Page 102 of The Serpent Prince

Horde? Imani had never heard that term before. She had no idea what it was, but she aimed to find out.

“But your monarchs still live?”

“Yes, and I intend to save them before it’s too late. Which means I need to take care of threats.”

Imani’s face hardened.

He jerked his chin at Kiran. “And that man right there … is a threat.” Then he turned back to Imani. “And so are you.”

Before Imani could argue that she wasn’t anything to him, he shoved her—hard. She staggered backward, barely able to keep her feet under herself.

He pointed his wand at her, right between the eyes. “Let’s see how your untrained magic holds up against mine.”

In the next instant, Imani’s back slammed against the barrier and a ring of fire encased her body, searing her flesh. Kiran snarled as a sob exploded from her lips. Tears burned her eyes, rolling down her cheeks while she coughed.

The death angel laughed wickedly. Whatever bargain the high sentinel had between him and Kiran seemed moot. She had been brought here to die, and if she read between the lines correctly, so was Kiran. Someone had duped the Serpent Prince himself.

Or had Kiran expected this attack?

She didn’t have time to ponder the questions. Terror shot down her spine, and she pushed forward, stumbling as her shadows exploded inside the ward. Darkness fell in an instant, cloaking the vicinity in night, choking the fire and any of the furies unlucky enough to be in the radius.

Panting, she let her shadows writhe around her as the death angel brought forth another wave of fire, illuminating his body like a halo.

Imani screamed and backed herself farther into her darkness. With shut eyes, she held her wand up and let every barrier that she’d ever erected around her magic down.

It began building around her, the whispers growing louder.

A chorus of hissing forced Imani’s eyes open again. She whipped her gaze around the barrier. The corpses of the furies she’d just killed crawled and banged against the shield. The shrieks and shouts from the dead surrounded them, trying to get inside.

Did I do that?

Her darkness had been too slow, though.

Mateus snapped his wand in her direction, and pain burst behind her eyes like shattering lanterns. Imani didn’t have time to recover before someone’s boot kicked her ribs—hard.

Her cheek throbbed, her side screamed in protest, but she managed to get up, even if she was slightly hunched over.

Imani threw magic at him, whatever burst from her as her shadows gathered into darkness.

He barely noticed, grinning as he blocked it, before pushing his hands out, forcing her to the ground again.

He continued to beat Imani until she was coughing up fluids. Gasping, she blinked past the throbbing in her face while blood poured from her nose and mouth, covering the dirt. Her shoulder sent a burning pain radiating through her body. She let out a silent whimper, incapable of gasping a full breath. She gulped greedily for air, unable to get enough into her lungs past the pain ripping through her.

Where is Kiran? Frantic, she hated to admit it, but she needed his help.

“Well, you are the right girl.” Mateus’s deep voice pulled Imani from her panic.

He reached down, gripping her hair until her eyes watered. “Your magic is strong, but I’ve been hunting your kind for a long time. There’s so few left now. Everything’s coming together. The time is right, and our king waits for me, ready to attack. I will see our monarchs back in power as they belong, without any potential heir apparent to oppose them,” he snarled, snapping Imani’s head forward. Her forehead cracked into a tree, pain exploding through her skull, the impact drawing tears into her eyes.

Her hand went to the source of her injury, coming back red. Blood dripped from the trunk’s rough wood.

The death angel’s boot struck again, forcing a cry from her lips, flattening her out on the ground again.

Rolling over, Imani placed her hands down into the ground, digging her fingers in the dirt. She had a power around her from the dead and could feel it calling to her. Monstrous as it was … it was still part of nature, especially here in this realm. It felt stronger, more potent.

“Help me,” she whispered to her shadows. “Please.”

For a second, she stood and held her breath.