Page 42 of The Blade in the Ashes
“There is a small temple in your honor within our country.” Kamon cleared his throat awkwardly. “Of course, we have plans to expand it.”
Hyrax pursed his lips, seeming to consider, but after a moment his brows lowered. And as they did, so did the temperature of the room around us. Goosebumps peppered my flesh, and Ifeltas the shadows began rising in the corners of the room.
“And?” he purred.
On silent steps, Caldrius moved to stand behind my chair.
Emperor Kamon blanched for a moment, skin paling as he glanced towards his wife, uncertain how to respond. The Empress only smiled up at the God.
“We will construct more, of course. A dozen more.”
“Of course,” Hyrax parroted, but his tone conveyed he was still unsatisfied by their offer. Those shadows started sliding across the floor, like serpents creeping towards the dais.
I stared at them, unblinking—entirely unable to look away.
My chest seized again, and I implored myself to breathe, but this time the air wouldn’t come. The muscles refused to relax. I couldn’t possibly stay calm when those shadows were all around me, sliding forward with ominous precision. Coming closer and closer.
Hyrax lifted his hand next to me, and a shadow wound itself up his forearm, lingering between his fingertips just inches away from where I sat.
And so help me, I fucking flinched.
I didn’t want to.
But I could feel them touching me. I could feel those pinpricks against my skin so vividly that it was as if no time had passed since Camilla, using Hyrax’s stolen power, had sent those very shadows as weapons against me.
Caldrius pulled my hair back off my shoulder, letting his icy fingers trace along my collarbone. It might have been to comfort me, to remind me he was right here, with me, but it did little to bring that air back into my lungs.
The Monarchs looked to each other now, neither knowing what the God was searching for.
“And,” Rani continued. “We will commission your portrait to be hung in every temple. It will be hung throughout our palace as well.”
Even though I was still wearing the thick woolen cloak from my earlier walk outside the castle, the cold was an oppressive weight on me.
There was no emotion on Hyrax’s face.
Not a single one.
And while my stomach turned, while my heart pounded, and my intuition began screaming at me, he didn’t even blink when those shadows latched onto Damon and ripped the screaming prince into the air.
I rushed to stand, moving before thinking, but Caldrius’ hands locked around my shoulders, pushing me down and holding me in that seat while Hyrax’s power wrapped itself around Damon. The prince’s eyes widened as his cries filled the room and his fingers tore helplessly at the dark tendrils circling his throat. Rani stiffened, a small whimper escaping her, but otherwise both she and Kamon remained on their knees.
They sat there while their son screamed in agony.
Iknewthat pain. I’d felt those shadows rip me apart.
Fuck, I could almost feel them all over me again now.
“Stop it,” I begged, the sound little more than a whisper.
Caldrius’ hands tightened even further against my shoulders, thumbs kneading against my muscles as he held me firmly back in my seat.
Damon’s cries ceased, replaced by a small choking sound as the shadows around his neck continued tightening.
I had to stop this.
I didn’t care if it made Hyrax deem me a traitor. I didn’t care if Caldrius was right and Hyrax was capable of hurting me. I didn’t care if saving Damon meant sacrificing myself. I just had to stop it.
“Let him go!” I leveled my glare on Hyrax, my voice echoing with the demand.
