Page 100 of Monster's Pretty Bride

Watching me.

I am not the same woman he once held in chains. Because I have become something more.

And even though I am filled with a storm of magic, of vengeance, of loss so deep I feel like I will never breathe again, he is there.

Grounding me.

I inhale sharply, my hand trembling as I lift it, the magic around me coiling, seeking release.

One spell.

One strike.

I could end Amelia.

Destroy her for everything she’s done.

For manipulating me. For controlling Catalina. For forcing my sister to die in my place.

Through the roar of my newfound power, through the agony twisting inside me, I hear Catalina’s voice.

Soft. Fading.

"You always were my little sister."

Something inside me fractures. Amelia was my sister, too. Maybe… I don’t have to kill her.

I lower my hand.

Naranus exhales beside me, like he can sense my decision before I even make it.

But Amelia moves.

She lunges, a dagger flashing in her hand, a spell forming on her lips, her eyes dark with murderous intent.

I don’t hesitate as my heart breaks. Kindness has no place in war. Narinus looks at my with approval.

My power erupts.

The force of it slams into Amelia, sending her flying backward, her body hitting the remains of a broken pillar.

She doesn’t get up. Silence falls.

The battlefield is still.

Suddenly, the Elders run.

The ones who had sided with Amelia, the ones who had conspired to bind me, to use me, to sacrifice me for their cause, they flee.

Cowards. I could chase them.

I could kill them all.

But I don’t because I have already lost too much tonight.

Instead, I turn, my magic fading just slightly, my limbs suddenly heavy with the weight of everything that’s happened.

Naranus is there. He reaches for me, his hands steady, his touch warm, despite the cold magic still swirling between us.

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