Page 25 of The Crown of the Dark Prince
I gritted my teeth and clenched my hand into a fist—
And squeezed.
And waited.
And prayed.
And, thank the Gods, the Hydraxan convulsed.
It landed on top of me, but I twisted away from its clamping jaws, my body shaking from the sheer effort of holding its heart in my grasp.
The creature shuddered, a soft growl escaping before its final head fell limply onto the ground.
Silence.
Then the world came back into focus. I could see the colors in the sky, hear the cheers of the crowd, taste the salt of my own tears.
It was over.
I had done it.
I had passed the final trial.
I was going to ascend to the Council.
Groaning, I pushed the beast off me and struggled to my knees, desperate to catch my breath despite the fact that each inhale felt like razor blades. I pushed onto one knee, struggling to stand. Struggling to focus. Struggling to...
Agony.
A sharp, burning pain tore through my wrist.
I gasped, my vision tilting and the world moved beneath me as my body went crashing back to the ground.
There was a gaping hole in my arm, the distinct impression of teeth marks carved into my flesh and the festering smell of the Hydraxan’s venom suddenly surrounded me.
I screamed.
It spread like fire through my veins, a searing, unbearable torment that sent my body convulsing. My breath caught, ragged, and uneven. My muscles locked, spasming.
Screams tore out of me without reason or thought. Pain was too simplistic a word for what was exploding through me. It was complete and total obliteration.
Every nerve ignited. I was burning from the inside out. My own veins betrayed me, carrying the venom to my lungs – to my heart. I convulsed, torn apart from the inside and distantly I felt myself thrashing wildly, but I couldn't control it, couldn't control anything.
I tried to breathe, but I couldn’t. I was choking - dying.
I knew what it felt like when a soul left its body to travel to the Underworld and I could feel mine slipping. My body was turning hollow. My vision was blackening at the edges. I could feel that oily pull to the Underworld.
The Dragon’s voice shattered the haze. Cold. Cruel. Absolute.
“No one will help her. This trial is not over!”
No.
I did not go through all of this to die in front of an audience.
Not now. Not like this.
I had one chance.
