Page 168 of Black Sea

“Then what?” I snapped through gritted teeth, grimacing at the pain in my stomach, where I still felt like the blade was lodged.

Mornon extinguished the ribbons of light and shadow and focused on me, his expression so solemn it made me feel worthless before him. “I want her power to create life,” he said.

“She didn’t create life.” Keeping my palm pressed on my stomach, I rose to my feet. “She brought living creatures back to life.”

A predatory gleam flashed across his face. “One limit of hers, which I won’t have.”

“But you are already able to do that,” I replied tartly. I glanced sideways at the disgusting beasts observing us from every roof and window as spectators. “You created these monsters.”

“They are not alive.” Mornon gazed at me, his eyes so piercing that it upset me. It reminded me how strongly he flowed through me. “They came from darkness.”

The beasts cheered with loud, varied calls, producing a single, terrifying roar that shook the stone blocks under my feet.

I clenched my fists to hold back the urge to unleash a shower of glass to impale them, then fixed their lord in my grim stare. “Why are you doing all this? What is it that you really want?”

He straightened up, almost as if he had been waiting for that question for a long time. “I want to create a new race. Stronger and faster than elves, without their soul filled with light or the annoying weakness of being inextricably linked to someone else. With magic more powerful than witches’, without their uncontrollable impulses or their wild nature. A race that will recognize me as their god and revere me and grant me obedience and absolute loyalty. A perfect race for a perfect army, with which to conquer not only this world, Nauriel,” he added, growing more fervent, “but also all those that darkness has shown me.”

The crazy ambition shining in his eyes made my stomach churn. “And what will become of my people? Of all the people you want to rule?”

His face grew stern. “Every empire needs slaves. But you elves . . .” He regarded me as if dissecting me mentally. “You will serve as rats in my experiments.”

I was horrified, involuntarily imagining dozens of my people’s corpses open from throat to genitals on onyx altars within his fortress.

Imagining myself screaming at the top of my lungs as he violated my mind and body to find a way to unbind me from the Crystal.

“Why do you hate us so much?” I asked him, my voice trembling with anger and pain. “We welcomed you despite you being the result of a forbidden union!”

“You tolerated me,” he hissed.

I frowned, thrown off by his reply. What was he talking about?

Mornon narrowed his eyes, watching me closely and cautiously. “But, judging by your expression, I’d say your father decided to pass down his version of my story.”

I held my tongue, restraining myself from hammering him with the questions that immediately flooded my mind. I shouldn’t care that everything we knew about Mornon the Abomination might be a lie. I shouldn’t, damn it. I shouldn’t doubt my father, since the enemy was probably trying to manipulate me just as he had been doing from the beginning.

“Whatever the truth is,” I said harshly, “it does not justify all the evil you have done nor what you intend to do.”

His face was a mask of coldness. “A matter of perspective.” He lifted one hand, and a globe of black fire appeared on his upturned palm. “And it’s really a shame that yours is different from mine.”

My entire body tensed, ready to pick up the fight again with even more ferocity. I shifted one foot slightly back, preparing to sprint as I mirrored his attack . . .

“Nauriel!" my brother’s voice suddenly rang out.

It happened in a moment.

A flash of pure wickedness danced in Mornon’s gaze, and I knew who the target of his dark sphere was even before it darted from his hand.

“ No!” I yelled with all my breath, turning around with my arm outstretched.

A glass wall materialized in front of my father and Araton—who had just appeared at the entrance to the main city road—a second before the fiery ball struck them.

And it didn’t stop there.

The glass spread around the square’s edge and climbed upward until it enclosed Mornon and me within a huge dome.

Panting, I didn’t dare lower my arm and clenched my teeth as magic drew on my life energy to keep that sort of cage steady. I met my father and brother’s shocked and terrified stares. The latter punched the dome, causing a deep, booming sound inside it. He shouted my name again, but his voice reached me muffled and so distant it crushed my heart.

Suddenly, I sensed Mornon’s scorching presence behind me. I stood still, holding my breath. But when he moved my hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear, I broke down with a single tear streaking down my scraped cheekbone.