She turned and looked down the hall to see the three she-elves watching her, each with tears running down their cheeks. Kara looked back down at her hands, and the blood was gone. She took a deep breath, pulling her shoulders back and lifting her chin. Kara stood a foot away from Ludcarab’s door. She’d been standing there for at least a couple of minutes. Kara knew she needed to go inside. She had to go through with the plan, but feeling Nick through their bond had shaken her resolve. She was terrified he’d seen her intentions. It was nauseating enough for her to actually go through with her plan, but she didn’t think she could handle Nick knowing she was fully intending to… She couldn’t even form the thoughts.
“You can do this,” she whispered under her breath. “Think of all the people he can never hurt again, Kara. He will never touch you again.” Regardless of all the reasons Ludcarab needed to die, Kara was afraid. She’d never been more afraid in her life. Not when she was a child in foster care at the mercy of exploitative adults, not when she was pulled into a supernatural world she didn’t understand, not when she faced a crazy high fae who turned her into a witch, not even when she’d made the sacrifice to never bear children. The fear she felt now froze her. It robbed her of her breath and assaulted her mind with all the ways this could go wrong. This fear was like a living entity. It wrapped itself around her, whispering into her ear that she would fail, that she would die, and so would Nick, and so would all of her friends when Ludcarab unleashed his wrath on them for her actions.
“You are not alone, Kara.”The goddess’s voice spoke into her mind. Warmth enveloped her, chasing away the fear that had imprisoned her.“I know you don’t understand why this is happening. Or why it is you that must walk this path. What happens today will have a ripple effect through more lives than you can ever imagine. Good things can come from tragic circumstances.”
“Why me?”Kara asked.“Why must I be the one to do this?”
“Because I have chosen you. Because there is nothing you will endure that I have not already felt. Because I love you enough not to cripple you by removing every challenge you might one day face. Because I created you for such a time as this.”
The Great Luna’s words took root in her mind. And though shedidn’tunderstand it, she knew she wouldn’t ask someone else to take her place. And that meant Kara had to do it. She took a steadying breath and then wrapped her hand around the doorknob and turned it. With one last look at the three women who’d become her friends, Kara pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The room, as usual, was lit only by candlelight. With a different male, it would have been romantic, but because it was Ludcarab, the dancing flames felt sinister.
“You look lovely as ever,” the elf king said, drawing her attention from the room to where he stood in front of the bed. He held his hand out to her, and she knew there was only one option.
Kara commanded her feet to move and placed her hand in his. His other hand pulled at the belt to her robe, untying it with ease. He dropped her hand and then used both of his to push the fabric from her shoulders until it slipped down her arms to the floor.
She was unable to look at his eyes while his hands grazed her skin, so she focused on his throat. Her mind began its usual routine of slipping away, but Kara bit her cheek hard to keep herself present. She tasted blood on her tongue and swallowed the metallic flavor.
His hands on her hips turned her until she was against the bed, then he pushed her back, his body coming down over hers.Don’t fight. Even though she felt like she was now a willing participant, staying in the moment yet not pushing him away, she knew it was still rape. Plain and simple. She didn’t want his touch, didn’t want to give him any part of her. He knew this, but he took it anyway.
Kara mentally cataloged all the places he touched her. She counted the number of minutes that his body was against hers. Her brain worked overtime, tallying every single breath of air on her skin as Kara let him manipulate her like a puppet. Bile rose in her throat, but she forced it down with monumental control. The air was stifling as the elf king ran his mouth across her throat. She nearly cried out when he suddenly rolled and she sat astride him.
Ludcarab held her wrists in one hand while his other hand ran up her calf, over her knee, and up her thigh. His eyes roamed her body as if he had a right to look at her. As if she’d been made for him.
“Look at me.” His voice rumbled.
Kara did as he commanded. His eyes narrowed. “You’re different tonight, little healer. What has changed? What has made you decide to not only give me your body but your mind as well?”
Every cell in her body wanted to scream, “I’ve never given you my body,” but Kara had to play the part.Five more minutes.Just hold on five minutes more. Instead of answering him, she leaned down, shuddering in revulsion, though she hoped he thought it was desire, as her chest touched his. She needed to kiss him. And she needed to do it now because she was losing her composure fast.
“My queen,” he whispered and released her wrists, pressing his hand to the back of her head. “You’re mine. I will own you. I’m glad you finally understand.” The rage that had been growing inside of her for the past month began to heat like volcanic lava preparing to erupt. She felt not only her healer magic but the magic Volcan had imbued into her as well. But this time the witch magic they’d managed to turn to light was again dark. Her anger fueled it, and Kara didn’t try to stop the transformation.
