Page 88 of Of Serpents and Ruins
"What? You want me to kill myself?" I said it with as much defiance as I could muster.
Truth was…I’d do it. If it would save Brandt, I would do it.
Another grating laugh escaped the Gola Resh’s mouth. "Oh, my dear, sweet, little girl, do you really think I’d let you be a hero again so easily? I was actually rather amused that you did go through with sacrificing yourself, even a little grateful because of how you destroyed your poor love's heart. That’s why I halted the curse’s progress while you were gone."
"And all you want is our suffering?" I demanded, my voice shaking. "You and your beloved came here to kill all of us, and he got killed, and now you feel entitled to torment us? He deserved to die!"
Her eyes blazed. "You had no right to slay him," she growled.
"You had no right to destroy us!"
"I have every right to take what I want."
"Then we had every right to slay the Babadon in self-defense."
Her breath hissed between her teeth. The shadows became like claws. Then she stopped, lifting her chin. "You are a fighter. I will give you that. Meaningless as you are, you are willing to struggle. So…let me give you another gift."
A chill passed through me.
Before I could tell her I didn’t want any more of her so-called gifts, she inched closer. "I will spare your life, little queen, if you are willing to understand me. Not that you could fully understand me. I am far beyond your comprehension. But you could try. A solid step forward."
Rage built within me. It burned deep inside my chest. I had no desire to understand her. I only wanted her corrosive, draining magic gone from Sepeazia.
An acrid burning filled my nostrils, turning my stomach as she loomed closer.
"You see," she said, lifting one dripping hand. "I’ve been debating who I hate more, you or your beast of a mate, so let’s allow fate to decide. If you kill Brandt, I’ll let you live. As I said before, I’ll even protect you from the death of Sepeazia. You can pick one person other than Brandt and swim away, free from harm. Flee to the lands of one of your princess friends now that you’re all back from the grave. Rebuild your life. Start a new nation. Begin afresh. You’ll still have your shifting magic because it isn't part of Sepeazia. It’s a better deal than I offered him."
My fists clenched. "I will never kill Brandt." I growled the words at her, rage overwhelming my fear. "We will find a way to stop you."
Her laughter echoed off the walls. "My poor deluded girl, you still don't understand. There is no stopping me. Like your shifter magic, I am not of your world. All your plans will fall apart."
Her shadowy form drifted closer, tendrils of darkness reaching out to caress my face. I jerked back, suppressing a shudder.
She smiled, baring shadowed pointed teeth. "If it helps, you’d be doing Brandt a favor. Do you know how much he suffers? Perhaps I should show you. Just a taste, of course. Not the full thing. Goodness knows Sepeazia couldn’t take two of you being this way for long."
My muscles tensed. I stumbled back as she brought her hand up. Her index finger thrust between my eyes. An icy jolt tore through me, knocking me back.
Darkness engulfed me, and a howling roar rang in my ears. All the energy that had surged within me when I shifted now returned a dozen fold. I couldn’t bear it. None of this!
I tore at my hair and screamed. Icy anguish, burning sorrow, endless aching. Blood thundered in my skull. The room lurched and screamed around me. Colors bled across my mind.
Flinging my arm out, I tried to find the wall. Something, anything to support myself. It all blurred and howled around me. Was I still screaming? Red light streaked across my eyes. The world spun.
I had to kill him. He needed to die.
It was as simple as that.
Like breathing. Like blinking.
Natural.
Brandt had to die.
STELLA
Everything had become so much more intense. Cold spikes of water hammered the back of my head. The ground beneath me swayed and spun, barely visible in the darkness. Everything was shades of red. The whole world throbbed like an infected wound.
Somehow, I had fallen to my knees. My stomach dropped and lurched like I was falling.
