“You’ll understand what?”
“That you won’t want me after you link with Rafe. I’m telling you so you don’t feel guilty—so it won’t plague you.”
I pull back. “What are you talking about?”
“Once you connect—once you use his magic…” His eyes search mine. “You’re his. He’s yours. That’s the way it is.”
“Are you serious?” I demand.
But before he can answer, dancing light catches my attention. It almost looks like—
Jonathan swears under his breath, letting me down. “They’ve lit the house on fire.”
The flames come from the ballroom. The heat reaches us, and we’re not even that close.
Behind us, Rafe bursts through the door. I rush to him, surprised to find him whole. “How did you get through it?”
He gives me an incredulous look. “I cloaked.”
Oh…right. Unlike me, he knows how to be a Fox.
I glance at Jonathan, who looks like he’s trying to decide if we can put out the fire at this point, or if we’re going to have to let it burn. After half a heartbeat, I turn back to Rafe. “What happens if we allow our magic to link?”
A shadow crosses Rafe’s face. “We can’t.”
“Is there any other way to stop them?”
Black stains cover his shirt and jeans. It looks like oil and grease—like he spent the last few hours under a car. But it’s blood from the beasts. He’s been fighting them, and successfully judging from his lack of wounds. But there are too many, and I can feel more coming.
He closes his eyes, looking like he’s going to be ill. “I don’t know.”
Jonathan steps forward and squeezes my hand, silently telling me it’s going to be okay. Telling me he believes in me.
My heart aches—I want him. I want to want him, want to see what could grow between us if we were just given the chance.
“You’re the only one who can control them, Madeline,” Jonathan reminds me, reading my mind. “If you don’t do it, we’re all dead.”
I stare at him, conflicted, my brain and my heart at war. He finally nods, telling me it’s time.
Terrified, I turn to Rafe.
My knight.
“You’re strong,” I tell him. “And a good man. You can resist the pull toward evil. I know you can.”
He barely shakes his head. “What if I can’t?”
“You have to.”
His dark, dark blue eyes search mine. He wants to believe me—he needs to know that I believe myself. And I do.
I extend my hand, my magic already twisting and writhing inside me, gleeful. After a long, heavy moment, Rafe accepts.
Our magic twines together as it always does, but it feels what’s coming. It knows.
“Are you ready?” he asks, squeezing my palm, holding it tight.
I give him a bare nod.
Together, we toss open the doors. The sight is surreal—there are just so many of them. A multitude of monsters.
My heart races; I can feel its thrum in my throat. I cling to Rafe, terrified. What if this doesn’t work?
“What do I do?” I yell to Rafe, hoping he can hear me over the noise.
He turns to me, clasping my other hand so we’re standing face to face, surrounded by madness. “Take my magic.”
“Take it how?”
“Just take it. It’s yours anyway.” He stares into my eyes. “I’m yours—I have been since I laid eyes on you.”
Apparently it’s a night for heartache.
“Rafe…”
“I know, Lexie,” he says, using my nickname, breaking me. “I know how you feel about Jonathan. I understand.”
“He says—”
“He’s right. Are you sure you want to do this?”
That’s the thing—I don’t have a choice.
Without answering, I tighten my grip on Rafe’s hands and purposely twine my magic through his. Then I pull it toward me, into me. And suddenly, it’s one. We merge together, my knight and me, becoming something stronger, brighter, infinitely more dangerous. And it’s the most natural thing in the world—like breathing.
Rafe wears a look of pure agony—like he cannot believe he’s allowed this to happen.
Fortified with his magic, I turn toward the night sky. “Cease your fight!” I command, my magic carrying far past my voice. The power of it nearly knocks us over. The creatures fall from the sky in waves, landing on the ground, bowing before me.
The magic crashes over me. It’s a heady feeling, this power, addicting. I allow myself to revel in it, just for a moment.
Finally, when I feel I can control it, I look at the dark legion before me. “Away! Back to where you came from, hide yourselves.” Then I pause, taking in the army of beasts, scared to death. “I have plans for you—plans for you all. I will call you soon enough. Do not venture from the depths until you hear my voice.”
For several moments, the world is perfectly still. The storm quiets, and the creatures are silent. Then the winged beasts take to the skies. The slithering beasts make for the trees, as do the ones on foot.
I stand, watching, supervising, making sure they heed my command. It takes ten minutes, possibly more, until the last of them disappears into the night, leaving only their wreckage behind.
It’s a sobering sight. There is so much destruction. Guests fled the mansion only to meet their death in the once beautiful garden.
The only living souls before me form a bedraggled trio of knight marshals.
Jonathan watches, his expression carefully blank. Eric looks dumbfounded and slightly confused—but no more than the hairless cat in his arms.
But Gray.
The lead knight marshal’s face is hard, his eyes like unyielding, glittering granite. Without a word, he draws his dagger and stalks toward me, single-minded focus evident on his face. He means to kill me.
Rafe steps in front of me, drawing his own dagger. “Don’t,” is all my knight says. His voice is low, calm, deadly.
“She’s the Obsidian Queen.” Gray’s voice is nearly toneless. “She must die.”
But it’s not Rafe who comes to my rescue. It’s Jonathan. Neither of the knights notices him pulling his dagger, not until he places the tip of it at Gray’s back, between his shoulder blades.
“What are you doing?” Gray snarls, turning his head to face the Griffon. “Didn’t you see? She speaks to evil, and the evil bows before her.”
“Madeline’s not evil,” Jonathan says calmly. “You know that. Don’t be a fool.”
“What I know in my head can’t belittle what I saw with my eyes.”
“No, he’s right,” I say, my shoulders falling with exhaustion. “You are right to fear me.”
Jonathan flashes me a questioning look.
I straighten, drawing the last of my strength. “Because I’m going to send the monsters back where they belong.”
I’ve made up my mind. This can never happen again. Countless people died today. Rodger, Elizabeth, Olivia, the ghost hunters…they’re all here, their eyes unseeing, their blood soaking into the ground.
It’s a gruesome sight, one that makes my stomach twist and knot.
“What are you saying?” Jonathan asks, the blade still positioned at Gray’s back.
“I’m going to open the thresholds to Aparia.” Slowly, I meet their eyes, going from man to man, letting them know I mean the words. “And I’m going to need your help to do it.”
To be continued…
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Princess of Shadows (Obsidian Queen Book 2) Page 20
