A Kingdom of Venom and Vows (Stars and Shadows #3)(67)

He pressed harder, and I could feel my ribs cracking under his power as red smoke surrounded us both.

“She is my mate,” I growled, and Gavril tsked.

“Mates make you weak.” Stronger and stronger, his power grew against my chest until I feared that I wouldn’t look upon Adara’s face again before he stole my life with the wicked power that coursed through him.

“Where is your mate? Where’s Leda?”

His gaze shuddered, and for a moment, I thought I saw a trace of emotion hiding there.

I reached forward, grasping my hand around his wrist, and my palm burned where we touched.

“You will never lay another finger on my wife. I do not care that you were willing to give up your own mate. You will never touch mine again.” I hissed the words through my teeth as I let every bit of my power flow through me and blast into my brother. It drained from me so quickly that I didn’t have time to catch my breath as the black smoke clouded my vision.

Then the darkness took over completely.





CHAPTER 24





ADARA





E vren’s power blasted into me, blasted into every soldier that stood within a twenty-foot radius of him and Gavril, but I quickly climbed back to my feet and pushed toward him.

His body went limp beneath Gavril’s hand, and I swallowed the scream that was clawing up my chest. I could no longer feel him, the spot in my chest that he filled going hollow, and my ravenous gaze slammed into Gavril’s as he looked up at me with a sickening smile on his face.

Pain sliced through my arm, and I looked away from Gavril to look at the soldier before me. He had that same sickening red ring around his irises, and he snarled as he swiped his sword in my direction again.

I dodged it, just barely, and the man charged me. He was feral as he took me to the ground. My teeth came down hard against my tongue, and I could taste my blood filling my mouth.

I scrambled for my dagger, my nails digging into the dirt beneath us as he pinned his arm across my throat. My breath was cut off as I felt the edge of my blade against my fingers.

I stared up at the soldier, and for a moment, I thought it was going to be by his hand that I drew my last breath. But then the soldier was knocked away from me in a flash, and I pressed my fingers to my neck as I gasped for breath.

I sat up, finally getting my hold on my dagger, but it wasn’t one of Evren’s guards who stood in front of me. It was the nymph from the Onyx Forest, the one I had met before when I had tried to run from Evren, Osiris, and her dark eyes were solid black as she crouched next to the soldier she had just killed.

“My queen.” Her voice purred, and my back straightened at her words. “We have come to serve.”

She bowed her head in the slightest bow, and when I looked past her, I was overwhelmed by the number of creatures both like her and different that now fought against Gavril’s army.

Nymphs who normally blended with the forest, along with creatures I didn’t recognize, raised their hands, their claws, and took the lives of men who dared fight against us. Some had wings and tore through the sky while others were much smaller and scrambled through the men with traces of magic trailing behind them.

I climbed to my feet as I watched them, and my arm ached from the wound that now leaked with blood. The nymph was still crouched before me as if she was waiting for my order, and I didn’t know what to say.

“You honor me, Osiris.” I bowed my head to her, my respect pure and unending.

She returned the small bow before she moved, quicker than any man who fought on the battlefield, and launched into another soldier.

I gripped my dagger in my trembling fingers and I searched the battlefield. I could no longer see Evren’s body. I couldn’t see my friends.

My body hummed with fear and hatred, and I pushed forward, slicing my dagger through the neck of the closest soldier. He fell to the ground beside me, and I continued forward.

My magic thrummed inside me, but I saved it for when I needed it most. Evren’s body still lay limp on the battlefield, and I had to get to him. I refused to allow him to die.

The thought alone sent fear racing through me, robbing me of my breath, but I pushed on.

Gavril’s men were still fighting, still coming from his line of defense, and I headed in that direction with only one thought on my mind. I was going to kill the Citlali prince and save my mate.

I would make Gavril beg for his life before I finally took it with my own hands.

A soldier hit me from the side, knocking me to my knees, and they screamed in pain as they connected with the hard ground. I slammed the butt of my knife into his temple, his gaze faltering with the hit as I scrambled to my feet before he could get a hold of me.

Every part of me ached, but I would not stop. Nothing compared to the pain in my chest, to the hunger of my power, and let it fall from my hands, taking out every soldier near me as I continued forward.

I searched for Gavril, looking for the coward through the ranks of his man, but it was a blonde woman who caught my attention at the edge of the battle. She was surrounded by a row of soldiers, each of them watching for a threat, but her gaze was directly on me.

She looked sickly, her body worn and devoid of life. I didn’t know who she was, but as my gaze met hers, chill bumps formed on my arms and my gut told me that this girl was Gavril’s mate.

I moved closer, another sword slamming into my thigh, but I fought through the pain as I took off in the direction of the girl.