“I’m tired of this,” Marik says. “Az, get out of the way. You can die with her, or you can reign with us.”
Asmo glances at me once more before turning away. My heart cracks as he walks toward Marik, stepping in line beside him.
He faces me, his eyes black as night.
“Good choice,” Marik mutters, smiling as he steps forward.
Black fire erupts from his palms. Willa—no,Cora—steps forward, her veins blackening as she calls her magic to the surface.
Two Princes of Darkness face me while the Queen of Darkness prepares to slaughter me.
Chapter 38
An enormous wolf leaps over me,landing on Cora before she can strike. Its teeth sink into her neck, but before it can rip her apart, she shoves it off her with a strength I didn’t know she possessed. But then again, I never knew her as the First Witch. She was careful to hide who she truly was.
She leaps up and places a hand on her neck. Her hand comes away bloody, but the wound is already healed. Behind her, a little girl screams in terror. I’ve had enough.
“Stop!” I yell. “Stop.” I place my hands up as if in surrender. “Enough. Let everyone else go, and then we can talk.”
“This isn’t a negotiation, Mae,” Cora spits.
“I have the entire court behind me and an army prepared to attack you. Even if you win this fight, your people will get hurt. Just let everyone leave safely, and I will hand the crown over. Besides, don’t you plan to rule these people? Protect them,” I plead.
Marik nods once, and relief floods through me. I didn’t expect it to be that easy, but they don’t have a choice. If they plan to rule, they can’t slaughter everyone.
People start fleeing, rushing to leave as quickly as they possibly can. Some look back as they run from us, but most don’t dare. While they file out, the wolf strides over to me, but its eyes never leave Cora. It sits beside me, the top of its head reaching my chest.
I reach out a hand to it and gently stroke its blond hair. As I do, it looks up at me, blue eyes meeting mine. August.
An equally huge black snow leopard slinks toward us. Its feet are silent as it makes its way to sit beside August. Its green eyes are locked on Asmo and Marik. Koa.
Finally, a massive grizzly bear lumbers over to us, each step sending a slight tremor through the ground. Barrett. He lets out a roar that shakes the ground, his yellow teeth dripping with spittle.
Koa and August sink down to their haunches, prepared to strike.
Marik glances at them briefly before his eyes land on me. He holds his hand out. “Give it up, Mae. You gave me your word.”
I cock my head and put my hand to my chin as if I’m in deep thought. “You know,” I say, “I thought about it. I think I changed my mind.”
Marik narrows his eyes, staring at me with utter hatred.
Cora rolls her eyes. “You always were stubborn. Let’s get this over with, Marik.”
Before she or Marik can strike, Asmo does. He hurls twin balls of black fire at the back of Cora and Marik, taking them by surprise. They drop to the ground, gasping at the pain. August and Koa see their opportunity and instantly sprint to attack them.
“Run, Mae!” Asmo screams at me as his father takes a sword of black flames and thrusts it toward Asmo’s gut. Asmo ducks, narrowly missing the sword. I scream as I watch Minerva aim a dagger at her son’s back.
I summon wind and hurl it in his general direction. My aim sucks, but the blast of wind knocks the dagger off course, but not enough. It catches Asmo in the tricep. Not a killing blow, but he grunts at the impact.
Arms grip me around my waist from behind, and I immediately start fighting, but the arms don’t let go. They’re dragging me back, away from the fight.
“It’s me!” Elle yells in my ear. “I’m getting you out of here.”
“No!” I scream, desperate to help, but she doesn’t let me go. She hauls me away as I watch my court attacking my husband and the only mother I ever knew.
“Would you shut the fuck up,please?” she mutters in my ear, her teeth gritted with the effort of pulling me away. “You are the High Queen. If you die, we’re fighting fornothing,and Marik getseverything.”
The thought sobers me. I stop fighting her and let her pull me away, but she stops almost instantly. “Fuck,” she mutters.
