Page 70 of The Dark Rises
Denir strokes a light finger over the collar around Riona’s neck. “She’s my queen. Of course, she shares her power with me. Who the hell are you?”
Cormal raises a dark brow high. “Cormal, king of a dark empire full of the worst of the worst. You don’t want to fuck with me.”
“That explains it. This is all an attempt to take my queen from me. It’s a ruse,” Denir states jovially. “Who else have you brought with you?”
Denir gestures behind Cormal, and Riona parts the sea of people surrounding Meri. “Well, well, well. The replacement. Your timing couldn’t be more perfect.”
Meri’s mouth goes slack, and she turns to look at Leandra behind her. “Replacement. The first time I met him, he called me yourreplacement daughter. Is that what I am?”
“She stole the power from me,” he says, raising his voice to the crowd who crane their necks to see Meri.
Several lords shout and magic begins to fly toward Meri.
Arden raises her hands and traps the magic with a golden net. “Riona isn’t the only powerful magic wielder here.”
A tall Fae pulls his sword and swings it at Arden, only to be interrupted by Theron’s sharp blade across his neck. “Hurt one hair on her head, and I’ll take yours.”
With the two of them holding back the crowd, I turn toward Denir.
Leandra strolls forward, her purple dress swishing elegantly around her. “Meri isn’t my daughter, she’s my revenge. I took the power from you and hid it within her. Almost a thousand years I’ve waited for this moment.”
He gestures to the people. “This isn’t funny, Leandra. The power is mine. Give it back and we’ll talk. I promise. It’s been too long. I’ve missed you, and I regret how things ended between us, but taking my power is the action of a woman scorned. It’s been a thousand years. Surely, you’re over my rejection.”
She stares at him as if he’s lost his mind. “This isn’t about you. You and Nyssa killed my daughter!” she screams, the heart-wrenching pain in her voice ringing in the air. “She was my world, and you took her from me!”
He stares at her in disbelief. “You did all of this for the girl?! We had everything together. Power, a kingdom. I wanted us. You. Not her!” he shouts back, as if he’s repeating an old argument. “She would have ruined everything.”
Leandra’s fury rises, and she shoves Riona away from Denir with a flick of her hand. “Alia was beautiful and brilliant, and you loved her until you found out she was more powerful than the two of us combined. Her love was pure and good. She worshipped you. But all you could see was her taking your crown.” Her hand reaches toward him, but Riona steps to his side and blocks her magic.
“Tonight, you will lose it all, including your life. This is my declaration of love to the daughter I loved more than anything in this world. My sole reason for existing the last thousand years is this moment. When I visit our daughter in Elysium, she willknow the depth of my love by the breadth of my revenge,” she says, holding her arms out wide and whipping the wind around the room.
“Give me the damn power, Leandra, or I’ll have Riona end your life,” he roars at her.
Riona sends a wave of magic against Leandra, but she merely flicks a finger to hold it off. “Did you forget how powerful I am?” She scoffs. “When you called in your favor from Nyssa and killed our daughter, I vowed to take the crowns you both loved more than life. Nyssa is gone. Her kingdom in ruins. I’m only sad I couldn’t be there to watch her die.”
She drags him closer to her. “Tonight’s revenge will be even sweeter. I originally intended to let the power go back to The Wild Hunt. But it’s only fitting that the power returns to its original owner, don’t you think?”
Denir darts a glance at Madoc. “He never wore the crown. It will return to me.”
“Shall we see?” Leandra asks in a husky voice. Her power rises, and she wraps an arm around Meri and places her hand over her heart. Magic arcs from her into Meri’s body.
Tears roll down Meri’s scrunched face and the tendons in her neck pull tight as she fights to keep from screaming. Leandra’s hand moves away from Meri’s heart and a pulsing ball of swirling black follows.
Meri lets out a blood-curdling scream and instantly falls to the ground.
Leandra pushes the magic toward me, but I refuse to take my eyes off of Meri. I wait for some sign of life. Her chest is still. I slide over and put my ear near her mouth. Not a single breath escapes.
“Cormal! She’s not moving!”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
MADOC
When he doesn’t answer, I swivel around and find him engaged in a silent battle with his sister to keep her from getting the power. Waves of magic batter against each other, with neither gaining the upper hand.
“Rivan!” I yell. “Meri’s down!”
The Phoenix’s wings snap open, and he begins to fly toward us, but several lords and ladies fling magic toward him, stopping him in mid-air. He drops to the ground and pulls his sword.
