Page 119 of The Reign of Blood

I tuck my daggers away before dropping to my knees. I swoop my cloak aside, feeling the gem nestled into my skin.

When my father told me what to do, it sounded too simple, but I tried it that night.

The pain. Fuck. The pain.

My muscles bunch together in anticipation, instantly reconsidering what I’m about to do. Is it worth it? Fuck. Yes.

Scrunching my eyes up, I take a deep breath as my fingers skim over the amethyst, wreaking hell on my body.

Three… two… one…

“Ahhh!” I cry out through gritted teeth as pain exudes from every fiber of my body as I twist the gem.

“A kiss of amethyst can be removed, Adrianna. You yourself are one of three people alive who can do it. Only royal blood can remove such a treacherous curse, but no one but myself and Fairbourne know that. Hold that knowledge close to your chest. It won’t be nice, and the pain will be excruciating, but you can do it. Use this knowledge to your advantage, though. Let them believe they have a hold on you.”

My father’s words echo in my head as I bite back the final whimper of pain and the gem falls into my hand.

How can something so sweet and delicate elicit such treacherous pain?

Tucking it into my pocket, I keep low, making sure no one is nearby as I plunge my hand into the ground. I connect with the earth so quickly and powerfully that it fills me with relief and emotion.

I take a moment, embracing the magic that dances through me, so carefree, before I summon it to do as I request.

Bright green vines rise from the ground, a stark contrast to the darkness that consumes the maze. They light up a path that I know will lead toward the center of the maze. Slowly standing, I brush my hand over the first vine, watching it retreat at my touch, before I take off, repeating the same with each one I pass, not meeting a single dead end until I see a token in the distance.

Relief and pride blossom inside of me, but despite the euphoria, I take a step back, making sure no one is around as I pull the gem out of my pocket.

Fuck.

I really don’t want to, but?—

“There she is.”

I stiffen at the sound of Vallie’s voice, quickly stuffing the gem back in my pocket as I turn, but it’s too late. Her vampire speed catches me completely off-guard, sending me tumbling to the ground with a thud.

She lands on top of me, pinning my arms and legs beneath her, a sinister look in her eyes, and before I can even buck my hips to get her the fuck off me or channel the air around me to push her away, she sinks her teeth into my throat.

A roar of pain burns from my throat, the feeling excruciating as it consumes me, rendering me helpless. The pain is blinding. My body wants to give in to the toxins that fill my veins, but I refuse. This isn’t my time. Not yet.

Flailing my arms, I claw and fight her before I remember my daggers. Squeezing my hands between us, I manage to blindly tangle my hand through my cloak and t-shirt, wrapping my fingers around two hilts.

I don’t think, and I can’t see, so I swing with purpose and hope for the best.

“Ahh, you bitch,” Vallie screams, her teeth finally leaving my flesh.

I swing again and again, her shrill voice tainted with horror with every passing breath, and I don’t stop until she says nothing at all. She falls limp on top of me, and I shove her off with what little strength I have left.

Agony explodes through me as I try and fail to blink my eyes open.

I need to get out of here. I need to get to the token.

Rolling over, I push up onto my hands and knees, blindly crawling through the dirt as I let my magic dance over the surface, praying I can make it.

I’m ready to give in, to lay here and let the world take me when I reach out my hand one last time, only to feel something in my way. Running my hands over it, my heart quickens, hope blooming inside of me as I wildly flail my hand around until I feel it.

The ground shifts beneath me the second I connect with the token, but it doesn’t ease the agony that consumes me, the terror of what will happen to me. It all stays. Even as I feel the sun beat down on me once again.

“What the fuck? Dagger, is that you?”

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