Page 42 of A Kingdom of Wild and Power
Ylva parted her lips to speak and Arden’s gaze hardened. His free hand snapped up, covering her mouth. Ylva cried out, the sound smothered, and she staggered back instinctively, ready to strike, but he held her still, shushing her urgently.
She shoved him away with a sharp grunt. ‘What is wrong with you?’
But Arden had already turned, his expression twisting into something taut and fearful. Ylva followed his gaze, spinning to see what had startled him.
The forest lay silent. Elric and Nymeria were still moving ahead through the trees, the giant wolf pacing beside them. Yet her winged horse shifted suddenly, uneasy, nostrils flaring.
Then something struck the ground.
The force of it hurled Ylva backwards, ripping the breath from her lungs. She slammed hard into Arden’s chest, his arms closing around her at once, shielding her as they both stumbled.
They looked up together.
A woman stood before them, her long brown hair wild, purple eyes narrowed to slits. But it was her expression that froze Ylva’s blood.
She was smiling.
Not with warmth.
Not with mercy.
With glee.
‘I thought I smelt a dog nearby,’ the woman said, her voice laced with amusement.
Ylva had never seen this witch before, yet instinct took over before thought could follow. She tore her sword from her hip, blade flashing as she prepared to strike. The witch merely cocked her head, regarding them with languid boredom, as though Ylva were little more than an inconvenience.
‘I really don’t have time for this,’ the witch sighed.
Elric and Nymeria were already turning back, weapons drawn, their movements swift and precise. Ylva knew, without doubt, that this witch should have stood no chance against three Black Lotus and a valkyrian. And yet, something was wrong. The witch did not look afraid. She looked… entertained.
She cast Ylva a wicked smirk before pivoting, her attention settling fully on the approaching Fae.
‘I don’t believe I have any use for you,’ the witch said lightly.
Ylva surged forward to attack and froze.
Elric and Nymeria dropped to their knees as though struck by an unseen force. Blood poured from their mouths, dark and sudden, and thin crimson lines leaked from their eyes. Horrorseized Ylva’s chest. She opened her mouth to scream, to plead, to demand answers…
But no sound came.
‘I so adore the blood magic witches wield,’ the woman said lightly, glancing back over her shoulder to wink at Ylva. ‘But perhaps we might play with something grander…my god powers, shall we?’ She turned once more, lifting her hands. Darkness spilt from her fingertips, thick and unnatural, a living shadow that bled into the sky itself. Clouds surged together, swallowing the light as thunder rolled like a warning from the heavens. Ylva stood frozen, her gaze dragged upwards as the world dimmed beneath that spreading veil.
Elric and Nymeria both stood and faced each other. Their eyes clouded over, a white mist blocking their irises. Elric lunged at Nymeria, and she responded with her own knives, slashing at every chance she got. Ylva watched in horror as both Fae fought each other. She could tell they didn’t want to, that Elric was fighting against whatever power the witch was using against them. His arms trembled with the desire to stop, but it was futile.
Nymeria bent down and slashed at his legs, forcing him to drop to his knees.
‘Please, make it stop,’ Elric said. ‘I don’t want to hurt you, Nymeria.’
Tears fell from Nymeria’s eyes, mixing with the dry blood on her cheeks. But she continued to attack, her knives piercing through flesh, her will taken from her. She fought against it, against whatever strings of power gripped her like a possessed doll.
Her entire body shook and trembled as she hovered over Elric, her knife glinting from the light reflected on it. Elric looked up at his friend, his eyes still clouded over with the needto fight and to kill. But Nymeria did not give him time to get up, for she moved one last time, the knife lifted in one final arc across Elric’s throat. The blood sprayed outwards, painting the snow red.
Ylva screamed internally at the sight of Elric dropping to one side, his eyes empty. Dead.
Nymeria turned to face them, and without warning, with tears still falling, she lifted her hand one last time and cut through her own throat.
The witch cackled and lifted her hands, the darkness spreading. It reached for Elric and Nymeria, coiling around their bodies with merciless intent. It tightened. Bones cracked with sickening finality. Flesh split as though it were no more than cloth.
