Page 77 of Of Serpents and Ruins
"Of course," I said.
Scarlet chirred again, burying her face against my dress and biting at my neckline and the necklace once more.
Cradling her, I untangled the necklace, my finger swiping over the leather band and the charm, almost unfastening it. "Shh, shh," I whispered.
She shook her head and nipped at me.
Thunder bellowed even louder this time. The hourglass itself rattled on the table, the sands rushing faster. I cringed, lifting my shoulders toward my ears.
Someone screamed.
Suddenly, Kine seized my arm. "Stella, move!" he shouted.
The force of his grip nearly sent me reeling out of the chair. My head snapped in Brandt’s direction. He’d fallen out of the throne and clutched at his chest, his fist wrapped around the charm at his neck. Yellow light glowed like a beacon of doom.
"Get out," he said, struggling to speak. The veins stood out across his temples and along his neck.
No.
No!
How could it be happening again? There had to be some sort of mistake. There hadn't been an earthquake. Surely the thunder wasn't that strong!
My breath caught in my throat. That horrible weight pinned me into place, sealing me there to await my death.
Kine’s fingers dug into my arm as he tried to drag me from the wood and leather seat. I couldn’t move. Couldn’t even twitch.
Brandt.
The thudding of my own heart filled my ears, drowning out everything else. The thunder. The rain. The screaming. The footsteps.
My whole world spiraled down to him. He writhed in agony, baring his teeth and fighting against it as if, even more than before, he could feel its claws seizing him and dragging him into the vicious mire.
The council members fled the room.
Candy lunged toward Brandt, dropping to her knees and skidding beside him. "No, no, no," she cried, grabbing him by the shoulder. "Why is this happening again? What’s going on, Brandt?"
His charm glowed bright-yellow against his heaving chest as the curse seized him in its merciless grasp. He let out a guttural yell, back arching off the floor.
The sound tore through me like a knife, snapping me out of my frozen state. I wrenched my arm from Kine's grip and rushed forward, Scarlet squawking in protest as she tumbled to the ground. She and the other raptors scrambled away, shrieking.
"Stella, stop!" Kine bellowed, reaching for me.
Elias tried to fling his arm around my waist, but I dodged both of them. All that mattered now was being with Brandt.
Nothing else mattered.
Nothing else registered.
Go to him. Go to him now!
My heart pounded as I fell to my knees beside him. His face was contorted in agony, veins bulging in his neck. Horror and need warred in his gaze as he stared at me, sweat pouring off his brow.
"Don't," he forced out through clenched teeth.
The world slowed. I placed my hands on the side of his face as his jaws clenched and gritted.
Candy’s eyes became white rimmed as she stared at me, her mouth open.
