Chapter 29
CHAPTER
TWENTY-NINE
The double doors at the back burst open, and soldiers stream in as Gregory roars.
Guns are raised, ready to cut us down, but Frost transforms and dives at them.
Eversor simply lifts his hands and their weapons disappear.
The soldiers running towards us stop abruptly, Luan controlling them, and then they turn on each other, attacking one another.
Corbin kisses my cheek before ripping his vest off, his muscles bulging and tearing as his skin splits, then a familiar bear rears and roars.
The soldiers running for us stop. Some turn, while others raise their guns and shoot him, but he drops to his front paws.
The room shakes from his weight, and then he barrels towards them, ripping into them as they scream.
My people have guns now and are firing back, taking down the men responsible for their capture. Frost is at the back, swooping soldiers into the air and dropping them into Eversor’s pincers. Eversor spins, and a cloud of black magic tears through so many, I lose count.
It’s a battle for freedom, but I have to trust them to handle it while I take on the leader.
It was our deal and the reason I needed them.
As I stride down the aisle between the chairs meant for the coronation, a slew of soldiers step into my path.
They raise their guns, and Bellami kisses my hand once more before stepping in front of me.
His power hits me, and the soldiers fall to their knees, reaching for him as they beg.
I step around the growing crowd fighting each other to get to him.
One grips his chest and suddenly stops moving, dying from the overload of Bellami’s powers.
Placing one foot in front of the other, I step over bodies as a woman roars and flies past me, chasing a soldier. The screams of soldiers who turned on us and took our court surround me as they look for an escape, but there are none.
I walk through the battle for our freedom, my dress drenched in their blood as I head towards the false king, who looks around in shock.
He is dressed in all white, as is tradition, one he stole from our people, yet he could never be what he wants.
Anyone who leads with terror and agony would never last. People need love and respect to flourish.
They need a nurturing environment to feel safe, and I will provide that by ridding the world of him.
I trust my people and men to handle the soldiers as I approach the podium my mother’s throne sits upon. It’s a gilded, ornate piece that glitters in the light with two golden wings behind it, which are meant to symbolize our freedom from oppressive males.
As I step onto the dais, he stumbles back, hitting the throne and sinking to his ass on the cushion. I watch him with a dark expression before he sits up. “I knew you couldn’t stand leaving me.” He looks around. “You didn’t need to do all this to come back.”
“Oh, but I did. It’s all for you. Don’t you like it?” I smirk as I tread closer. “You’re in my seat.”
His eyes narrow. “I am king here. You are mine!” He reaches out to grab me like before, but I wrap my hand around his wrist and knock it away.
“I made that mistake once. I won’t do it again,” I sneer as I lean closer, my hands on the arms of the throne.
“You’ll pay for your betrayal and crimes.
I am queen, and I deem you guilty. You will die tonight, and it will be by the hand of the one you tried to break.
You failed, and you will never be anything other than a weak, foolish man who couldn’t exist without us.
” Slipping my hand into my dress, I produce an ornate dagger as I keep him distracted.
Even now, his eyes drop to my lips. “You are going to wish you killed me,” I whisper seductively, my powers flowing over him, holding him captive.
He reaches for me, practically impaling himself on the dagger.
Grinning, I watch his eyes widen as it sinks into his chest.
His lashes flutter, his lips parting in an astonished gasp as he glances down. “Foolish male,” I taunt. “The very thing you crave is your downfall.”
As I bury the blade in his chest, he leans into it to speak in my ear. “Kill me, Elara, but it will not change the fact that I made you mine. Your people will doubt you, and you will never be free of me, even when I die.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. You’ll never be free of me.
Even in death, you will suffer and burn, knowing I sent you there.
You tried your best to break me, break us, but you couldn’t.
You were too damn weak, just like now.” Gripping his head, I force him up from the throne to watch his people being slaughtered.
“You’ll die like the cowards you are, begging me for mercy. ”
Yanking the dagger free, I step back as he covers the bloody wound on his chest, and the chaos around us stills. All the remaining soldiers look to their leader as I circle him. He stumbles forward, so I kick his legs, knocking him to his knees while I stand behind him and look out at my people.
Luan, I want flames, I whisper in my mind.
Within seconds, Eversor appears at my side, a candle in his hand, and I accept it gratefully as Corbin appears at my other side and hands me a bottle of liquor from the buffet table before they take their places behind me.
Stepping forward, I pour the bottle over the false king.
He sputters and chokes, still clutching his chest.
“Kill them all!” he yells, his voice weakening, but his remaining soldiers look around before dropping their weapons, knowing they are outnumbered.
My lips tilt in a cruel smile as I bring the candle to his white suit and then leave it on the floor as flames engulf the soaked material, crawling over him as he screams in panic.
Lifting my skirts, I sink onto the throne where I belong as he bellows in pain, writhing on his knees as he burns. It will still be too quick of a death, but I want to end it tonight.
His screams are the only sounds now as he falls forward, his mouth open as his eyes burst and burn. His skin crisps until he falls silent and stops moving, but I continue to let him burn until all that remains are the cinders of his body.
My people wait, and when I sweep my eyes across them, they drop to their knees in a sign of respect. Few soldiers remain, all wide-eyed and scared, and I have an idea.
I spin my finger across the room before stopping on a young soldier. “Him. Everyone but him dies.”
“Allow me, rethia,” Eversor whispers, and then he turns to mist, moving so quickly he is hard to track, slaughtering the soldiers where they stand before they even know what’s happening.
When it’s done, he appears behind me again, and I grin as I lean back in my throne, tapping my fingers on the armrest idly as I watch the boy look around, pale-faced and terrified.
“Bring him to me.”
The sobbing man is thrust to his knees before me, falling into the ashes of his commander. I chose him because he never touched me. Leaning forward, I tilt his chin up with the tip of my finger.
“Flee before we catch you. Spread the word of what happened here and warn the world of what awaits them if they ever cross my court again,” I whisper seductively before sitting back.
“Let him leave, but chase him. If he reaches the forest just as I did, then let him go.” Cheers of pleasure fill the air, and I look at the boy once more. “Go. Now.”
Thrusting to his feet, he looks around before running, my people mocking him, and when he’s out of the very doors I took, they begin to chase him. I watch them go, smiling the entire time.
It is done.
Our court is reclaimed.
My eyes find my men. I still have a lot to deal with, though, because this is far from over.