My hands shook as the adrenaline pulsed through me. I scanned the rest of the room, but it appeared we had the upper hand.
I looked down at the hunks of bloody carnage on my boots, and bile churned in my stomach. What the hell? I was capable of exploding someone’s body? That was … scary and incredibly efficient. I wouldn’t miss Surlama, but the thought that I had this power made a dark feeling open up in my chest.
I’m a monster.
Justice crawled over to me, scooping me into his arms, and that’s when I realized I was shaking from the adrenaline and shock.
“I’ve got her!” he yelled as his warmth wrapped around me, and I shook against his chest.
Too much magic. I used too much magic. I felt sick.
My attention turned to my mate’s battle with the king just in time to see Elaine step behind the king and crack something long and heavy over his head, causing him to crumble like a sack of wheat.
Noble groaned from the corner, and Kaja ran to him, running her fingers over his body, checking for injuries.
“Rip his dammed head off!” Justice roared as he stood slowly, me still in his arms.
Rage looked down at his uncle, lip curled up in disgust, and raised his sword.
“Wait!” Elaine stepped in front of Rage, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’d hoped to never have to tell you, at least not untilafterI’d found a solution.”
With his chest heaving, Rage stared at his mom with wild eyes and growled, “Tell me what?”
She sighed, glancing at the king on the floor before she hung her head. “He had Surlama do a protection spell two days ago. If anyone tries to kill him, I’ll die. It’s like a shield spell, only involuntary.”
The room spun. Had I just killed the only witch powerful enough to break that spell? The thought made me nauseated. I couldn’t handle any more crappy news right now.
“More guards incoming,” Fiona said after poking her head out into the hallway. “We need to go.”
Rage’s mom glared down at the king. With a snarl, she raised her foot before crashing it down right over his crotch. If he hadn’t already been sterile…
“I want a divorce.”
Rage strode across the room to us, and Justice relinquished me into his brother’s arms. “Thank you, brother.”
Justice nodded. “Of course.”
Rage pressed a tender kiss to my forehead before leading us out the door and back into the secret passageways.
“Nai, where do we go?” Kaja asked.
I was silent as I reeled in thoughts of the Surlama meat explosion and whether I was a dark mage or something else equally evil. Where could we go…?
“My uncle will scour the realm, searching for us,” Rage said. “He won’t let us go after that.”
Weakness pulled at my limbs. “Montana. My father’s pack will protect us with their lives.”
Chapter 9
Our small groupspilled out of the corridor, and I blinked, taking in the very modern garage filled with shiny cars. Rage led us to a line of SUVs, all exactly like the one the Virtues drove when they’d picked me up from Montana. Was that only four months ago? How could such a short amount of time have changed everything? My gaze slid to Rage, and I wondered if he thought the same. His entire life was upside down now too.
Nell pulled on Fiona’s arm. “I have to go back for Rue.”
She nodded. “Take Mele, and when you get Rue, go back to our lands and tell Father what happened. He’ll need to hide you.”
Nerves churned in my gut at her instructions.
Kaja nodded. “Fiona and I will go with Nai and make sure they stay safe—or as close to safe as is possible.”
