Page 49 of Secrets & Curses of Crimson

“What are you all doing? I am your queen; kill her!”

Looking over my shoulder, I smirked when no one moved toward me. I glanced back at her and glared. Shouldn’t her witches move forward to protect her if she commanded it? My eyes glanced around the witches, but still no one moved. Maybe that was just a blood witch thing.

“Looks like they don’t like you very much.”

“Fuck you!” she screeched. “Go ahead and kill me, but just know that you will fail to break your curse. Your father will win, and I hope he guts Cassius in front of you!”

There was a gasp from behind me, but I didn’t look. My darkness froze at her words. It was pissed.

“You say a lot of stupid shit,” I muttered before my darkness created a wall between me and Yerma. It slowly moved toward her, and as soon as it touched her, she beganscreaming. I couldn’t tell what it was doing until she started emerging through the darkness with her skin missing. Fuck, it skinned her ass alive.

Her screams were deafening. Cassius’ shadows released her, and she fell to the grass. I knew I should feel disgusted, but I was fucking proud of my darkness. I turned toward the crowd.

“This is for Exile and for my mother the former queen of the blood witches!”

I flicked my hand open, causing fire to create a ball in my palm. Then I turned and lit Yerma on fire, not giving her the mercy of killing her quickly. I stared her in the eyes as she burned alive at my feet. Once she was dead, I turned.

“I have come to claim my coven, and now Ravenstone will be a part of it.”

They all bowed to me without protest. Genia moved toward me quickly, smiling.

“That was quite the show. Where would you like us to set up our coven?”

I opened my mouth before shutting it. I didn’t know what to tell her.

“Crimson?” she asked as the others moved closer.

“Why would you think Crimson would be a good choice?”

Dozens of the blood witches smiled at me like they all knew a secret that I didn’t. What did they know?

“It's just that your mother mentioned you fancied the prince, Cassius.”

“My mother is dead,” I scoffed.

“Yes, but she told us one night that she finally pieced together who the man with golden eyes was.” Confusion filled me. “We do not keep secrets in the coven. We share knowledge so that we may all be prepared for what comes at us.”

“My mother thought I liked Cassius?”

Wait, what did Cassius have to do with my golden-eyed man?

“She saw it in one of her visions. Your mother thought the stars made the best selection for you.”

My eyes glanced at everyone without understanding. They were all staring at me oddly.

“Selection for what, exactly?”

Genia’s eyes widened at me before she looked around at the other witches.

“For your fated mate.”

My what?

“Cassius ismy fated mate…”

“Shit, sorry, I thought you were here because you broke the curse,” she muttered. “I don’t think I should have been the one to tell you.”

“Way to go, Genia,” someone grumbled.

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