Page 78 of The Dark Prince
The witch laughed and mockingly stroked Tyr’s snout like he was her favorite pet. Rage burned in my veins. “You bitch! The king is dead! You said the curse would continue until the ruin of his kingdom or his death! So end it!”
The witch raised one long, scarlet-painted nail at me. “Did you see him die? I certainly didn’t. Where is his body?” she trilled. “Magick for magick. Balance must be had. Magick is greater than all of us. The sorrowful queen did not have enough intent when she bid me cast my spell.” She held her arms out wide. “Can I be blamed if magick warps and twists? It seeks a purpose when no aim exists other than suffering.” Her lips curled in a smile. “I gave it a new life. The suffering the curse has wrought is no longer equal to the life of one king. Magick demands balance.”
I took in her coiffed hair, tucked neatly behind her hood. A small curl of blonde had escaped, and it sent my mind whirling. I focused next on the bridge of her nose, the shape of her cheeks, and the slant of her lips. I shot a look at Aella.
“You’re the queen’s sister,” I breathed out, my voice almost a whisper.
The witch dug her hand harshly into Tyr’s head, twisting the fur as Tyr whined and cried. “My sister was weak. We aren’t here to talk about her. We’re here to pay the debt the magick demands. The king’s pathetic life barely made a dent, assuming he’s dead.”
Aella brandished the dagger in her hand, stepping forward and in front of me. “What about my life? I love my people. I love Tyr. I would give them anything they needed. Please, just stop this.”
The witch pouted, her lower lip sticking out in a grotesque parody of a caring mother. She left Tyr’s side and circled around Aella like a predator stalking its prey. She pulled Aella into her arms and stroked her hair in a mockery of familial love.
“Would you give your life, little niece?” the witch cooed into her ears.
Aella shoved her away, and the witch stumbled, off balance. “You’re a cow. My mother was the best of queens, and you’re just a sad, lonely hag. You took advantage of her pain.”
Without hesitating, Aella took her dagger and plunged it blindly toward the witch. I winced at her awful technique. The witch laughed and batted the knife away. She scoured Aella across the face with her long, claw-like nails.
“No!” I shouted, but it was too late. Aella fell to her knees, clutching her face. Smoke wafted through her fingers, and I gagged at the smell of burning flesh. Aella slumped to the ground, writhing in agony.
Poison. The witch’s nails hadpoisonin them.
The witch laughed, but the beasts were growling. She ignored them, digging her hands into the earth and chanting manically with her eyes closed. With a smug grin she finished, smirking at us all. The ground rumbled, then something burst through the undergrowth, loud and uncaring as it snapped twigs and leaves and—
I screamed in warning as a massive reddish-brown beast burst from the woods and slammed into the witch, knocking her to the ground. It lunged for her throat, then paused and went still as it caught the scent of Aella’s fresh blood.
“Here, puppy puppy,” Aella chanted harshly, swaying a bit as blood poured down her face and soaked into her dress. “Death is too good for you. Did you think you could use it to escape the curse? A decent try, but I’m more powerful than that. I want you as my eternal pet.”
The beast’s hide looked littered in wounds and bites, but a tatter of red and gold brocade still caught on its flank. The crest of the king winked up at all of us.
“Oh my god, oh my god …”
Aella backed away in horror, her delicate features twisting as she realized what had happened at the same moment I did.
The witch had brought back the king as a massive beast. She climbed to her feet as the beast advanced on Aella, who’d fallen to her knees in weakness. “Oh! What fun!” the witch trilled, clapping her hands as though we were at a tourney. “How fulfilling it will be to see the father eat the daughter. What a nice little family reunion we’ll have.”
I stared in horror at the changed form of the king. Aella and I weren’t friends, but no one deserved to be eaten by their own father. Without thinking, I threw myself forward and stabbed down as hard as I could. The king roared in pain and I knew immediately I’d missed his heart.
Sorry, Tyr, I thought.
Claws swiped at me, knocking the knife away.
Eaten by a king. How tragic.
The witch laughed and with another twirl of her fingers, she disappeared with Aella and the king.
Thirty Five
ISADORA
Iscreamed as the witch disappeared, taking her hoard of beasts with her. Where had they gone? What was her plan?
Sobbing, I made my way to Tyr’s side. “Tyr!” I threw my body over his much larger one. His beast made a pleased rumbling sound, then went still.
“She can’t do this!” I screamed to no one. “This isn’t balance! This is evil!”
Maddeus burst through the brush with Arne and the rest of Tyr’s men, followed by Rolf and the villagers who hadn’t yet turned.
