Amira felt her magic coursing through her, guiding her aim. She tried to project another gust of wind towards Wryen. Instead, she broke the window. Glass fell everywhere, including on them.
Taking advantage of her confusion, Wryen launched himself at her, making her fall on her back, hitting glass. With all his weight, he pinned her to the ground, holding her hands to avoid another attack. “You bitch. I’m going to teach you some respect.”
“Go on, hit me,” Amira dared him, struggling against this hold, feeling tiny pieces of glass pierce her skin through her blouse. “That won’t solve your problem.” She desperately focused her powers, and everything on her desk lifted off the surface. A container holding fountain pens flew at Wryen’s face with enough force to leave a mark.
He spat in her face. “I should fucking kill you. I should have gotten rid of you the first chance I got after Father’s death, instead of trying to appease his wishes and use you to my advantage. You are nothing but a cursed whore.” Creating fiery shackles, he pinned her hands to the ground. His own hand slowly slid to her throat.
“Then why haven’t you? Did you beat me to protect me oryourself?”
“I won’t let you ruin my bloodline. You’re mine to do with as I please. Remember that.”
He squeezed her throat, and Amira swallowed hard, not backing down from his gaze. She didn’t even know where her bravery came from. “Do it then,” she said in a strangled rasp. “Kill me.Let’s see how you’re going to justify it to the other royals.” She knew he couldn’t. They were stuck in a game of politics, and she was the card he couldn’t dare remove if he wanted to play the winning hand.
Wryen decreased the tension on her throat. Amira saw hesitation in his eyes. Her brother was a violent, cruel beast, but he wasn’t stupid.
Then he said, “I’ll tell them you killed yourself. With all the rumours surrounding you, they’ll have no problem believing me.” His burning hands pressed against her neck again, cutting off her breathing.
Cold sweat drenched her dress. This wasn’t going in the direction she had planned. Provoking Wryen was one thing, dying was another. She tried to focus her power to throw him off, but she felt her energy leaving her. She lost her hold on her power. If only she had spent more time actually mastering it instead of trying to get rid of it, then maybe she would be able to fight Wryen off.
Amira scrambled for a comeback. “What about your alliance? You have no one else to marry off but me,” she hoarsely said, struggling for breath.
“If Karwyn finds out about your curse, he’ll ruin me. You’re not going to make me lose my crown. Father would understand.”
Wryen’s grip burned her throat, blurring her vision. Her blood pulsed in her head, and Amira’s eyes fluttered shut as she willed her powers to throw him off her, to remove him from her room. From her life.
The door slammed. Amira’s eyes popped open.
“Get your goddamn hands off her!” Elyssa yelled.
The pressure eased off Amira’s throat as Wryen looked over his shoulder.
With a well-aimed kick and a dangerous glint in her eyes, Elyssa hit him square in the face.
Chapter47
Elyssa
Wryen’s lip split open at Elyssa’s kick, and he broke his hold on Amira to wipe the blood from his mouth. She’d only seen Wryen briefly and from a distance, but now up close, Elyssa could spot the resemblance between the siblings. The same olive skin. The same oval face. Wryen’s hair was a lighter brown and his eyes shone a brighter purple than Amira’s, but they were unmistakably related.
“You’ll regret that,” he sneered. He stood, towering over her and Amira, who was still on the ground, her hands tied up by wreaths of flames.
Elyssa didn’t feel threatened; all she felt was goddamn rage. Crossing her arms behind her back, she gave him a scowl. “That’s no way to treat your sister’s maid.” Her fingers moved to her sleeve, and she discreetly took out the knife hidden there.
Wryen moved closer. Her eyes flickered to Amira struggling on the ground. Whatever Wryen had done to her, Elyssa would repay him ten-fold.
“I can treat you any way I wish. Now walk away, or I’ll be forced to remove you for good,” Wryen said. Elyssa could almost see flames dancing in his sadistic eyes.
Forcing a sweet smile onto her face, she said, “Gladly.” She pretended to turn but instead rushed forward, her knife aimed at his stomach. He caught her arm and she slashed at his shoulder instead.
And then hell broke loose. Elyssa kicked out, but Wryen’s grip on her burned. She felt her skin heating, actuallyburning.Amira might have yelled out to her, but it was lost to Elyssa’s ears.
Pulling her free arm back, Elyssa hit his nose. Fresh blood poured from his face, and Wryen snarled at her, pulling her burned arm closer to him, madness reflecting in his eyes.
Elyssa blocked out the pain as she let herself go limp, falling backwards and forcing Wryen to let go of her. Hitting the ground hard, she dropped her knife, but at least the flames ceased. Her right sleeve had turned to ashes, her skin an angry red.
Moving her burned arm, Elyssa reached for her knife, but Wryen was faster. As he crouched down, Elyssa skillfully rolled to the side, a throwing star leaving her hand before she scrambled to her feet. The star hit Wryen’s hand, and he cursed as he stared at his punctured hand, the knife forgotten.
Elyssa kicked the knife out of his reach before he could grab it. She prepared for another kick, but a warning yell drew her attention. The ground she stood on burst into flames that encircled her, trying to catch her legs and spreading upwards.
