Page 108 of The Witch Queen

Everything halts.

The statues, who have chased us inside from the courtyard instantly smash to the ground. The fury of the storm ceases. The resulting quiet is nearly as deafening as the battle had been, broken only with the sound of weeping or whimpers. Until—

“Meira!”

A person who I assume to be a Follower fights his way through the wreckage and falls to his knees in front of the creature, his hands raised in reverence.

“Goddess! You have returned. You’ve come back for us and now we can—”

The creature tears into the man’s chest with its bare hand and rips out his heart.

It happens so quickly that the Follower utters only the briefest of cries, his bewildered attention fixed to the ragged hole in his own chest, before swaying on his feet and sinking in a limp heap to the ground. The creature surveys its kill with bored indifference, the Follower’s blood dripping from between its fingers. And then…it lifts the heart and takes abite.

Every part of me recoils, watching as trails of blood run down the creature’s chin and neck. A few people around me retch. The creaturepays them no mind. It devours a few more bites, flesh sticking to its teeth, then flings away the remains of the Follower’s heart like the pit of a fruit.

“I have no interest in your ilk,” the creature says. Its lips are slick with gore. “I seek the princess.”

Blodwyn?Jacquetta and I share a panicked look.

On instinct, I push the princess behind me. But even that was a mistake. The creature’s head whips in our direction. She points a finger, the end tapered like a claw.

“Ah. There she is.”

“Stay away from her,” I warn, calling my shadows.

The creature’s attention pivots to me, those feral, yellow eyes glittering.

“Usurper,” it seethes.

Terror lances down my spine. “Who are you?”

The creature laughs, a hideous crunching sound. “You will all know my name soon enough. The so-called White Kings have stolen from me. And it isyouwho will pay the price.”

With that, it lunges for Blodwyn.

“Stop!” I cry, throwing my shadows out.

But they barely graze the creature’s body before falling away. The hideous thing advances, its outstretched arm reaching for Blodwyn, who trips over the debris as she attempts to escape.

Something whistles past my face.

The creature hisses as an arrow embeds in its torso. I whirl around to see who fired it. Warbeck’s son, Gavin, stands a short distance away, another arrow already nocked.

“Don’t touch her!” he shouts, letting the shot fly.

The creature bellows as the arrow pierces its shoulder. But then it sends a rush of air in Gavin’s direction, knocking the boy aside like a ragdoll.

“People of Riven,” the creature addresses the hall, dagger-like teeth bared. “Hear me: Iwillreturn. When I do, you may either follow me orthis entire palace—this entirerealm—will feel my wrath. For the reign of White is at an end. And I am thetrue queen.”

There’s another bone-rattling crack, and then the creature vanishes into the chasm, which seals up behind it, leaving nothing but its haunting words:

I am the true queen.

Part IV

Today marked my first official appearance as King Alfred’s heir. The next ruler of Riven.

As a whole, the court seemed to accept me. A good sign, I’m told.