Page 114 of Shadows of Destiny
The hooves of the unicorns and pegasuses rang off the stone floor while the phoenixes flew low through the crowd and the light fae entered last. They looked haggard, but many of them had survived.
Though she didn’t see Elfie, she saw Sahira’s mother and Elvin. Her heart sank when she realized Maverick and Niall weren’t with the others.
In all, a couple of hundred immortals filed into the throne room. There were far more in Dragonia and throughout all the realms who were now under her rule.
But though she knew she wasn’t alone and had the realms to rule over, wrongs to set right, and so much to learn, she’d never felt more isolated. She didn’t know how she would get through this when she’d never had any experience before, still wasn’t completely sure of her abilities, and had lost Cole.
Despite that, she was determined to master her new role as Dragonia’s benevolent queen and learn all her powers. This land would help her do so, she was sure of it, and it would make her stronger. She could already feel that happening.
And when she was stronger and more in control of her abilities, she would go after the shadows and defeat them. They had control of Cole now, but it wouldn’t last.
Shewouldmake sure of that. In a battle between her and the shadows, shewouldemerge the victor.
CHAPTEREIGHTY-THREE
The shadows screamedin protest against their host’s restraint. The host ignored them as it propelled them deeper into the earth, burrowing farther away from the light that gave the shadows life and burying them in darkness.
The shadows not inside the host fell away as the complete dark smothered their life. While the shadows fought the host’s hold, they tried to exert control over the host’s mind, but he wouldn’t relinquish it. He refused to give in to their thirst for more blood, death, and destruction.
He would not do as they wanted!
They were thirsty, hungry, and ached to kill, but the host refused to allow it. He buried them so far beneath the earth that even those inside him lost some of their control, but theyrefusedto relinquish it all.
They were unable to hunt and kill for so long, but then they were awakened and given a vessel. They wouldnotlet the vessel go.
One day, they would rise from the darkness and unleash their bloodlust again. When that day came, they would bathe in the death of others.
* * *
As Cole continued deeperand deeper beneath the earth, some of the shadows lost their hold on him, but not enough so that he trusted himself to return to daylight, to the world beyond, andLexi.
He couldn’t be anywhere near her while the shadows fought to rule him. Not while they screamed and slithered and thirsted for blood like a vampire locked away for thousands of years.
The shadows were ravenous and madehimcrave more blood too. But there was no more blood to take.
They had won, their enemies were defeated, and Lexi sat on the throne. Even covered in blood, beaten, and with sorrow in her eyes, she radiated an aura of strength. She would make a magnificent queen.
He had no doubt she would do right by the realms, and while he longed to stand at her side, he couldn’t do it like this. The second he returned to the light, the shadows would seek out more death; except this time, they would unleash it on the innocent. They wouldn’t go after Lexi, but they would destroy countless others.
No matter how much his heart broke, no matter how much he longed for the life they were supposed to have together, he couldn’t return. Not while the shadows hungered for more, and not while they could so easily take control again.
His life was one of darkness now, and he would remain within the dark if it kept Lexi safe… and as long as it kept her from hating him, because she would hate him if he unleashed the shadows upon the realms.
That didn’t stop him from leaving some shadows to watch her and report any threat to him. He’d vowed never to leave her, but he couldn’t stay like this.
It wouldn’t take him long to return; he had to bury the shadows, but he wouldnevergo too far from her.
And if something threatened her, and he returned before he could figure out how to regain control of the shadows, he would unleash hell upon the realms.
CHAPTEREIGHTY-FOUR
It was wellafter midnight when Alina returned to her cave. Wary from all the brutality and the ups and downs of this day, she crept through the dark. She’d never been so exhausted, but then everyone was tired after everything they endured.
Their new queen looked ready to drop when she finally retreated with her family to clean herself and learn more about her new home. Alina knew this wasn’t a happy time for their new queen, but she’d handled herself well.
The queen’s heartbreak resonated through the bond she now shared with the dragons, but this was a time of joy and revelry for Alina and the others. They were free from oppression, free from the madman’s rule, and though the arach were far from perfect when they ruled here, they belonged in this realm and on that throne.
Once the exhaustion wore off, the dragons would celebrate. With a yawn, she crawled onto her nest and settled with her eggs. She wrapped her head around them and drew them closer.
