Garden of Serpents (The Demon Queen Trials #3)(34)

I started reciting the spell as I’d learned it in Demonic, and power thrummed up my nape.

I closed my eyes, thinking of a hot emotion. And as much as I tried to focus on bringing to mind the masculine sound of Kas’s voice, Orion’s sensual whisper kept intruding…

I wanted you to think of me and not Kas when you’re going to sleep…

Warmth simmered between my ribs. I repeated the spell again, thinking of how it felt when Orion had kissed me, pressing me against the bedpost. The way his eyes had looked when I’d dropped the blanket…

A surge of magic kindled in my belly, and I could feel the light heating up my skin—

“Shit,” I whispered. “Wait, it’s too much.” I let the sorrow of loss curl around me, dampening the force of my Lightbringer magic.

When I opened my eyes, I glanced at Kas, catching his worried expression.

He shook his head. “No, you have to use powerful magic for this,” he said. “Try summoning everything you have, because I know Orion will.”

I frowned, taking a step back from him. “Have you heard anything about a Lightbringer’s power being dangerous? Like, if I use all my power, I could make everything around me dissolve, and also lose my mind?”

His forehead wrinkled. “Dissolve?”

“Hang on.” Shai stepped out from behind an oak. “Who told you that? Orion?”

I realized how it sounded. “He didn’t just tell me. He showed me. When I used a burst of my Lightbringer magic, it left me feeling confused. He said that for a Lightbringer, we can create a vacuum, and chaos replaces the light.”

Shai grimaced. “Rowan. You can’t really believe he’s trying to help you, right? You’re rivals. He tried to assassinate you. He wants to keep his throne.”

The sun had slid down below the tree line now, and shadows spilled throughout the forest.

“He is the Lord of Chaos,” said Kas. “I’m sure he could use chaos magic to make you feel…chaotic.”

“Rowan,” said Legion, “what do your instincts say?”

My instincts said Orion was right—but who the fuck knew if that was actual instinct or the influence of his mind-blowing kiss?

Shai walked closer to me and cupped both sides of my face. She lowered her chin, our foreheads practically touching. “You wanted me to remind you not to fall for his charm and manipulation, yeah? I’m doing that now.”

“Right.” I pulled her hands from my face. “Okay, well, just humor me and get further back than you were before.”

“Really?”

“There’s a small chance that Orion is correct, isn’t there? And if I lose control of my magic, not only could I lose my mind, but I could dissolve everything around me.”

“Dissolve,” said Shai.

“I’m serious,” I said. “I don’t care if you don’t believe it. I felt the Lightbringer power about to explode, and I don’t want you near it. I’m talking, like, get on the other side of the Acheron River. I don’t care if you’ll all recover because you’re demons—I don’t need more horror burned into my memories.” I pinned Kas with a serious stare. “I mean all of you. I’ll come find you if the spell works.”

Shai took a deep breath. “Fine, but we should FaceTime it.”

Legion frowned. “Is that a spell?”

She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and waggled it. “We can watch her through video, and if anyone tries to assassinate her, or on the off chance she loses her mind, we can save her.”

“Fine.” I pulled my cell phone from my jeans and propped it up against an oak. “Call me when you’re on the other side of the river. And if my phone suddenly goes dead, it’s either poor reception, or I exploded.”

Shai’s forehead wrinkled. “Right. Okay.”

Night had fallen in the City of Thorns, and my friends quickly disappeared into the darkness, leaving me alone like I’d asked. As the sounds of their footfalls faded, the air seemed to grow colder.

On my forehead, the witch blood tingled.

It seemed like ages before my phone rang, the little screen lighting up with Shai’s picture. I crossed to the oak tree and flicked it on to answer.

Shai’s face popped up on the screen. “We’re here. Hanging out by the river.”

I waved at Shai. “I’m ready.”

“Go for it, Sunshine!” Kas said from behind her.

Rolling my eyes, I stepped back into the grove. Barefoot, I took a deep, shuddering breath.

As I did, I called up a memory certain to instill fury in me—Orion standing over King Cambriel and slaughtering the man I’d vowed to kill. Taking my revenge from me…

In my mind’s eye, I saw the hot splatter of blood on the stone. Anger started to rise, tightening my muscles. Just the right amount of power…

I opened my eyes to see the wind whipping through the trees. A faint golden glow emanated from my body, and I started to recite the spell, reading from the book. As I read, goosebumps rose on the back of my skin. From the corner of my eye, ghostly images flickered past. Between the trunks, shadows seemed to twine with wisps of light.

I glanced down at the page once more, but it took me a moment to find my place again on the page. I started again, pronouncing each word carefully. The hair rose on my nape as I felt I was opening the door to an ancient, powerful world. In the corner of my vision, silvery lights twinkled. From the soil upward, power rushed through me.