As she spun to engage in another attack, a blade sliced across her shoulder, blood trickling down her arm and staining her tunic crimson. Before she could get her bearings, a broad man grabbed her from behind, pulling her arms behind her back until she was sure her shoulders would dislocate, and pressed a blade to her throat.
“I’m going to enjoy this,” he whispered against her ear as the blade sliced into the delicate skin of her throat.
Pain coursed through her, but the cry that left her lips was one of pure rage. Diving into her well of power, Auraelia lether lightning wrap around her. Let it sear through fabric, skin, and sinew. Let it burn until the man’s arms fell away, and he collapsed into a charred heap on the ground.
Breathing heavily, Auraelia whirled around and picked up her dagger, channeling her lightning through the emeralds as she launched it at a man across the clearing who was charging at Daemon’s back. Relief flooded her system as her dagger struck true, the man collapsing to the ground as Daemon turned toward him. His eyes met hers for a brief second before he shifted his attention back toward the remaining assailant.
Daemon had cut down two men while she’d handled her own, but as he raised his blade to the final one, she hurled a gust of wind toward him and knocked it from his hand. “Not that one.”
Bruised and coated in blood, Auraelia began to cross the clearing. “I amsickof people coming after me, and what’smine.” Auraelia seethed as she stalked toward the man, her lightning a living thing as it twined around her, crackling along her skin. “Iam the rightful Queen of this realm, and I have a message of my own.”
The last man standing was the original messenger, the one who’d promised to deliver her death to Davina. His eyes blew wide as a bolt of lightning landed right in front of his foot, and Auraelia smiled as he attempted to back away, only to slam into a wall of Daemon’s shadows.
Her steps were slow—calculated—as she closed the distance between herself and the supposed assassin. When she reached him, she leaned into his space. Sweat beaded on his brow, and she wasn’t sure if it was fear, or that she was close enough that he could feel the heat radiating from her magic. It turned out to be the former, his swallow audible as the smell of ammonia filled her nostrils, and the once swaggering male turned into a whimpering mess.
The laugh that bubbled up Auraelia’s throat was anything but kind as she met his gaze. As she leashed some of her own magic, Daemon’s snaked up the man’s legs and down his arms, binding him to the mass of shadows at his back.
“I want you to give your mistress a message. Can you do that?” Her tone was sickly sweet even to her own ears, but she was done. Tired of always looking over her shoulder. Tired of playing nice when everyone around her fought dirty. The time for fighting fair was over, and it was time to send a message of her own, even if it stained her soul.
When the man nodded, she continued. “Tell your Lord and Lady you were unsuccessful in delivering your whole message. That the next time they decide to send me a message, I willgladlyaccept it from them in person.” She laid her hand flat against his sternum. “Tell them to let Davina know that her cousin is done playing these games.” Heat began to swell in her palm, a gentle glow emanating around the whole of her hand. “And tell them,allof them, that anyone who tries to take or harm what isminewill meet an immediate end.”
Auraelia released the hold on her magic and let it flow out of her hand, burning through the fabric covering the man’s chest and down to his skin, his screams filling the silence of the forest.
Daemon released the shadow binds as Auraelia pulled away, and the man collapsed to the ground. She slowly knelt next to him. “Tell Davina I’m ready. That her fear tactics do not work here. She can send as many assassins as she wants; I will not run. I will not bow. If she wants my crown and my kingdom, she will have to pry it from my cold, dead hands. Tell her I will see her on the battlefield, and my rage will be the last thing her eyes see of this world. After all, only one of us will be walking off that field, and I fully intend on it beingme. Do you think you can do that?”
Tears ran down his face as he met her gaze and nodded.
“Good.” Auraelia stood as the man fell unconscious and turned on her heel, meeting Daemon’s knowing stare. A wave of emotions washed through her as she held it, both hers and his.
He closed the distance between them in one stride and cupped her cheeks. “Are you alright?” he asked, his eyes scanning from top to toe. When they landed on the harsh red line across her neck and blood stain on her shoulder, his nostrils flared, his gaze snapping to the last remaining assailant before flicking back to her.
“I will be.” It was the only honest answer she could give. As the adrenaline wore off, her mind began to race. The one thing she never wanted was to be like her cousin…and now? The sound of her dagger sinking into the man’s spine would echo through her mind for days, but the sound of their screams as she cut down each man would haunt her nightmares.
“Hey,” Daemon’s soothing voice cut through the impending storm in her mind, his thumb stroking gently across her cheek. “None of that, alright? You did what you had to, and she needs to know that you’re not going to take her actions lying down.” Auraelia nodded as Daemon pressed a kiss to her brow, his body still riddled with tension. “What do you want to do about that?” he asked, flicking his head toward the unconscious man behind her.
“How far can you shadow-walk?”
A cocky smile pulled across Daemon’s face, and she couldn’t help but smile in return. “I can get him to the other side of the Amber Woods. He can walk the rest of the way to Pearl.”
It wasn’t surprising that Xander and Piper beat them back to the harbor, and a breath of relief escaped when Auraelia saw thatthey were no worse for wear. The same could not be said when Xander’s gaze landed on her.
“Goddess, Rae! What the fuck happened to you?!” Xander’s eyes moved rapidly over her, assessing every blood stain with questioning eyes before whirling to glare at Piper. “You didn’tseethis?”
Piper narrowed her gaze at Xander, sucking on a canine before snapping back, “Of course, I fucking saw it. But Daemon was with her, and I also saw her handle it. If I thought for one second that my best friend, ourqueen, was in danger, don’t you think that I would have told you? Goddess, Xander, have a little fucking faith.”
“Don’t blame Piper,” Auraelia snapped at her brother. “You wouldn’t have been able to reach us in time to help anyway, and it’s not even all mine, Xander,” she said as she dismounted Jasira.
“Noneof it should be yours. What the hell happened?”
“We were ambushed in the Amber Woods. The Court of Pearl sayshello.” Daemon replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Goddess help us.” Xander groaned, scrubbing his hands down his face before raking them through his hair. “Are you sure you’re alright?” His tone was calmer than it had been moments ago, the panic bleeding away to be replaced with concern.
“I’ll be fine.”
Silence lingered for a heartbeat before he squared his shoulders and gave Auraelia a curt nod. “Alright, we’ve got one more of these fuckers to do, and then we can go home. Ready?”
Expelling a heavy breath, Auraelia nodded and followed her brother into town.
