“How’s Izolda?” I nod to my fallen sister.
“Sleeping,” she murmurs.
The train shakes. I widen my stance to avoid toppling over the Volkov sons’ carbonized remains. Ugly bastards in life; uglier in death. Every last one of them.
I can’t help but steal one last glance over my shoulder. “Was it worth it, Bohdi?”
“Waswhatworth it?”
“The death of your relatives. Was it worth my necklace and throne?”
“In the end, only the strongest endure. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Delusional male. Mistaking evil for strength.
When I turn back toward my intrepid savior, more tears are teetering off her lashes and tripping off her still-raised fingers.
I step over Vasily’s brother, circumventing the charred fur hide cloaking his shriveled husk. The instant I reach Isla, I draw her tremulous fingers off her mouth, lace our hands together, and bend over to kiss her.
I love you, Konstantin Korol.
I freeze.
I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you,she chants.
I pull back just to make sure that her lips aren’t moving. Though how could they, pressed as they were against mine?Say something else.
Your talisman did block our mating bond. That’s what I meant when I said Mimi had lied.
I try to swallow past the ball of emotion expanding in my throat.Again. Speak into my mind again.
She slides her hands to my shoulders and presses her unsteady fingers against my bare skin.Can we kill Bohdan already?
I try to smile, but I can’t. For a long minute, all I can do is blink. But then I give my head a soft shake, fling magic at the lock to keep Bohdan from slipping out the door he is advancing toward, and reach one hand up to cup her face.
I caress her feather tattoo with my thumb, then lean over and crush my mouth against hers, snaring both her breaths and heartbeats.Your every wish will be my every command, Little Witch.
To the tune of Bohdan’s annoyed grunts, I sever the delicious kiss and wheel around. The Faerie mutters as he desperately tries to unlatch the lock. For a full minute, I take pleasure in watching his fingers scuttle and blaze, attempting to fight metal with fire.
When he gives it a kick, I spread my palms and pin him, cheek first, to the door like the bug that he is, and then I movecloser, gathering the molecules of oxygen around his body and dragging them away.
His lashes swing upward. Heaving, he splays his fingers wide and shoves, knuckles white against the scorched door. With a flick of my wrist, I sweep the snowflake dagger off the floor and fly it into Bohdan’s neck. He gasps, hastening my next endeavor—emptying his lungs of air.
The vessels in the eye tracking my every movement bulge and split, reddening his crazed stare while bleaching his complexion. I snuff out my magic to tow the shotgun out from behind my back. One of his hands jolts to his neck. I think he’s about to rid himself of his necklace in order to fight back, but he merely plucks out the dagger.Idiot.
I cant my head, sliding a smile onto my lips.
“This first bullet is for Salom.” I blast his kneecap clean off. “You really should’ve thought to manufacture your Crow Tranquilizers out of another metal than iron. Granted, the dual-purposeisconvenient. Especially at the moment.”
Bohdan’s chin drops in shocked horror, and then he smacks facefirst into the ashen floor.
“Deep breath,Bohdi. We’re not done.”Little Witch, mind lifting your spell from underneath my sister’s skin?
Vance’s spell…Isla croaks.Not mine. The birthmark, the cracked teeth, the pitch of our voices… I wouldn’t have?—
Her lack of faith in herself tills my rage. Obviously, I take it out on Bohdan, who’s heaved himself onto his forearms.
“This one’s for my sister. And just to clarify,notthe one you planned to coronate.” I shoot out his remaining kneecap.
