Page 147 of To Bleed A Kingdom

“Nothing can defeat Desdemona's powers,” Adelphia speaks my thoughts.

Lena continues as if she hadn't spoken. “I can show you the path. Teach the trusted few,” she nods toward Kace and Griffin, “how to wield it. But it is imperative that the location of the weapon remains secret. Which is why in exchange for my assistance, I will require a member of the royal family to accompany me.” Her gaze lands on me.

“You want my son?” Adelphia whispers, her head slowly swiveling in my direction.

Lena stiffens, visibly swallowing. “For the expedition, yes.”

Something flashes within Adelphia’s eyes, but I’m unable to decipher it before it vanishes.

“You ask too much.”

“I haven’t asked for enough,”Lena quips. “I give you my word no harm will come to him.”

Adelphia rises from her throne. Theon reaches for her, but she jerks out of his clutches as she descends the dais, slowly rounding the table to stand on the other side of Lena, derision and scorn lining her face as she stares down her nose at the abomination so flippantly holding her gaze.

“You say trust must be earned, yet you've proven yourself nothing but a liar and refuse to answer any questions.” Her robe slips, but she still appears every bit the regal Queen she is as she flattens both palms on the table, hissing, “I will not entrust my son to the likes of you.” Her face shutters, an unemotional mask slipping back into place as she straightens, clasping her hands over her abdomen. “You saved my people tonight, and for that reason alone, I will grant you safe passage from the city. Darius, along with his Commanders will escort you to the gates. But once you leave, never return. For if you do, your life will be forfeit.” She glances over Lena’s head, pale green eyes touching down on Amara, Zander, and then Tristan. “All your lives.”

Aurora stifles a sob.

Rounding the table, Adelphia ascends the dais and lowers herself into her crystal throne, jerking a regal nod.

I don’t hesitate.

Stalking towards Lena, I banish all thoughts of her smile, the sound of her pleasure-filled cries, that raspy laugh, the feel of her skin sliding against my own. Determined to rid her from me, mind, body, and soul. Hoping there's enough of me leftover once I do.

I stop beside her chair and she drops her head back and lifts her gaze to mine, a sorrowful smile tugging at her lips. I grit my teeth at the feel of her warm, soft skin as I curl my fingers around her upper arm, mentally preparing myself to drag her out of this city and my life for good.

But then her smile suddenly tightens to slashed lips, her amethyst eyes harden, and my blood runs cold when she commands sharply, “Amara.”

Shrieks sound behind me and I snap my gaze around, sucking in a breath when I see Amara, the once human Amara, now with an illuminated starlight jewel, glowing diamond eyes, extended fangs, and her once brown hair streaked a brilliant, fluorescent white.

She whips up a glittering palm and a diamond ward snaps into existence, slicing down the center of the room and splitting it in half, trapping Aerin, Theon, and Adelphia on the other side.

“I apologize, Your Majesty.” Lena reaches through the ward to grab a grape, holding Adelphia’s gaze as she slowly bites into it. “But I believe you've misunderstood me. That wasn't a request.”

My breaths rush out of me as my heart rams against my chest. That power. That diamond power. It was Amara. It was hers all along! The one who created the ward in the courtyard that day. I almost thought I had imagined the feel of it. The way it crackles along my skin, raising the hairs along my arm, how the power doesn't hum but sizzles, popping in my ears. The way it crushes me beneath its supreme feet to drown me in its divinity. But it doesn't belong to the divine, does it? Not to a god known to us. Nor to a fae or an immortal. It belongs to a seemingly human Amara.

Adelphia lifts a trembling finger and touches the ward. The scent of burnt flesh along with a sizzling sound reaches my ears as she cries out and jerks her hand back. She peers down at her blackened finger and lifts her gaze. Not to Aerin, nor Aurora, not even to Theon, but to me.

“Darius.”

At the plea in her eyes, at the sound of my name spoken on a fearful whisper, I instantly snap out of my stupor.

I flick a glittering orange palm to shoot an orb of fire towards Amara, but it vanishes with a bored swipe of her hand. Kace and Griffin rush her from the sides. She flicks both hands and diamond chains spear from her palms, shooting towards them and binding their arms and legs, both tumbling to the floor with a loud smack.

Sprinting towards her, I whip up a hand and a stream of fire streaks towards her. It vanishes. I raise the other hand and another flamed stream flashes towards her. That one vanishes as well. I do it again and again and again,rapid firing one after another as I rush forward. The fire never touches her, but with every swipe of her hand I'm that much closer.

When I'm only a sword's width away, I raise both palms with a roar and blast into her, the orange flames coalescing into a massive funnel of fire.

Unable to vanish my assault with just a swipe, Amara braces her feet and holds up both hands to keep me at bay. The flames billow out and begin to lighten as I blast into her with one last surge of power. Releasing my Gift, I quickly unsheathe the sword from my back and swing it up and over my head, aiming for the crook of her neck as I slice downward.

But before my blade can even graze her skin, a small, leather clad foot suddenly rams into my chest, flinging me across the room to slam back against the ward.

Feeling like my chest has been caved in, I wheeze in a breath and push off the ground to stand, but I'm halted by the obsidian and starlight dagger pressed against my throat.

“As you can see, Amara’s wards are more powerful than your Gods Blessed’s,” Lena says in that lilting, raspy voice from where she’s crouched before me. “It cannot be dismantled by anyone or anything. Not your Wardbreakers, not your fire, not even in her death. If you had managed to kill her, they would have been trapped indefinitely.”

Looking into those glimmering, amethyst orbs, I'm baffled as to how blind I was. How could I ever have thought she was anything remotely human? The way she tracks my every motion. That young, yet ancient depth that simmers within. Even the color was a sign all in itself. This abomination with her cursed face and bewitching eyes and enchanting scent could be nothing less than the predator she is. The predator she has always been.

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