each of them exhausted and most of them wounded—when the bone-deep cold seeped in. Wrapped in a thick, coarse, woolen blanket,
Emma shivered uncontrollably. The high that the Shediem blood had given her was more powerful with three princes’ energies flowing through her veins, yet it seemed like her body was normalizing faster, though the effects were still harsh.
Like all addicts, she required more to sustain her craving. Emma tried not to think about how she’d be affected when she consumed the last three princes’ powers.
With her teeth chattering loudly over the roar of the engine, eyes watched her wearily. Sergei was among them, his brows drawn in concern. She ignored them all, attempting to force her jaw shut.
After an hour—when the shivers had mostly subsided—she shuffled toward the cockpit, where Blaze piloted the aircraft. She took the seat beside him, and they stared ahead wordlessly. His hand brushed her exposed fingers where she still clutched the blanket closed over her shoulders.
Emma looked at him, studying the rough, dark stubble of his beautiful face.
I love you, Emma.
Her mouth was opening to say the words she’d been unable to vocalize earlier when Blaze spoke.“How are you feeling?”
She gave a humorless laugh, her eyes casting down to her lap. How did she feel? Besides stiff and sore from the violent shaking she’d endured for the past hour, and the aching in her chest from seeing her best friend with Tlahaz, what was left?
Her lips parted, letting the words spill out without any fear of judgment.“I’m tired. My mom is dead, Gertie
is dead, my best friend is dating a Shediem general or something. I’m becoming more and more like the monsters I kill. I crave their death. So many people have gotten hurt, Haddie included”—Blaze’s jaw flexed, and his eyes darkened— “and I don’t really know how to feel. Maybe when this is all over, I’ll be able to figure it out.”
She sagged back in the chair, feeling like a physical weight had been lifted, making her boneless.
Blaze was silent for several moments, staring above the clouds.“One day at a time.You did well with Amon. I mean, you broke through the haze, or whatever you called it.”
Emma bit her lower lip and shook her head.“It wasn’t easy. If Adrianna hadn’t been there, I don’t think I would have.”
“I know you would have.”
His firm tone, mixed with the raw emotion in his gaze, made her heart constrict.“Maybe.”
“What did Adrianna say to you before she vanished?”
Emma swallowed hard before meeting his gaze. “That Levaroth sacrificed his memories in order to free me from my father’s mark.” She couldn’t bring herself to repeat the other part—how only she could trigger his memories to return.
Blaze looked away, jaw flexing.“How very noble of him.”
She sighed. “I guess.” After several moments of awkward silence, she asked,“What’s the plan now?”
“Regroup at the compound. I need to check on Haddie and find some lead to help my brother. Then in a few days we’ll head to the next base. We’ll keep picking off the princes one by one and hope the king doesn’t make an appearance any time soon.”
She nodded, though deep down she knew that wasn’t going to happen. Nakosh knew she was killing princes. Sooner or later, he’d stop her and then there would be a war.
“Get some sleep. It’s a long flight.”
She didn’t need to be told twice—exhaustion was settling in again. Snuggling into the chair, she let her eyelids droop.
Emma came down the stairs, the scent of sausage gravy and buttery biscuits permeating the house with its heavenly aroma. She smiled when she entered the kitchen, her mother’s shiny curtain of strawberry-blond hair shimmering in the morning sun that poured in through the open window.
The Throne of Broken Bones (Weapon of Fire and Ash Book 3) Page 32
