Azure’s scales rippled as he watched her. “Don’t turn our bond off again, mate.” His voice was more gentle than it had been in as long as she could remember. “It was”—he struggled to find a word—“unsettling.”
“I imagine so. With our bond shut down, you surely noticed the presence that shouldn’t be there.”
Zeena hadn’t noticed it until Marissa began using her power on Nico. Then she had begun scrutinizing her own mind. That’s when Zeena had seen the link the priestess had onhermate. A tear streamed down her cheek. She hated to cry, especially in front of the one who’d broken her heart.
“Even now, she’s using your power.” Zeena motioned to Marissa. “And you’re letting her.” Zeena would not become hysterical, no matter how crazy she felt at watching the connection between her mate and another female. It wasn’t a lover’s connection, but that didn’t matter. There should be no bond besides theirs.
“What have you done?” Azure hissed at Marissa.
“What I had to.” The priestess’s form was outlined in dark magic. She was strong here in her territory. Who knows how many bodies littered the bayou to power her dark magic, both human and animal alike. “You wantedanimifor your people. I created the spell for it. I told you I would need someone with powerful magic.” Marissa laughed, a condescending sound. “You never even thought to offer your own power. But it was easy enough to take.” She winked at him. “A blood bond doesn’t take much of the red stuff. Just a prick. The Dire Wolf’s mate was just a distraction. I didn’t really need her. But she is a bonus. I know how much that wolf drives you crazy. Her death will drive him to his own.”
Zeena thought she might vomit. The witch had tied herself to Azure with his blood, and hewaspowerful. He was old. A Damarian from their former world.
Her mate was speechless as he listened to what Marissa had done. Disgust and hate distorted his handsome face, making him look like the monster he’d become.
Suddenly, the grass rustled behind Marissa. There was no battle cry, but a large lizard flew through the air. Otto landed on the back of Marissa’s neck. His mouth opened wide. As hestruck, Zeena screamed. “Otto, no!.” But it was too late. His teeth and claws were buried deep. Zeena heard Katy screaming from the boat, terrified, berating the little lizard. And Katy had reason to be terrified.
“Bane, get him off of her,” Zeena ordered. She might not be a queen anymore, but her ability to take command when she needed hadn’t left her.
The panther shifted to his human form, fully dressed. He looked at her, questions in his eyes.
“He will be infected with dark magic.”
Bane frowned.
Dammit, what wasn’t he getting? “It will make him sick, possibly kill him, especially since we are in her territory surrounded by her victims.”
That finally made the panther jump into action. He grabbed Otto and ripped him away from the priestess. Otto’s poison was already taking hold, but with her life tied to Azure, it likely wouldn’t be enough to kill her. Marissa stumbled as her hand came up to her neck.
“What have you done?” she sneered at Otto, who sat on Bane’s shoulder, his blood-covered teeth bared at her. He wobbled and his eyes rolled back. Bane caught him before he could hit the ground.
“I told you to stop him,” Zeena yelled at Bane, even though it wasn’t the panther’s fault. She was just angry and scared.
“Otto!” Katy’s voice carried through the night. “Bring him to me! GAGE.” The girl was hysterical, and rightfully so. Otto would not live. Not if Marissa did.
Zeena slipped her hand into her pocket, wrapping around the hilt of the short blade that Azure had given to her as a mating bond present over a thousand years ago. It was infused with the magic of their home and blessed by Visata himself. Known as a righteous blade. She imagined Azure had forgotten about it. Nother. She’d kept it safe, worried that she might actually have to use it one day. Today was that day.
“If we kill her, Otto will be fine, and Azure will die with her.” Nico approached with the demon by his side. “Right?”
“Zeena.” Gage’s voice boomed across the trampled area. He jogged in his human form, his trademark trench coat flapping open with his movements. His eyes blazed with anger as he looked at her. “He will live if she dies.” It wasn’t a question.
Her eyes fell upon Marissa, whose pale complexion bore a sickly hue. The once smooth surface of her skin was now marred with grotesque black splotches, evidence of Otto’s deadly poison coursing through her veins. Each passing moment brought about new waves of pain and agony, as the poison slowly worked its way through her body, leaving behind a trail of destruction. But it wouldn’t be enough.
“She tied herself to you.” Zeena focused on her mate and prepared her mind for what she would have to do. She couldn’t let him see it in her eyes. He couldn’t be allowed to stop her. “I have loved you.” Her lips trembled as more tears formed in her eyes. “I have been by your side for centuries, your most loyal follower. And instead ofstandingbeside you, I remained one step behind you so you could have the attention that you seemed to need. I was okay to simply glow from the reflection of you shining.”
“Zeena.” Azure reached out his hand toward her. “I didn’t realize?—”
“How could you? Your eyes were only ever focused on what you wanted. How could you possibly notice that I was slowly withering away? So much so that I was able to shut down a thousand-year-old bond. How long did it take you to notice?” She didn’t want an answer. Zeena was already ripped to shreds emotionally, and her mate hadn’t even said more than a sentence. She didn’t want to hear his lies. “Over time, I grew sobitter and so angry, and I took it out on everyone around us until I had no one. My bitterness at you made me a prisoner of my own making. I tried to convince myself that you would go back to being the male that I bonded to so long ago. The one who looked at me the way Gage looks at Katy, and Callon looks at Lola, the way that Tarasstilllooks at Lyra.” She slammed a fist against her chest. “I should still have that with you.” She could hear Katy’s tears, her pleas for Gage to bring Otto to her. She needed to get this done quickly. Her time had come.
“Love takes sacrifice, Zeena,” Azure’s voice was resolute. “I was making sacrifices for our people.”
Zeena looked at Gage. “The bond has become a triad. All must die. Then he will live, and so will your mate.” She looked back at Azure as she pulled the righteous blade from the pocket of her dress, lifting it out smoothly in front of her. “You’re right, my mate. Love does take sacrifice.”
Azure reached for her, but Zeena struck with the strength and quickness of her own serpent. She plunged the knife into her chest, straight into her heart.
“What the hell?” Katy yelled as she beat the side of the boat with her hand. “What?” She pointed at Zeena, whose body lay on the ground. Then there were two thuds in rapid succession, and Azure and Marissa’s bodies both fell to the ground. “She just… Lola!” Katy paced to her friend then away from her, looking for Gage. “What the hell is happening?”
“She was the sacrifice. Zeena said Marissa had to die, but the priestess had bound herself to Azure. She told Gage it was a triad. The only way for Marissa and Azure to die was for Zeena to die, too.” Tears streamed down Lola’s face. They’d both heard everything using their beasts’ hearing.