She realized that the bracelets Alston had placed on her had not only made her forget, but they’d also blocked her from accessing her power. The scary part was that she’d never eventhoughtto try to use her magic. She’d laid in this bed while Ludcarab molested her, running away in her mind when she could have at least tried to use the power she’d been given.
He pulled her down until their lips met. Kara allowed him to open her mouth, allowed him to taste what was never meant for him. His claim meant nothing, and she sure as hell hadn’t had some sudden epiphany that made her understand his delusional thinking. Kara heard him groan as he bit her lip hard enough that he drew blood. This seemed to excite him because his movements became more fevered. She couldn’t even focus on all the places he touched her because his hands moved so fast. Tugging and pushing, pulling, and grabbing. It was too much. Kara’s wrath filled every part of her. She could feel it running through her veins, dancing along her nerves and clouding her mind in a black shroud. She was just about to push him away when he suddenly went slack. His hands released her, and his arms dropped helplessly to the bed.
She froze, waiting to see if this was a trick. But then she felt him stir. He was trying to move, but he couldn’t. She pushed up from him, her rage so all-consuming that she didn’t even care she was naked.
“Wha—” He tried to speak, but his lips couldn’t move enough for him to get out a word.
Kara lifted her hand in the air and mentally called to the blade that was bonded to her blood. In a single heartbeat, she felt the hilt in her palm, and she wrapped her fingers around it. There was no second thought, no speech to give, no satisfied look. Kara screamed with everything inside of her and swung the blade down as hard as she could. All her power, dark and light, gave strength to her arm as it moved. The dagger slid easily through muscle, tendons, and bone, butnotinto his heart.No,he will remain alive and aware to pay for what he’s done.
Ludcarab bellowed as she pulled the dagger from his chest. Apparently the adrenaline from the shock and pain had given his body the strength to at least make that sound. A second later, the sound was cut off as Kara brought the blade across his face. The lips he’d only moments ago pressed to her body were ripped away, leaving only gore behind. “That’s for putting your mouth where it didn’t belong.” She hissed at him. His eyes stared up at her, wide with fear. She reveled in it. Next, Kara dropped the blade to one side of his head. He tried to jerk away, but his head barely moved. With a quick flick of the wrist, Kara removed an ear. She brought the blade to the other side of his head and took the other. She leaned down and whispered, “That’s for the lies you made me listen to.”
Kara felt wind blowing around the room. Her hair swirled. The candles guttered, but remained lit, as if they were the audience to the great Ludcarab’s downfall.
“This is for touching what only my mate should ever touch.” Kara leaned across him and brought the dagger down on his wrist. She funneled her power into the blow and cut his hand clean from his arm. The sound that escaped from the elf king fed the tempest inside of her, and she severed his other hand. Still, it wasn’t enough.
She gazed down at the bloody mess. For the past two months, she’d never felt so helpless and violated in her life. He’d made her doubt her own innocence. He’d looked upon her with coveted, lust-filled eyes and taken everything he wanted.
“YOU HAD NO RIGHT,” she screamed. Kara dropped the knife and grabbed his head, shoving her thumbs into his treacherous eyes. This time, Ludcarab managed to move, but not enough to buck her off. Kara pulled with her thumbs and ripped his eyes from the sockets with a sickening wet squelch. She flung the orbs away, the optic nerves trailing behind. His body shook as blood poured from his wounds. The surrounding sheets were saturated. Red had never looked so good.
Kara took stock of her work. She had removed his lying lips, cut off his stealing hands, and gouged out his covetous eyes. But still he drew breath, in and out. His heart still beat despite the amount of blood he’d lost. Kara picked up the dagger and ran the tip slowly up his stomach. She spoke, not entirely sure he could still hear her. “You tried to break me,” she said, her voice sounding eerily calm even to her own ears. “You thought I would give myself to you. You honestly believed you would be the victor in this battle. I’m going to tell you a secret, fallen elf king. I break for no one.” Kara wrapped her fingers around the dagger and slammed it down into his heart, then ripped it out, only to turn it and plunge it straight under his chin, up into his skull. The heart that kept his despicable body alive ceased to beat. The mind that birthed his horrendous schemes was silenced.
Kara fell back until she sat at the end of the bed. She couldn’t take her eyes from the man who’d tormented her. She knew he couldn’t hurt her anymore, but she still didn’t want to look away. The swirling wind picked up speed, and the night beyond the windows lit up with a crash of lightning. Tears welled in her eyes. At the same time, the sky opened and rain poured out over the elfin realm. Deafening thunder boomed, and Kara threw back her head and howled a lament in tune with the elements.
She cried for what she’d lost, and she screamed for the pain that still rested in her soul. She knew it might never go away, but her task was done. Ludcarab was dead, though she’d purchased his destruction for a very high price. And now, she had to live with it.
