Andras sauntered toward Deidamia, gently cupping her face. “Listen, my queen,” he said, his voice low and seductive. Ava could feel his power, even from behind the glass. Could feel the way it skittered across her skin. “Everything’s going to be alright.” He stepped closer, pulling her flush against him. “The fae don’t know, which works in our favor. I have a plan. You can trust me.”
He leaned in, planting a sensual kiss on her lips as he clutched her face. One of his hands moved lower and squeezed her breast. She moaned. Andras kissed her deeply, then trailed his lips down her neck. Deidamia gasped, her head falling back as she clutched his biceps.
“My beautiful queen. You’ve done so well,” he murmured into her skin. “Let me show you just how much I appreciate you.”
Deidamia whimpered as his hand massaged her breast again, while the other moved down her back and gripped her behind.
“But…” He leaned in close, lips brushing her ear. “I don’t need you anymore.”
Then Andras shoved his hand through her chest and ripped out her heart.
17
Casimir gaped in horror as Andras yanked his hand free, clutching the daemon queen’s still-beating heart, his forearm dripping with black blood. Andras killed her. He killed the daemon queen…the daemon queen who Casimir had believed his entire life could not be killed. And he did it in seconds.
Ava slapped her hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp. Andras inspected the heart for a moment before tossing it into a stream of lava nearby with a hiss.
He looked at Deidamia’s lifeless body, her face still contorted in shock.
“What a waste,” he murmured to himself as he pushed her into the lava with his foot.
Deidamia was gone.
“We must get out of here,” Maeryn said.
Andras swiveled his head to the window where they hid, staring for a long while with narrowed eyes. Casimir held his breath and remained frozen. Surely he didn’t hear them. Maeryn had spoken so softly, Casimir had barely been able to make out her words.
After a pause, Andras sighed and strode away, passing in front of the window. Turning the corner, he disappeared. The group loosed a collective breath, when out of the corner of Casimir’s eye, he caught black shadows spearing for the room in which they were hiding.
“Get down!” he shouted.
He lunged and threw Ava on the ground, covering her body with his, a heartbeat before the window shattered. Booming followed, then rumbling. He could barely hear Ava’s scream above the noise as obsidian stones pelted him, the ceiling crashing upon them.
Sharp edges of debris dug into his back and he gritted his teeth against the pain. A heavy chunk hit his side, a rib breaking with a crack. He yelped, lowering himself even closer to Ava.Protect her. Protect her. Protect her.It was all he could think about in the rockslide.
Ava was still screaming and he could just make out Raine and Maeryn’s shouts above the noise. After a moment, the rumbling ceased, the room now silent save for bits of shifting debris.
The cave in was over.
But now they were trapped beneath the rubble. Casimir was pressed against Ava, barely able to hold himself a few inches over her, keeping the wreckage from her vital organs.
“Cas!” she screamed, panic and pain in her voice.
It was so dark under the wreckage he couldn’t see her. “I’m okay,” he said, coughing through the dust in the air. “Are you?”
“My leg,” she groaned. “There’s something wrong with my leg.”
“I’ll get us out of here, love.” He raised his voice. “Raine? Maeryn?”
“We’re alive!” Raine shouted. “But something’s definitely broken. Oh fuck!”
“Hold on,” Casimir said. “I think I can get us out. Just…give me a second. Cover your face with your hands.”
“What? Why? What are you doing?” Ava asked.
“I need to use my astral magic to manipulate the gravity but my hands must be free. Protect yourself in case a few pieces of debris fall before I catch it. ”
“Okay.” Her voice was rough. Her pain echoed through their bond, tugging on his soul.
