Page 74 of To Crave Truly

“Oh yeah, I’ve learnt some new tricks,” I said as I asked for my magic to reach out. Thick black swirls of shadow poured from my fingers. “Just come peacefully.”

“Never! I won’t let you take my kingdom from me.” Lightning erupted as magic filled the room. We all jumped into action, fending off her attacks as she hurled everything that she could at us. I couldn’t blame her, though. We were trying to take everything from her. Guards ran in from every direction, no doubt loyal to their mistress and willing to die to protect her.

“Lori, watch out!” Cassian roared as he slammed his body into mine, the pair of us narrowly missing a spell and landing in a heap on the floor. “That one would have melted your flesh from your bones.”

“Thanks,” I said, kissing him quickly before jumping back to my feet.

“Be careful.” Cassian slapped my ass firmly and then launched into the fray with a wide smile on his handsome face. That boy loved chasing chaos.

A bolt of lightning whizzed past my face, singing my hair.

Concentrate. If you lose an eye, how are you going to stare at his peachy ass?

My demon asked a very good question. Okay, I was focussed.

“Wanna join the party?” I asked my demon and I swear I could see her grinning.

I thought you’d never ask.

I felt her slide into my skin, her presence enhancing my senses and boosting the power in my core.

Let’s get this bitch.

I couldn’t agree more.

Carnage lay in the room by the time we’d got Violette restrained. She was knelt on the floor, her dress in tatters and blue splotches marred her skin – courtesy of a hex from Rae. She didn’t look powerful now and I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

The guards who had stayed by her side and survived were in a group being watched over by Cassian. I could already tell he was getting excited over the fun he could have in his basement. Some of the guards had fled, but that was a hunt for another day.

I squatted in front of Violette, taking stock of her injuries and wondering why she did what she did. “Is this how you thought it would end?”

Her lilac eyes met mine, twin pools of sadness swirling in their depths. “I just wanted to protect them. I thought I could save them.”

“But you murdered your own people. You knew what he was capable of, knew what he would do. You couldn’t have been that naïve.” I grabbed the crown and gently pulled it from her head. “I hereby invoke the abdicare legem.”

Alec stepped up behind me. “You will be taken to a place of exile. You will be stripped of your powers and left to live a mortal life.”

Violette whimpered as her magic left her, a radiant explosion of shimmering purples. It swirled in the air above us.

“What’s it doing?” I asked warily. I was standing under a vortex of powerful magic, and I wasn’t sure what was happening. Where did the magic go now?

“It will choose a new Queen,” Rae supplied helpfully as she stared up at the magic, a strange expression on her face.

The magic glowed brightly, turning a brilliant shade of white. Suddenly, it started to move quicker, churning and twirling, like it was agitated or excited. Then, it darkened, turning a shade of red that bled outwards until none of the white was left.

“Stand back,” Rae warned right before the magic exploded. It surrounded Rae, a tornado of red, and it pulled at her hair, her clothes, lifting her off the ground.

“Rae!” I went to reach her, but Alec held me back.

“Watch,” he said by my ear so I could hear it above the wind. What the Hell was happening?

The crown was yanked out of my hands, and it disappeared into the red mist. Light burst through the room and it was so bright I had to look away. There was a gust of wind, like a sonic boom, and then, there was nothing but silence.

After a moment, I risked looking at the spot where I’d last seen Rae, but whatever I had been expecting, it wasn’t that. “Holy shit.”

“You could say that again,” Alec said with a laugh.

Rae stood before us, crowned, and draped in royal robes looking completely pissed off. “What the fuck am I supposed to do now?”

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