Garden of Serpents (The Demon Queen Trials #3)(41)

In my chest, I felt the pull of my connection to him, urging me forward just a little. Warm light beamed from behind leaded glass windows, illuminating old books and displays of sugared cakes. But in the center of the alley, the shadows looked unnaturally dark, sucking up the light from the shop windows. There.

Quietly, I began to chant the binding spell. I kept very still, whispering under my breath, trying not to spook him.

But unfortunately for me, I could hear someone else whispering a spell—and the disturbing sound of slithering behind me made goosebumps rise on my skin. A loud hisss turned my head, and my heart stuttered.

A serpent as large as an ancient oak bough snaked up the stone stairwell, scales gleaming with iridescent light. The monstrous thing opened its mouth, showing off fangs longer than my hand.

I exhaled sharply and called up my flames at my fingertips, but the serpent darted for me, its teeth sinking into the flesh at my side.

“Rowan!” From a distance, Orion’s voice called to me.

With the excruciating pain racing through my body, flames burst out of me—a white-hot instinct I hadn’t quite thought about. The serpent didn’t quite catch fire, but the heat must have hurt it, because the creature unlocked its jaw. The air smelled of burning flesh, and the snake’s head swerved from side to side, mouth gaping. My blood dripped from its fangs.

From above, Orion landed on the serpent’s back while it reared its head. Orion’s silver claws shot out, and he plunged them into the back of the monster’s neck, starting to sever the head.

I gripped my side, doing my best to block out the pain. I didn’t think I could breathe correctly. Dizzy, I started swaying, staggering back.

Focus on the crown, Rowan. I whirled to scan the narrow road for the shadows again, but my vision seemed blurred.

I was pretty sure Alaric was gone already. Vaguely, I could feel him moving down the sea-slick stairwell. My wings burst out of my back, and I lifted into the air, above the serpent in its death throes.

With my thoughts on the crown, I soared above the stairs just in time to see Alaric waist-deep in the waves. I flew out after him, but I couldn’t quite summon my magic. It sputtered and died in my chest.

In the ocean, Alaric’s body shifted, turning sleek and dark, the blackthorn crown still resting on his head. As a seal, he dove under the dark surface.

A shock of pain rocked through my body where the serpent had bitten me, and I found myself losing control of my flight, careening down toward the water. My wings weren’t working now, either.

Salty spray misted over me, and then I crashed hard into the sea, the agony blinding. Injured as I was, I hadn’t managed to retract my wings in time before I hit the surface. The force of the fall plunged me under the waves, and pain splintered my bones.

I’d become so used to healing quickly, but that wasn’t working out for me right now. In fact, I felt distinctly mortal. I felt like I wanted to vomit. Where the fuck was up? Where was down? My wings slowly slid back into my shoulder blades.

At last, my feet struck rough stone, helping to orient me. I pushed forward toward the shore until my head popped above the waves, and then I sucked in a furious breath.

I dragged myself from the sea, rasping for air. Holy hell, that serpent’s venom had wrecked me, and the saltwater in the puncture wounds didn’t feel amazing.

I trudged through the waves, my whole body shaking.

Orion stood on the rocky shore, knee deep in the water. His sleeves had been rolled up, and the sea spray had dampened his white shirt, making it translucent and leaving it clinging to his abs. “You okay?” he called.

I managed a smile as I trudged closer to him through the crashing waves. “I’ll live, right?” I didn’t want to puke in front of my rival but avoiding that wasn’t the easiest thing right now.

As I moved nearer, he stepped forward, just in time to catch my arm as I started to fall. “I need to get the venom out of you.”

I clutched my side, staring at up him. “We’re competing.”

He slid his arm around his waist, helping me to walk. “All we can do now is wait until old Alaric comes out of the sea, and I don’t need you to be in pain that entire time. Alaric won’t be able to stay transformed forever, but we might have a long night ahead of us.”

I leaned into him, too agonized to refuse his help. Was his body shaking a little? I felt like his muscles were vibrating. “What was that creature?”

“A monster called a Ladon, with venom toxic even to demons.” Even in the darkness, I could tell that Orion’s face was drained of color. “Alaric must have called him from the sea. The venom won’t kill you, but it’ll hurt like hell and interfere with your magic.”

I gritted my teeth as I sat on the stairs. “Legion thought taking a crown from a mortal would be easy.”

“Legion has no idea what he’s talking about.” Orion knelt between my knees and lifted the soaking hem of my shirt. I grimaced at the sight of two deep puncture wounds. Dark poison flowed through my veins beneath my pale skin.

“How do you get it out?” At this point, I could hardly get the words out, and they mumbled forth as more of an incoherent moan than a question.

Without answering, he lowered his mouth to my skin just above my hip bone. He swirled his tongue once, and then he began to suck. The relief of pain was almost instantaneous, replaced by the warmth of Orion’s magic—the fucking glorious healing power of an incubus. Heat spread from my hip bone outward, making my muscles go supple and relaxed. The feeling of relief quickly slid into something pleasurable that had me threading my fingers into his hair. Molten heat slid through my body.