Yes. My place. My throne. My crown.
The realm belonged to me, won through combat. My father’s blood ran through my veins, and now I held all his power plus mine within me. The darkness was right—no one would dare challenge me.
The thing inside me crooned its satisfaction.
“Lily!”
My eye twitched, but I didn’t turn. Not even at the sound of Rathiel’s voice—frayed, rough, panicked.
I continued into the throne room and began my approach. Ahead, the crown consumed all my attention. It seemed to swell with pride and power with every measured step I took. As if it knew I approached and yearned for me as much as I did for it.
Another voice, higher, urgent. “Lily, stop!” Eliza.
The scrape of boots against stone, the patter of hurried steps, chased after me.
I kept walking. Nothing would stop me from claiming my power, my title.
A hand caught my arm. Warm fingers, familiar.
“Lily, please,” Rathiel said, closer now, breathless.
Without thought, I lifted my hand. But not to comfort. The darkness answered before I could draw a breath, and magic surged out of me in a single, effortless wave.
Rathiel flew back as though struck by a hurricane. His shout echoed through the room, and the wall shuddered when he struck it.
“Rathiel!” Eliza cried.
Footsteps closed in—Calyx, Eliza—too close. I raised my palm again. The darkness lashed out like a whip, striking them hard enough to throw them clear across the room.
I heard their choked breaths and stunned cries, but they meant nothing to me.
“Lily, don’t make me do this!” Eliza shouted.
I didn’t respond.
“No!” Rathiel cried out.
“I have to,” Eliza snapped back, her voice wavering with something close to fear. “Rathiel, Ipromisedher. She didn’t want this, you know that! Please don’t try to stop me.”
Footsteps pounded closer. I heard the hiss of blades leaving their sheaths.
I snapped my head around.
Eliza was already in the air, daggers flashing silver in the dim light, every muscle coiled to drive them home. Rathiel launched after her, his body angled to knock her aside.
My power reached her first. Black tendrils shot up and caught her by the throat. Eliza’s eyes widened, her blades frozen inches from my face. I stared at the gleaming edges, unmoved by the sight of them. Another shadow burst outward and clipped Rathiel mid-leap, throwing him to the floor.
“Foolish,” I said in a voice wholly not mine. In what world did this siren think she could killme?
My tendrils tightened, tightened, tightened, until Eliza’s breath came out as a strangled choke. The daggers slipped from her fingers and clattered to the stone as she fought for breath.
I flicked my hand and hurled her clear across the room. She sailed through the air, her cry echoing in my ears. Calyx blurredwith movement and took to the air. He barely caught her in time, but he took the brunt as the two slammed into the farthest wall.
Together, they scrambled to their feet and came at me again.
The darknesssighed, more with annoyance than impatience.
No more interruptions.
