Page 128 of The Shadow Fae Rhapsody
I jerk my hand out of disgust.
One blink and the squirming worms disappear and I am staring back at a confused Rhianelle.
Eyepatch steps forward, his usual calm demeanor long gone. The knight places a hand on the pommel of his sword, ready to gut me right where I stand.
Well, if it’s a fight he desires, then he won’t have to wait long.
“Don’t worry, Svenn,” she reassures me. “I’ll come back to you. Stay safe.”
I bristle at the promise.
The girl turns around to join the main squadron. I can see the puzzled look on her face right before she leaves.
“The fuck was that?” Red asks with a rankled look on his face. I barely hear him through the chaos in my mind. When he fails to get a response from me, Red moves towards the strong line of foot soldiers marching silently towards the fortress. The support army’s armors and weapons are light and minimal. They are coated with the forest’s dark color to camouflage us among the trees. Stealth and speed are the keys to Rhianelle’s plan. I stalk after them, fighting the pounding headache in my brain.
We’re going to kill every last one of them, the voice promises.
I suppress the damn suggestion to the furthest chasm of my mind. Hurting them, hurts her. I made a vow to Rhianelle.
She broke her end of the bargain last night. It’s only right that you should do the same.The whisperings continue, intruding my mind with visions of the Rhunhraefn’s shadow spear impaling me in the tent. My claws elongate just as the soldiers halt their movements in the woods.
“Wait for the signal,” Eyepatch orders, passing the instruction to the tiers of knights. The command is brief and succinct.All of them begin blending themselves among the leaves and branches.
This will be their graves. Give me their blood, their heads, their hearts.The voice’s command is getting harder to resist. I must comply with its desire for bloodshed or else my brain will implode.
I see something through the heavy fog of pain.
A face.
Anger infiltrates my thoughts and I struggle to bring its features into focus.
Lilith?
This is where you betray her.
Sinister images of Rhianelle’s army crushed and torn apart fill my head. They flicker like the flipping pages of a book, intruding my mind.
Go on. Take your revenge on her.
“Where are you going?” Eyepatch asks sharply, his hawk-like eye darkening. “Stick to the plan. I can’t have a rogue soldier deserting the field.”
Kill him. This one is precious to her.It orders me. Tension thrums through every inch of my body. I can’t get the voice to shut up.
Let me out. I’ll grant you strength beyond anything you’ve ever imagined.
The thrill of power flickers in my vein.
Blistering rage burns through me and I erupt. I give myself to the hatred, my body shifting into my darker form. Through the eyes of one of the worst beasts in me, the owner of the whispering voice finally reveals itself.
Chapter 21 Rhianelle
Encased in an obsidian armor from head to toe, Svenn is beautiful. He managed to turn the rusting relic we found in the forest into something glorious. It is like the stars and the moon will bow at his feet.I run a thumb over my lip, remembering how good it felt when he kissed me last night.
That man is perfect, and he is mine.
My mate.
I continue to watch his back until he disappears in the trees with the rest of the troops from the support line.
