Page 182 of Crowned In Venom

The poison has begun to work. Faster. More potent. Unstoppable.

The Matriarch has taken her heartblood. Consumed it.

She feels it twisting in the Matriarch’s veins, a slow, insidious rot. The Matriarch is angry. Suspicious.

Anya clutches the table for support.

"Varkos," she whispers. "It’s happening."

His head snaps toward her.

She meets his gaze. "She knows."

Varkos curses.

The war has to begin now.

56

ANYA

The moment the signal ignites, a surge of power races through my veins. I never imagined that I’ll be able to use magic one day.

The stones flare—bright and searing, pulsing like fire in the darkness of the tunnels. Every rebel in the palace sees the light. Every warrior knows what it means.

The war has begun.

Kareth leads the charge.

The palace walls quake as the gates are forced open, magic crashing against steel. Secret passageways—tunnels that have long remained hidden—erupt with rebels, dark elves and humans alike spilling into the halls like a tide of vengeance.

Screams ring through the corridors.

The clash of blades.

The snarl of magic unraveling in the air.

Varkos and I move through the tunnels, breathing in the chaos. This is it.

He halts, turning to me—his eyes burning with something raw, something desperate.

"Stay safe."

Then his lips crash against mine.

It is not gentle. It is fire and war. His fingers dig into my waist, his other hand cupping the back of my head, pulling me closer. I taste urgency. I taste goodbye.

I cling to him just as hard.

"You too." My whisper is lost between us.

Then he is gone.

Varkos disappears into the tunnels, heading for the throne room.

And I—I close my eyes and reach.

The Matriarch’s rage is a storm through my skull.

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