Page 85 of Sticks and Stones and Broken Bones

“I know but I can’t… I…” It was getting too difficult to speak.

“Raevyn. Just let go. Stop holding it back. You don’t need to be afraid of it.”

Magnus flew past me again, making me dizzy with where he was coming from. I couldn’t focus on anything, couldn’t get my senses to calm in the roar of the crowd.

“Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Centre yourself and breathe.”

“I can’t.”

“You can,” he shouted. “Stop thinking and just do!”

It was easy for him to say. He wasn’t being attacked by a vampire king.

“You’re a fucking necromancer and he’s somewhat dead,” he hissed. And shit. He was right.

I took a breath and felt the world slow. The sound of the crowd dropped to a low strangled hum, and I felt Magnus move sluggishly. I could pinpoint where he was without even looking, it was like tiny vibrations along my left arm alerting me to the subtle movement through the airwaves.

I shot my hand out and my entire arm jerked with the impact, knocking me back a few paces.

Time sped up and the roar of the crowd was deafening, pulsing loudly in my ears.

I opened my eyes and found my hand tightly wrapped around the vampire’s neck. Shock and surprise had his eyes blown wide and a powerful thrill ran through my veins. I blurted out a laugh as I felt my magic swirling behind my solar plexus. It was amazing, and vibrant and I could sense all the life threads of everyone in the room. It was a little overwhelming but so amazing and—

Magnus snarled and snapped his fangs dragging my attention back to the matter at hand. I pushed him backwards and he flew to the other side of the ring, slamming into the barrier. I looked at my hand in amazement. Where the hell had that come from?

“Your power is instinctual, Raevyn. It’s always there,” the voice from my dreams said.

There was another loud cheer from the crowd, and I caught my guys looking at me with fascination, lust and a hint of pride. I’d never felt so alive, so worthy.

I laughed again, my body humming with power. It was euphoric, exciting and exhilarating. I walked towards Magnus and listened to the thud of his heart.

“Yield,” I shouted.

He got to his feet, dusting the splinters of the barrier off him. “Never.”

I willed his heart to slow, revelling in the way his face paled, and his eyes bulged a little. “Are you sure?”

His hand clutched at his chest as I squeezed the life out of his heart. The sound of the crowd intensified as he fell to his knees.

My wings snapped out behind me as I pushed more power through my connection with Magnus. I could feel his heart spasming, struggling against my hold. “Yield!”

“Cut his fucking head off!”

“Kill him!”

“Make him pay!”

The crowd were fuelled by bloodlust, desperate for me to kill him, but this wasn’t a fight to the death. I had no idea why Magnus wanted to fight here, only that I merely had to survive. Maybe the guy just wanted to prove that he could fight here.

I caught sight of Roux in the crowd, her red hair making her stand out in the sea of screaming spectators. Her face was pinched, her lips pursed, and a wave of guilt hit me. She might call him ‘King Douche’ but there were some serious emotions playing across her face. I let him go, catching him before he fell to the floor. I pulled my wings up and around us, shielding us from view.

“Why?” I whispered, pulling back to look in his bright red eyes.

“Because it is expected of me.”

There was something in his eyes that made me think of a trapped bird and it reminded me of me a little. “I will yield.”

“No,” he said with a shake of his head. “Either win, or…”

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