Blood pounded in my ears. The sprinkle we’d been fighting in had transformed into fat drops of rain that clouded my vision. All around fae fought, screamed, groaned.
I seemed unable to move. Unable to breathe. To do anything but stand there in sheer horror as my brother’s innards peeked out of his torso.
Roar’s boot landed on Aleksander’s chest. “You’re so concerned and I cannot help but notice that his wings are like yours, Isolde.” A smirk rippled across his face, so aware that I watched. How what he’d done affected me. “If I had to guess, that means I get to take down two white hawks today.”
Roar leaned his weight into my brother’s chest, and Aleksander let out a pained scream that was quickly swallowed by a gale of wind. The storm had well and truly arrived, in more ways than one.
Arla dove, her talons extended, but this time, Roar was ready. He sent a wave of winter magic upward to meet the bird. Arla froze on impact and plummeted.
Rage boiled through my veins, and a shadow figure burst out of me, so ready and willing to commit violence. But no. I would finish Roar myself, and I’d be sure the job was done this time.
“Get the bird,” I commanded. “Take her to land. Get her warm.”
The shadow flew as fast as the wind, catching the symbol of my house before she hit the ground, and flying Arla over the water, to land.
“Abomination.” Roar stumbled back. Rain dripped off his face, illuminated by fire attacks blooming in the sky—trying to take down our flying archers and Rynni who swooped and used her enormous claws to pluck enemy sailors from the ships and crush them. “I didn’t think it was true. Thought he was lying, like all his kind.”
“Érebo can lie.” I intended to take advantage of Roar’s fear. “But he didn’t lie about this.”
Palm to the darkened clouds above, I called another shadow, felt the tether tighten as it appeared. “Go to Aleksander. Keep him alive.”
Aleksander was not as small as Arla. To have a shadow fly away with him would greatly strain me. But there was no other choice.
The shadow soared to Aleksander and did as I commanded, holding his belly together while I prowled forward.
“The fae of Winter’s Realm will never accept you. A shadow wielder.” Roar had backed farther away from my brother. He spat on the expanse of deck between us.
“Some already have,” I replied. “And maybe others won’t, but the truth is, they will have me and my sister, or a king who is willing to ally with King Érebo. The very Shadow Fae who once warred against their ancestors. And let’s not forget the whisperer in line for the Crown of Winter.”
Shock flitted across Roar’s face. Then revelation. “Rhistel.”
“I think my odds are better than you say.”
Roar snorted. “Magnus is an idiot for his alliance. For keeping his son alive too.”
“At least we can agree on something.” I called another shadow, but this time it was more difficult. Two were already doing my bidding, one of them keeping someone alive, and while I’d practiced often with this magic, it wasn’t second nature yet. Particularly not making shadow people. And yet, the dark figure materialized next to me, not in the concise form of a person like the other two, but good enough.
The Warden of the West stumbled away, plunging his sword into the scabbard before scooping up his bow and nocking the arrow.
“Shield me,” I said as the arrow flew for my heart.
The shadow expanded, and when the arrow sank, it disappeared into the dark void. Harmless. Shock flitted through me, and that shadow vanished as I momentarily lost control over the figure.
A string of curse words left Roar’s lips and he nocked another arrow, aimed, and loosed.
I did not call a shadow in time but spun out of the way. “You’re out of arrows.”
His hand shot back to the quiver, and he grasped at air. Discovering I was right, Roar pivoted on his heel.
“Running again?” I called out, calling my dark magic another time. “This is becoming quite a habit of yours, Roar.”
Sweat joined the water on my brow as another vague shadow form appeared at my behest. “Bring him to me.”
The shadow surged forward and seized Roar. The high lord began to shift, but with a breath-stealing push from me, the shadow grew too, able to accommodate whatever size Roar became as long I was strong enough to keep hold of the shadow. The warden growled and stopped shifting. He remained fae,though he didn’t stop fighting. Kicking and thrashing in the air, Roar fought and fought, even as the shadow came to hover before me.
My control over the darkness strained, but I didn’t let the exertion show on my face as I moved to stand before the male I’d once trusted. A male who had kissed me, sought to manipulate me, and then used me for his own means. I looked him up and down.
“I don’t know how I didn’t see how very small you were from the very start. Always using others. Me. Those human slaves. Magnus too—though I can’t say I feel bad for him.” I laughed. “He’ll meet his end too. Hopefully at my hands, but if my sister wants him, that will work just as well.”
