Page 96 of Bound to the Orc King

It does no good.

Shadows pour from Severin’s arms and back, forming massive wings that lift him into the air.

As soon as he’s out of my reach, I yell, “Lukendevener!”

Wings flap behind me.

But it’s too late.

Severin’s head tips back and his jaw opens far wider than it should. Heavy black smoke pours from his mouth in a scream of sound, billowing upward.

As the last wisp slips from his lips, the dark fae’s shadows snap back into his skin, and his wingless body crashes to the ground.

A swirling sphere of darkness hangs in the center of the chamber like the antithesis of the sun. Dark-blue lightning flickers across the surface in furious flashes. Heavy, angry music pours from it with the insistent beat of battle drums.

“Fuck,” May says, giving voice to what I already fear. “It’s the Dark God.”

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

May

Can a dark blob of energy gloat? Because I’m totally getting gloating vibes off this asshole.

“You dare to defy me?”The god’s deep voice careens through my mind, crashing and bouncing and giving me a devil of a migraine with only one sentence.

I can’t help the mew of pain that escapes me, but there’s no way in hell I’m giving in to him. “You bet your sweet ass, I am!”

Naomi blinks out of sight. Where did she go?

Old May would have worried she left because she doesn’t believe in me. New May is ready to hope my friend’s up to something rad.

Proving me right, Naomi pops back into view with Selena. She pushes the healer in my direction, and as soon as Selena’s hand grips my arm, a wave of pain-free relief goes through me.

“You will leave,” the Dark God thunders, making my head ring again.

Everyone around me staggers or falls to their knees. Selena recovers enough to grip my calf, sending more healing magic racing through my body.

Fuck, this quest is going to hell in a handbasket, and if we don’t make it out of this, I’ll never be able to tease Aldronn with this saying, so that he can grump and complain about my colloquialisms.

A hiccupping noise escapes me, half sob, half laugh, as my eyes flick to him. I can’t bear the thought of losing him.

Worry carves lines into his face, and he catches my eye and calls out, “May, I l—”

“Don’t you fuckingdare!” I cut him off, my own worry making my voice go shrill as I jab a finger at him. “Don’t you dare tell me you love me because you think we’re going to die. You save that shit until we’re good. You tell me after.”

“As you wish, my queen.”

“Enough!”the Dark God booms in my mind.“Leave here or perish, foolish mortals.”

I slap a hand to the goddess’s sphere. “Bitch, if you’re going to do something, get out here and do it already.”

Silence. Pure fucking silence. Right when I actually need her. Figures.

“You must free her,”Severin whispers in my mind.

“What do you think I’m trying to do?”I snap.

The dark fae climbs to his feet, his sword held at the ready. Lightning flickers from the god, and Severin jerks forward, running straight for me.

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