Savage Beauty(59)

“You look like you’re about to be crowned,” I teased.

He tugged at his lapels. “I suppose I do.” We both laughed at that.

“You have the potion?” he asked, his eyes searching me for it.

I decided not to show him where it was. For some reason, I knew I needed to keep it hidden. “I do.”

Ember appeared behind him, squalling and arching her back. He stared at my familiar, unaffected. “Why don’t you like me, kitty?”

“She hates everyone. She and I are very much alike.”

“Ah, but you don’t hate everyone. You like Phillip.” He glanced at Ember. “And so does your familiar.”

“I hope we aren’t too late.”

He gave me a long stare. “You don’t love him,” he said.

“I’m not in love with him yet, no. But I do care about him.”

“You fear love. That’s interesting. Most women are in love with the very thought of it.”

“I’m not like most women,” I teased, tucking a blade into my boot.

He inclined his head, agreeing. “We can stay hidden in the woods until the eclipse begins.”

I grabbed my broom and turned to Ember. “Stay here. You’ll be safe.”

We walked down the steps side by side, the fae Prince and half-fae Princess, and I wondered again why he saw fit to help me and what favor he would ask. I looked up at the full moon, noting the colors and scars she wore proudly, and hoped she would be with me tonight. I would gladly accept any scars she gave me if she would see me through this.

Malex patted his jacket pockets and then jogged back up the steps. “I dropped something,” he muttered apologetically.

As I waited for him, my mind whirled with the heaviness of what I was about to do. I hoped I could do this. I wanted to save Phillip, which meant I needed to end the bond with my sister so I could destroy her. I wanted to save him from her toxin, the way I couldn’t save his brother. Even knowing William didn’t really love me didn’t take away my guilt. At the end of the day, William was human and he shouldn’t have tried to play games with the fae, but he didn’t deserve to die for it. And I should have been able to see through it all and protect him, regardless.

Ember squalled from inside, probably hating that she was in the cottage by herself with Malex.

Refocusing and trying to center myself, I raised my face to the moonlight.

I was more powerful than Aura.

It just took Phillip to show me that.



MALEX

I didn’t forget anything; I just needed to tie up a loose end. A witch was stronger with her familiar, and I had no doubt Ember would follow us to Virosa to help her master, despite Luna’s order for her to stay in the cottage.

Grabbing the cat by the scruff at the back of her neck, she clawed at me, but my coat’s sleeves were made of thick fabric. I forced the vial between her teeth and let the bitter liquid sting her tongue. She’d be dead in less than an hour, given her weight. She clawed at me again and I flung her across the room.

Ember landed on her feet, but her claws stuck into the floor boards. I saw the exact moment she decided to attack me, but then her eyes became heavy, and she tottered to the side and fell to the floor. Giving a dismissive sniff, I straightened my lapels and headed to the door.

Outside, Luna waited.

So trusting.

“Are you ready?” she asked expectantly.

“It isn’t me you should be worried about. The question is, are you ready, Luna?”

Her eyes snapped to mine. “Yes.”



LUNA

Malex sat behind me on the broom. His hands were larger than Phillip’s, his fingers longer. His grip encompassed my waist entirely, but his touch wasn’t that of a frightened man. Malex’s every move spoke of his sense of ownership for those who owed him debts.

I was no more or less than one of his subjects. I wondered if the only reason he was coming along was to collect his debt in case I died before it could be repaid.

We flew to the woods just beyond the palace yard in silence, and sat quietly as the sky lightened and the sun came closer to rising. When it did, I fell asleep next to him, but Malex woke me when the eclipse started, nudging my shoulder and calling my name.

Through the fog of sleep, I came to. It was bright. The sun was still strong and I was weak, too weak to fight. I felt too weak to stand.

“The eclipse has begun,” Malex said ominously.

Nothing looked different, but how else could I be awake during daylight hours? “How long will it last?” I asked.

Slowly, I felt her. The moon, lending me strength.

“Six hours, at the most. You’ll be strongest during totality, when the moon completely blocks out the sun. The earth will become dark as night, and in those few moments, you will thrive.”

I nodded in understanding. “In order to sever the bond, I need to release the potion before the moment of totality.”

He nodded. “And kill her during it.”

I blew out a tense breath. I’d been working toward this for what felt like an eternity. What if I failed? I didn’t want to consider what it would mean for Phillip if Aura killed me instead.

“I’ll know if you’re in distress,” he said, brushing his thumb over the mark on my neck.

A shiver crawled up my spine. Stepping away from his touch, I shook my hands out. I’d been waiting for this since the moment she tore William apart. “In case something happens, will you take care of Ember?” I asked quietly.