The blade was falling, and Fen was not moving.I was too late.
No, no, no.
A familiar gust of wind and dust enveloped the room. Vangard appeared over Firose. I’d done it—bond or no bond, I’d drawn the beast out. Van’s black fur was matted with blood, his lip curled and his eyes raged with no mercy.
Firose had a path for a clean strike, yet she cried out as though straining against something as the blade came down.
When the blade struck the marble floor, my heart stopped.
No blood.Fen was alive. The sword had only nicked the collar of his shirt.
She missed. How could she miss?
I couldn’t risk her striking again. I shouted, “Van, stop her!”
Firose met my gaze—the whites of her eyes showed, and her jaw slackened. My arm reached out to her as she attempted to turn the blade on Vangard.
The beast swiftly took Firose between his giant jaws and chomped twice. Her screams wrung out, filling the throne room with agonized pleas.
Firose shrieked, “Stop, please!”
I tried to convince myself there was no death more fitting for Firose’s cruelty. Death at the jaws of a beast that she could never tame and the prodigy that she’d once hoped to wield against this realm.
Van snapped his head violently from side to side—his hackles raised with a rage-filled snarl. The sapphire-encrusted blade fell from Firose’s hand and clambered to the ground.
“Shit…” Cassidee muttered from behind me as she entered the throne room. She let out a soft whistle of approval. I hadn’t realized how weak my knees had grown until she steadied me by my elbow.
Despite her evils—Firose was my mentor.
She’d helped to raise me.
What had I done?
Vangard tore Firose limb from limb, beginning with her head. I gasped and looked at the floor to avoid the gore of it.
“Van, drop her.” I was breathless. “She is too foul to eat.” The words escaped me in exasperated relief.
It is over. She cannot harm anyone else. She can’t hurt Fen.
Van dropped a headless torso onto the throne room floor.
I whispered, “Go help protect the palace.” Blood pumped cold through my veins.
Van lowered his head before he trotted out of the throne room as though he hadn’t just torn Firose apart. It was odd that the bond seemed to have a residual effect.He should not have listened to my commands.
“I need to check on Wyeth,” Cassidee said before she stalked after Van.
My knees continued to shake; my body still glowed brightly, reflecting off the shined floors.
Fenris got to his feet, facing me. It looked like it took all his strength to lift himself. I’d been so close to losing him. But it was over.Fen was safe.He stared at me in disbelief, breath ragged. We took each other in from across the throne room for only a second.
Then, I ran to him. My feet couldn’t carry me fast enough. It wasn’t until I could hold him that I’d be sure he was real. That he stood there, alive. I threw my arms around him.
He winced.
Oh my Sources—the skin on his arm where the ink used to lay was ripped away. My hand paused over it, tears welling at the sight of such cruelty.
“What has she done?” I sobbed. “I’m sorry…I never wanted to leave you. I love you, Fen.”
