Page 137 of A Blightress of Wrath
“Goodpoint.Yourlover might pay me a visit and break some of my bones, too.”
Iflicked my hand between us, a raging white flame held above my palm, scalding to anything but my own skin. “Ican fight my own battles, if you care to see.Don’tspeak to me again.”
Ispun in a huff, storming across the empty hall.
“Ihad no life before this war!” he called.Hisdeep voice echoed throughout the empty throne room, stopping me in my tracks.
Irefused to turn, but he continued, “I’mjust a year older than you.Thisis the lifeI’veknown.Ihad parents—once.Oncea long time ago,Ihad a sister, too.”
Iheard his steps echo, moving toward me, as the truth of his words held me still, forcing me to listen.Hewas at my back, this time murmuring low, ensuringIheard each word that seeped from his mouth like an illnessIcouldn’t escape.
“Eachone of them was murdered on theBlightLine.Noteven the power my sister held could save her life and make her into one of those abominations they call trees.”Heleaned even closer, his face at my ear. “Andyou want to know something else, preciousSaelynofFelgren?”
Igritted my teeth and turned, my glare one of a furyIknew he recognized because he laughed in my face, his hand flying quickly to the curve of my neck, pressing a thumb into my skin, hard enough to bruise. “Thevinmust be a better man than me becauseIwould have fucked you and turned you over to theBlightressthe minuteIwas through to be done with this war.”
Aninky black wave of power wrapped lazily around his throat, his mouth, trapping his arms to his side.Hewas held in a tight grip, all of him covered except his eyes.
HiseyesIkept to see, to understand at what point he’d gone too far.Atwhatever point he’d tripped the darkness inside of me, emerging from the tips of my fingers in waves, squeezing, pressing on his chest, lifting him into the air.
Ionly wanted to hurt him, to watch him writhing in pain.Iheard the crack of his ribs with the crack of my ring and glanced down to see the large stone fracture in lines of more black, more trails of darkness.
“Hedoesn’t deserve to live,LittleOne.”
Iagreed.
OrdidI?
Iblinked rapidly, my breath caught at the manIhad hanging from a dark powerIdidn’t recognize as my own.Blood, bright against the dark wisps of my power, ran down his chin and his eyes bulged in red.
Idropped him, rushing back untilItripped on my own boots, falling to the mosaic floor in a pattern of dark thistle.
Hedidn’t move.
Ididn’t move.
Onlymy breath broke the silence as it came rapidly from my chest along with the hard swallow at my throat, dry and sore.
“Dohim a favor.Endhis life because, as he said, he has none.”
“Goaway,”Iwhispered with tears running hot and free down my cheeks.
“Ifhe lives,Ilook forward to making a corpse of him first.”
“Goaway!”Iscreamed, shouting into the growing dark.
“Sae?”Thevin’svoice cleared my head, andIturned on the floor, crying with relief.
Hewas at my side seconds later, holding me close. “Whathappened?Whois that?”
Istole a glance at the body of the manIwasn’t sure still breathed and said, “Mavryn.I-Ididn’t mean to!Idon’t know howI?—”
Hepulled me back against his chest, warm and safe, a placeIprobably didn’t deserve to be but would stay in until he forced me away.
“I’mgoing to look,Sae.I’mnot leaving you.I’mjust going to see.”
Iclung to his shirt harder, but he gently pried my hand from him, rising off the floor to inspect the body.
Ihadn’t meant to play this game, and the blood that pooled around his head told meIhad either won or lost.
