Page 107 of MidKnight
I looked into the shadows and saw a body lying there. Her skirts were ripped and bloody. Her bodice was open. It looked like Abbas had been forced to have his fun with her once the sea sprite killed Declan. If she wasn’t dead, I was certain the Duchess wished she was.
I couldn’t be bothered to care. My emotions were at bay right now. A sea wall held back the flood.
My eyes narrowed on Ember and Abbas. He’d dressed and they had unrolled a scroll and were talking quietly, standing by the desk, the sole piece of furniture in the cave. I walked silently over to them, waiting until one turned toward me, and I had an open shot.
As I waited, I fought pain in all its glory as it smashed against my defenses. Waiting let my anger build. I struggled not to let sorrow take me over. Not yet. It could have me soon. Death could have me soon. But not yet.
Ember moved first.
Quick as lightning, I shoved the hairpin up under her ribs. Her look of shock and disbelief was worth it.
“Ah!” she gasped.
I yanked out the hairpin and struck again. This time I twisted, trying to rip her black heart right out of her traitor body.
“Ember?” Abbas bumped into me as he reached for her. His eyes widened when he felt me.
I yanked the hairpin out and backed away quickly so he couldn’t grab me.
Abbas’ mouth opened in shock when he saw Ember grab at her stomach and her hands came away covered in blood.
Abbas shifted into black smoke. The sarding bastard.
The cloud of smoke flew at me as Ember fell to her knees. I ducked down to avoid the darting smoke and crawled over to her, struggling to hold the invisible cloak on me the entire way.
I yanked the black ring from her bloody fingers and slipped it onto my own.
Abbas wanted to play djinni. Then that’s what we’d play.
Then I stood, letting the cloak fall from my face as I screamed, “I wish you were dead!”
The swirling black smoke froze. But no golden sparkles appeared. No Abbas fell at my feet.
Sard, I realized. I can’t wish for death. But I can level the playing field.
I growled, “I wish you were a powerless human without any magic.”
Gold sparkles lit up the room and the smoke coalesced into a boy who looked like Abbas but was frail and weak. He looked younger, like a teenager. Not fully developed. He lay on the floor, chest rising and falling rapidly.
When I took a step toward him, the boy cringed and scrambled to his knees, backing away from me.
A ragged breath echoed in the cavern, distracting me.
I glanced from the dark-haired boy to Ember. She was already still.
It was Malia gasping.
“I wish you couldn’t run away,” I said to halt Abbas as I stalked toward the duchess.
When she saw me, Malia stiffened, “I’m sorry—”
I cut her off. “He do this to you?” I jerked my head in Abbas’ direction.
“She ordered him every step of the way,” Malia said.
“You defending him?”
She coughed up blood. “I know what it’s like to be coerced.”
