Page 11 of The Serpent Prince

Once they were in sight, she roared Kiran’s and Saevel’s names inside her head and called on her shadows again. Like thunder, like an avalanche, like the war cry of the Saints who had come on wings of fire and freed the demons of the Under, they responded.

Her magic had never been this powerful before.

Waves of magic crashed through her bones and spread across the sky, revealing pieces of the Fabric, or forcing them out. Pink and green ribbons danced and swirled overhead. Imani, steeped in shadow so no one could see her, turned to find the pixie hovering near her, staring. Eyes wide with horror, mouth opening and closing, it was as if Esa was flabbergasted—an unbelievable emotion for the pixie.

At that, something snapped inside Imani, tightening her chest and causing a ripple in her magic above. Was this something to do with the new magic? She wasn’t sure, but she was losing control.

More shadows descended amidst her rising panic at being caught. Looking down, Imani was terrified to see her hands and arms were entirely black now and the darkness seemed to be spreading to her heart.

Hunched over, she grabbed her chest, trying to catch her breath.

The pain was unreal. With a groan, she fell to her knees and tore at her throat and hair, trying desperately to call the shadows back. But the fiery ribbons kept unfurling, claiming more and more of her aching flesh. Devouring and devouring and … oh gods, the pain.

Her vision went dark. Yet even as her vision darkened, some ancient part of her brain took over, fighting for survival.

Only the darkness will save you, she heard Ara whisper before collapsing.

CHAPTER 4

Imani tried to take in a deep inhale of breath at the sound of Esa’s voice, but couldn’t.

Grabbing both of her wrists, the pixie picked up her pace, and Imani felt every rock, stick, and blade of grass jab into her back, legs, and ass as she was dragged.

Esa panted above her head, grunted, and muttered, “You weigh a bloody ton for being so damn small.”

Head knocking against the cold ground, Imani groaned and wrenched her eyes open to slits. Lanterns hanging from the carriages came into blurry focus, but they were hidden by the tree cover of the forest.

Finally, the painful jostling stopped. Even through drooping eyes, Imani’s surroundings became a little clearer. They were in front of a coach—much nicer than theirs—and more importantly, they appeared alone. She supposed a few might be able to spot them from their windows, but it was unlikely at this angle. Good. She didn’t want anyone witnessing her undignified death.

Esa wiped sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. Her blue hair had come loose from her pins, and she’d lost her hat. Her beautiful traveling dress was in tatters, and splotches of blood and dirt covered her from head to toe. But with a surprisingly energetic growl, the pixie stomped up the steps, made a fist with her hand, and banged on the door.

A wave of dizziness hit Imani, and she slid her eyes shut again.

A muttered conversation grew louder, and the sound forced her eyes open. Her vision wouldn’t gain focus, though. Who was Esa speaking with right now?

Sweat coated her palms. Imani half-wondered if Esa was selling her almost-dead body for coins.

“Is it out of the scope of your capabilities or just your field of interest? If the latter, then get the fuck out of here and at least let me tend to her inside,” Esa hissed.

A gust of wind ruffled her hair, and Kiran’s unmistakable scent overpowered her other senses.

“Everyone is talking about the magic, and they’re spreading rumors. So, let me ask you again,” Kiran said, his voice tight. “Did anyone else see Imani cast those shadows?”

“And I just told you that I don’t think so. She was still inside the forest, shaded so that they blended in with everything. I don’t even know if I saw her,” Esa ground out. “But whether or not she was seen is irrelevant since she’s dying on the ground out here and we need her.”

Kiran grabbed Esa’s arm and tugged her roughly forward. Imani could barely make out his next words.

“No, you don’t need her for anything. You need to go to the Under, and I said I would take you. You need to be patient, or everything you’ve given up at this point, including murdering your heartmate, will be a worthless waste when the time comes.”

Heartmate? If Imani could have moved, surprise would have shown everywhere on her face. She knew the pixie had to have done things in her life that she hadn’t wanted to do. Every female in this realm did, but this was more than Imani had imagined.

Going to the Under? This was the deal Esa had made with Kiran? Confusion clouded her mind, but she felt a bit more connected to Esa now.

It seemed they had both made sacrifices for what they wanted, and had more to make.

Imani frowned inwardly, not sure what to make of Kiran’s other statement. Traveling between realms—if open doorways even still existed with so much instability—was an impossible danger, if not outright suicide.

If any witch could manage it, though, it was him.