Page 204 of Scourged

And clarity slammed into her.

She cautiously opened the other bonds. But instead of feelings and emotions rushing to greet her … sheheardthem.

She’d heard them before, too, when she’d blasted thedeistairfrom their wrists. But only with the beast now sharing some of her mind, and not all, she understood what that meant.

As her Armature’s thoughts pummeled her, six jumbled voices all panicked and roaring in her head, she knew.

Those bonds were not for any mortal purpose. They’d never been to simply serve a queen trapped in a human form, limited by the confines of a body unable to access magics far deeper and more ancient.

It was forthis.For this beast dwelling in the heart of the queen’s power. So that when it was unleashed, she would haveseven carrying a trace of that power to understand her fully. Seven who could be a voice to a world that would see only a monster, a legend come to life.

Their voices ceased when she spoke to them, down all seven bonds.

“Get my brother. Get my father. And get thefuckout of here.” The ground shuddered again. Those wild instincts roared at her, an instinct she couldn’t ignore even if she tried.

“Something is coming. I can feel it in the earth. I need them safe.” Her gaze found Andrian’s. “I needyousafe.”

Hard rebellion flared across his face. But Andrian nodded and sprinted for the central platform, shadows spilling from his hands as he unsheathed the broadsword from his back. Sebastian raced after him, followed by Quentin and Feran. Drystan, Trefor, and Matheo drew their weapons, forming a semi-circle around her, searching for an exit.

It was sweet of them to still be seeking to protect her. But she had no use for it now.

She snapped her jaws and ignored the pang of guilt when Trefor and Matheo jumped in surprise. “I told you to leave me. Get my family and find a way out.”

Drystan met her stare fiercely. “If you’re staying, then so are we.”

Mariah hissed in frustration, swinging her head to the central platform as the earth shuddered again. The four warriors had reached her father and brother. Sebastian and Quentin grabbed Wex by both arms. Their touch shook something loose in him and he roared, struggling against their grip. His gaze was locked on his wife’s body, her blood still dripping onto theaberrant. They gritted their teeth and dragged him down the platform, back across the garden.

Ellan still stood there, expression shocked and broken. Feran rested a hand on his shoulder, shaking him, and Mariah’sbrother stumbled forward, emptiness shrouding his soft green-gold eyes.

They gathered behind Mariah, eyes searching for a way out, a path that wasn’t guarded by demons or blocked by the screaming crowd. Mariah lifted to her full height, unsteady as she continued to adjust to this massive and cumbersome form, scanning the gardens.

“Escaping? Really? How unlike you. Even like this, I would have hoped you’d put up more of a fight.”

Shawth’s shaky voice from her right scratched against her skin. Her head swung to the dais, flames once again bubbling deep in her chest.

Another shudder wracked the earth, this time somewhere deeper.

Somewhere, in a long-forgotten realm sunken deep beneath their feet, Mariah heard a terrible, furious, murderous roar.

Ignoring the sniveling lords on the dais, she whipped back to the central platform. To the block ofaberrantstill being fed by the slow drip of her mother’s blood. The gardens were suspended in tension, the air stilling as ancient, terrible, forgotten power trembled around them.

With a sigh, the tension snapped, and a crack split through the deep black stone.

Every instinct in Mariah recoiled. A feeling of wrongness wrapped around her, screaming at her to fight or fly.

But she was held still, rooted to the ground, planted between the stone and her family as shadows leaked from the crack in theaberrant.

They were not unlike the shadows she loved with all she was. Even the way they moved, dancing and winding through the air, was reminiscent.

But where Andrian’s shadows were cool, delicate whispers of ice against hot skin, these were scalding, their heat permeatingthe air as they seeped into the bright, cloudless day. The already warm temperature rose as more shadows poured forth, snaking around themselves like billows of cloud and smoke.

Slowly, the shadows pulled together. Formed into a great, massive writhing shape. A shape as imposing as Mariah, and just as similar.

Black wings burst from the shadows, the membranes veined with gold, the dark twin to her own. A body followed, smoke solidifying into gleaming onyx scales. A tail snaked and swished across the ground, followed by an arching neck and scaled head crowned with four horns so red, they looked to be dipped in blood.

The fiery, red-gold eyes of the dragon burned back at Mariah with the intensity of the sun as it opened its jaw and roared.

This roar shook the castle behind them. Shook the earth beneath them, made the sun pulse brighter against the shadows, made the sky tremble.

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