Page 80 of Once the Skies Fade

The other male scrambled to his feet and landed another kick to my gut, forcing me to curl up to protect myself. I tried to look up to see who it was, but my face was quickly swelling, obscuring my vision even more. Then the familiar sound of a blade clearing its sheath hit my ears, and every muscle tensed as I tried to find any way out of this fucking mess. The rustling of fabric and creaking of joints told me whoever he was had kneeled beside me.

“You were supposed to die in the forest,” he said, and my mind fought to connect the voice to its owner. “But apparently a dragon, a haunted forest, and even a poisoned fucking blade can’t kill you.”

Korben.

Of course he’d try to finish the job in between trials.

I cleared my throat, shifting it into a weak laugh. “What can I say? I’m a stubborn ass.”

“Stubborn or not, another dose of poison and you won’t be walking away this time.”

I pulled the corner of my mouth back into what was meant to be a half-smile. “Offering to carry me? How kind of you.”

A roar burst out of his chest, and I looked up to see him lifting the blade up by his ear, preparing to drive it into me. Time seemed to slow. The flames from the wall sconces reflected on his dagger’s edge, and then vanished as the candles were snuffed out and the corridor filled with an unnatural darkness I’d experienced once before––back in the forest when I’d first arrived.

Except this time, they weren’t a soft blanket called to soothe and comfort. These shadows were cold and hard, like icy daggers pressing in from all sides, churning bitterly.

Before Korben could stab blindly at me, I rolled away from him, hissing as the floor dug into my injury.

“What’s hap—” Korben’s voice snapped off like a twig beneath a boot, and a second later came the dull sound of his body falling to the floor.

Almost immediately, the shadows cleared, and I opened my mouth to greet her with aHi Killeror something equally charming, but the hallway was empty.

Chapter 38

Calla

Iwas halfway up the stairs when I called my shadows to retreat, but when they snapped back into my palms, my foot slipped. My shin struck the edge of the step hard. Biting back a curse, I pushed myself to keep going. Two more flights of stairs and I would be safe in my room. No one needed to know where I’d been or what I’d done.

At least I hadn’t killed the asshole. That would be a much bigger mess to clean up, and this was already going to be a pain and a half to keep quiet; Matthias would undoubtedly tell someone.

I groaned, realizing just how stupid I had been. What the fuck had I been thinking? Attacking one of the competitors? And with my shadows, no less!

But no one would believe the general, right? He’d been poisoned, injured, unconscious for nearly a week. No one would believe him. It was my word against his.

Except…

What good was my word now?

No one seemed to believe my innocence.

Stars, even Asher believed I killed my husband.

Asher. One of my oldest friends.

At least he didn’t judge me, though. I guess.

I should have probably found comfort in that fact—that my friend still supported me even when I’d all but admitted to being the killer.

Killer.

I’d fled the hallway before Matthias could utter that blasted nickname, but shit, I was going to need to fix this. I couldn’t rely on others not believing him. I needed to keep him quiet.

Good luck with that. That male never shuts up.

A smile threatened to creep up, but I fought it, biting down hard on my lower lip as I slipped into my room. I just needed a moment to think and come up with a plan. Maybe a bath could help. Maybe?—

“What did you do?” Isa asked, slipping into her disappointed, parental tone, accentuated by the severe gleam in her eye. She leaned against the doorway to my bedroom, her hand falling to her hip.

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