Page 17 of Kingdom of the Two Moons

“Really? Just when things are getting interesting,” Blair drawls, her voice dropping to pure ice.

At her feet, Illistra is slowly dying.

“You heard your queen,” Perenilla warns.

“She’s putting on quite a spectacular show, don’t you agree?” Blair doesn’t so much as cut a glance at the queen.

The crowd draws in a sharp breath, followed by a ripple of murmurs.

Perenilla’s voice cuts them all off as it once again booms over them. “Are you disobeying my orders, Blair Alaric? I should have all witches of your coven punished for this.”

Blair lifts her head. “I’m merely reminding youthat it wasus, your red riders, who helped fill the new reservoir after Caryan imbibed all of Gatilla’s magic, along with the magic of the old reservoir, my queen.”

“I warn you, Blair—” Perenilla starts again.

But Blair cuts her off, turning to look at all of them—at each pair of eyes—as she says, “It isusyou sent out to harvest to refillyourreservoir. To cement your power. Us who you sent to hunt down high elves. My red coven who lost witches to the high elves’ swords.”

Finally, she turns back to Perenilla. The queen has her arms outstretched, her fingers splayed, shaking with strain.

Another wave of murmurs washes over the crowd as dark, raw magic begins to twine through the air around her like a snake encircling its victim before it chokes it mercilessly.

Something as wicked and dark and warped as Blair’s soul. But as it sizzles around her, Blair can’t help but notice its anger. She’s never heard of magic having emotions, but damn she can feel fury bristling right in its essence, lacing every wave, burning right down to its dark core. Something that has been broken too many times and never healed, only held together by rage. Something that feels all too familiar to herself.Interesting.

That doesn’t mean it’s not going to kill her.

It hisses and writhes around her. A raging beast that has finally been released from its cage. Eager to shred and tear and lash at everyone and everything in sight. Can she blame it? Is she any different?

Blair swallows once, holding perfectly still.

She is going to die. This wild, arcane magic is going to crush her to dust.

Wide-eyed witches of all covens stare back at her when she looks over them one last time. Witches who once flew under her command, who fought by her side, who ransacked whole villages at her order. Some of them glower at her or bare their silver canines, impatient to see Blair being finally ended. Some others though…

Their eyes are shining with pride. Hidden, but still there.

Andhope. Beautiful, precious hope.

Blair’s own eyes find Aurora’s in the crowd. Her mother’s warm eyes are wide with shock. The witch silently shakes her head, as if she can deny what will inevitably come next.

Blair’s head snaps down to Illistra at her feet as the witch lets out a last, pain-laced breath. Blair leans over her. “I did this for my mothers, Illistra. You owe me your life now, because the wind itself knows I could let you die. You will protect them when I’m gone,” she whispers so quietly only the ugly witch can hear.

Then she lets both ends of the whip slide out of her bleeding palms.

Illistra draws in precious air but Blair no longer watches her, turning her attention to Perenilla and her stolen magic all around her.

She is going to die.

She will face it like the warrior she is.

She meets Perenilla’s eyes. “Shall we start? I think the crowd’s tired of waiting.”

But to Blair’s surprise, Perenilla says, “Yield now, Blair Alaric. I will give you one last chance and bestow pardon on you if you kneel and apologize.”

A pardon. Why?

Blair can’t stand the naked plea in Aurora’s eyes as she glances back at her. The plea to kneel. To grovel. To subjugate again. Can’t stand to see her mother’s desperation. Blair knows her death will devastate her mother.

She draws her gaze back to Perenilla once again, the magicaround her growing denser and denser by the minute. Slithering over her skin, licking up her fingers, twirling tighter around her, as if she’s fallen into a pit full of tiny, deadly snakes.

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