Page 99 of Royal Lies

Why was he just letting me fight on my own standing there you may ask? One he doesn't like to fight. He's more of the passive-aggressive type with his poisons. Two because I needed this. He knew not to interfere. Unless I specifically call for him, he won’t come.

I never entered a battle without making sure my spells of regeneration were cast. Despite the agonizing pain echoing from the point of origin at the center of my stomach, I ripped myself away from the shadow sword.

Seriously, what was up with fae and slicing my gut?

My body was already closing the hole as I lunged on top of the shadow thing… man? Before I twisted his head clean off. As his body toppled over I hopped down landing in a crouch as I swiped my feet around me in a circle. So frazzled by what I saw I couldn't even think about actually fighting. So when I was getting more cuts than I was dealing out I decided it was time to end this.

No more fun and games.

Tossing my hands into the air I released the last of my remaining overflow of magic. I created nearly a million copies of myself, enough to kill a shadow or werehound of their own. These duplicates weren’t nearly as strong as the one my previous self had cast in the ball, but they were strong enough to deal with these monsters. ?Soon enough the enemies were dropping by the dozens as my body doubles landed their final hits before returning to me. From an outsider's perspective, I guess you could say darkness was oozing out of me before streaming like a river tide back into me. I watched all the monsters fall, still rattled by the scene I had witnessed.

Those damn eyes.

What the fuck did I just see?

I noted that some of the shadows were dying in the same manner as the first one I had killed. The splattering of liquid tar erupted into the air like water geysers. It was then that I saw her. Standing between two trees, deeper into the woods shimmered wings as bright as morning light, or at least half of it was.

Was that? No, it couldn't be.

Our eyes meet her shiny grey pupils staring back at my frozen gaze. A grin so wicked spread across her heart-shaped lips. Her inky black strains of hair were like webs in the wind as she blinked out of existence. The pits she called eyes haunted my mind as I stared horrified to my core.

It couldn’t be.

Chapter 30

Everetta

It’s just one fucking betrayal after another! First it was Eli now it washer?! Fuck them all!Seriously, can't some fae just be upfront to my damn face if they're going to betray me? Is that too much to ask?I mean I'll kill you before you can even act on your plans, but-Ugh! It's just so frustrating!

Closing my eyes I tried to soothe the rising anger boiling in my system. I just got rid of the residual magic in my system. I don't need it building up on me again.

"Everetta!" I heard Fletcher calling for me as his rushed steps hurried over to my black blood-splattered body. I wasn't hurt or anything, my body was just covered in the blood of shadows. Any injuries I had sustained were healed.

"What happened out there? Why were you hurt so much? Did you see something?" Fletcher was already wiping away the black blood from my wrists with his sapphire embroidered silk handkerchief as soon as he reached me. A small light blue wolf head was stitched in at the lower right-hand corner of the handkerchief.

Of course, he was watching. I shouldn't expect anything else from him. I must have worried him a great deal when I was just taking their slashes at some point after that first shock. Though, I was sure without the additional aid of his ice magic my arms and face wouldn't have been as clean of the shadows' blood with just one measly scrap of cloth. Now that I think about it, why even bother with the cloth if he was just going to clean my body with magic? For appearances I guess.

Bringing my wrists closer to his body he placed his fore forefinger and middle against my pulse. He was recording the beat of my heart no doubt. To check if it was beating at a normalpace. If my magic was at the correct levels my pulse would be beating just fine. A little more magic and my pulse would be more rapid. I let the man check for his own sanity. Pouting a little at his damn question I felt a little embarrassed that Iwaseven caught off guard. In my day and age, I should have expected anything and everything to happen.

I should have known better.

"I know I was sloppy. You don't have to tell me." I muttered the last part a bit bitterly as Fletcher sighed, scowling back at my deep frown.

"That's not what I meant and you know it. I was just worried. You're not normally caught off guard like that. So what did you see?"

Fletcher flicked a hand in the air manifesting a mini laboratory set before us. This was so like him, already preparing another one of his little potions to heal me. Pulling out a thumb-sized vial, needle, and syringe. All he was missing was a white lab coat.

I sighed, he would look so much hotter if he was wearing one right now.

The guy must have a sixth sense for my thoughts because the instant the idea popped into my mind Fletcher was looking up. His eyes caught mine. Beaming back at him I smiled, “You know next time you should put a glamour on, make it look like you're wearing a white lab coat. It’d look really hot.” I suggested as Fletcher shook his head humoring me; a small smile plucking at the corners of his lips.

My mood instantly soured when he peeled back the plastic from the needle to attach it to the syringe. Ugh, I hate needles. I guess I couldn’t? get rid of all the residual magic in my system. I thought I did. Following my train of thought Fletcher answered as he popped off the cap on the needle.

"Don't worry this is just a safety precaution. It'll help slow down the rate at which your magic replenishes."

Like I said the guy had a sixth sense, so creepy. A tiny pick broke through my skin as I watched the needle empty the brown concoction into my system.

Hmm, how interesting. When did he develop that?

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