Page 44 of Courting Envy
"No wonder you're tainted and unable to claim the raw power of this place," Ragnar growled. "It needs someone stronger. Like me."
"Brute strength doesn't make you the best ruler, you oaf." I spat the words at him, snarling and gnashing. I wished my teeth were even longer now, or that I had a damn tail I could lash at him. How he thought he was more fit than Lucien was beyond me.
Because while Lucien might not have the first clue of how to break the curse, he did care about this place, more than just for the sake of having power and being the one in charge. I'd seen it, felt it, and while he’d had other events these past days that had prevented him from breaking the curse, I knew that given time he would do it.
And until then I could use whatever power I had access to, to make things better for the denizens of our realm.
Our. Realm.
It hit me then, hard, that I'd been such an idiot pushing him away when what I should have been doing was drawing him in.
And now it was too late.
I screamed, agony rocketing through me as his nails cut into my flesh. I could feel the gem pulsing in my chest.
In his hand.
Chapter twenty-eight
Lucien
Rava'sraggedscreamseemedto ring through all of Envy, driving me faster toward her. I could feel her in my chest, the burning light of her warming me more than I could ever have imagined when we first met.
Reon fought beside me, his blade slicing through our enemies even faster than I could contemplate. He was a good ally to have by my side. Kyveli had disappeared, slipping into the shadows, through walls, sending whispers back to tell us how many enemies and what they were armed with. There was still the door to contend with at the end of the corridor though I would smash it to a million pieces to get to her.
We approached the final warriors between us and the door. My muscles were beginning to tire but I was so pleased for this narrow space which meant only a few of our enemies could attack us at once. Here, there were only two. I hefted my blade, striking out at the first while Reon moved for the other. Metal struck metal, tails lashed, joining the fray.
The door opened, revealing Kyveli, a smirk on her face as she flicked twin daggers at the base of the skulls of each enemy, dropping them to the ground. She gave a little shrug, looking ridiculously pleased with herself as she turned back to the room.
It had been an age since I'd been down here and the memories of it chilled me. In this place, I'd been made Prince of this circle, locked inside until the mutations my father inflicted upon me had settled, until the very core of me was tied to this circle. It had been centuries since then, and I'd never stepped foot in it again.
Until now.
"Ragnar!" My roar ripped through the room as I saw him, fingers deep inside my queen's chest. Her face was pale, drawn, her teeth clenched as she glared at the monster holding her captive.
Nothing mattered but her. In that moment I knew. I loved her, and I didn't give a shit if I had to share that love, in fact, if that was what she wanted? Then she could have all the lovers in the world, so long as I could be one of them too.
I could see it so clearly now.
Envy had no place in love.
None at all.
Something in my heart shifted, a barrier that had been placed there collapsing, freeing me of the shackles of my past. The sins of my father. Pure love burst inside me.
My gem shattered, and Ragnar let out a whoop of joy.
Chapter twenty-nine
Rava
Ifeltitbreak,crack in two, crumble to dust. Felt the hollow space in my chest where it had once been. The gem had bound me to Lucien.
At least, I'd thought it did.
Ragnar was crowing with delight, stomping around like this made him the king, but I could feel something shift. There was a roar of thunder in my ears and light flared, blocking out all awareness of others in the room. There was nothing but the thrum of power, a wave of it racing toward me, washing over and through me, connecting me to every single part of the circle of Envy.
I could feel the swamps, teeming with life, insects and reptiles large and small. I could feel vultures rending flesh from the sinners who had come here, hungry stomachs of the demonic children, a hunger greater than Envy. This wasn't the yearning for what others had, but the lack of what they should have.
