Chapter 42 #2
My heart flutters, and I stop before the bars, staring out at the empty cells around me.
I’m just about to hop through the bars when pain, even more intense than what I’ve felt before, explodes inside me.
It feels like my entire body is being torn apart, piece by piece, and every nerve has been set on fire.
The scream that comes from me isn’t human.
It’s a screeching, high pitched noise that fills the air.
My gaze snaps to where the cloaked figure is, but he looks as shocked as I am.
“No!” he bellows, rushing forward as he fumbles with the cell lock.
My eyes flutter closed, and there’s a flash of light behind my eyelids as the majority of my memories are stripped from my mind.
It feels like the world falls away under my feet, and when I open my eyes again, the world is bright, and I’m standing on a warm, stone pavement.
A car honks as it drives by, and it’s so huge, it’s like a mountain of rumbling steel.
Why is it so big? Have they always been that massive?
“Stupid bird. Get out of the damn way,” an unkind voice says, and a shiny, black boot comes toward me, slamming into my body.
I’m thrown against a shop window, and pain goes through me as I thud against the glass, sliding back down to the pavement. When I manage to stand again, I stare at my reflection in the window.
A crow peers back at me, its beady eyes intensely analysing me. I move my head, and the crow moves its head, too.
Wait, I’m a crow? Something about the statement doesn’t feel right, but I’m not sure why. I turn my head, inspecting my body. One of my wings is tender, and I tuck my wings in, sitting against the window.
It’s a short while later, when gentle hands are picking me up from the pavement. I squawk, trying to flap my wings and flee, but the figure holds me tighter.
“You poor thing,” a feminine voice croons, and I peer up at a girl with ginger hair and a splattering of freckles on her cheeks. “Don’t worry, little one. I’m Jessie, and I’m going to take care of you.”
The memory abruptly ends, but I’ve seen what I needed. As understanding settles inside me, I feel the curse on me break, the last remnants of the queen’s magic finally leaving me, like a weight has been removed. I might not have understood what had happened back then, but I do now.
In a strange twist of fate, the queen’s curse had saved me.
I’d been captured and taken to the cells beneath Shadowbone Academy, but her curse had sent me back to the human realm.
Unfortunately, it also stripped my memories and trapped me in the crow form I was in when it happened, but…
I never became the spy the cloaked figure wanted me to be.
The relief is crushing, but I don’t have time to focus on it now. It feels like a long time has passed since that memory flashed in my mind, but I’m guessing it’s only been seconds. My eyes shoot open as power floods through me, no longer contained by the magic of the curse.
I never became the spy, and I never broke, I tell myself over and over, feeling oddly proud. Never. And I’m not about to now, either.
Ian’s shadow is still around my throat, but a calm washes over me. Powerful shadows leak from my body, dozens of them flowing from me and climbing over him. They wrap around his blade, curling around his limbs, and he loosens his grip on me, cursing in surprise.
Well, holy hot cakes, I muse to myself. I’m a badass.
I remove his shadow from my neck, and Ian realizes too late that my shadows have pushed him away from the wall. When I release him, his eyes fly wide, and he scrambles for purchase again, but it’s too late. He can’t reach the rocky holds, and he plummets, shouting as he falls to the pit below.
I don’t look down. Not even when I hear the thud as he’s impaled. Oh crap! I killed him!
Above me, his puma animali roars in anger and anguish.
Its red eyes fixate on me, and my shadows curl around me protectively.
My skin ripples as I consider shifting into a beast that can rival the animali.
I might not have used my power much in the past, but instinctively, it’s like I know what I need to do before I’ve even done it.
As if now that my mind remembers shifting, my body is able to change at will.
Huh. I guess it was never just my vagina that was magical, I muse, remembering how I’d been able to sleep with Raith’s monster.
Ian’s puma roars again, and my smile falls.
I don’t want to hurt the animali, but I also don’t want to be torn to pieces.
Maybe I can change into some sort of bear?
If it realizes it can’t defeat me, maybe it will give up and leave me alone?
I hold onto that thought, even though going by the animali’s stare, it’s clear it’s not going to leave until one of us is dead.
The puma takes a step toward me, its mouth open and fangs dripping as it salivates.
It’s pretty damn terrifying to look at, and I’m about to change my form when a massive, fiery ball of shadows swoops down from seemingly nowhere.
A giant bird latches onto the puma, black fire flickering on its silky wings, and glowing sparks and embers trailing everywhere it moves.
Its sharp talons rake across the puma’s chest, not digging too deep, but enough to draw blood. The large cat cries out, moving back and hissing at the huge bird, baring its fangs.
The puma turns from the creature, like it’s about to start climbing down toward me again, but the bird screeches, attacking the puma until the cat finally cowers on the top of the wall.
It lowers its body, folding its ears back as a sign of submission.
Shadows appear around the puma, and with a last, lingering look of hatred at me, the puma disappears into the darkness.
I gape at the giant bird perched on the top of the wall.
Its long onyx feathers burn with black fire, shadows curling around its body, and its strong, muscular form is similar to that of an eagle.
There’s a regal way it holds itself as it stands there, and black fire seems to flicker in its brilliant red eyes.
It looks even bigger than Bonfang, and that’s saying something because Knox’s wolf is massive.
Is that a…phoenix? My jaw drops as I think of the fiery mythical bird I’ve read about in multiple books. This creature doesn’t quite look the same as the descriptions, but there’s no denying the resemblance.
The massive bird stares down at me, and I’m transfixed, because somehow, I know this creature is ancient and powerful.
The amphitheater is silent as the creature and I stare at one another. “Mine,” I say in my mind tentatively, somehow knowing deep inside me that this creature is destined to be my bonded.
“Mine,” a familiar velvety voice agrees in my mind, and I realize it’s the same voice I’d heard during the sky attack.
As I hear the word, more power flows into me. A chilling sensation rushes to my toes and fingertips, and I sense as the bond between us snaps into place. Instantly, my senses heighten, my eyesight becoming sharper, and my body feeling more rejuvenated.
I focus my power and my skin ripples, feathers sprouting over my body as my form changes, shrinking until I’m a crow.
Then I fly to the top of the wall, perching beside my creature, because there was no way I was climbing up there if I didn’t have to.
The queen’s rules specified that no animali could fly while overcoming the obstacles.
The rules never said anything about humans flying.
Gosh. I missed my wings! I don’t ever want to be stuck in my crow form again, but being able to change at will?
Now that, I could get used to. I stretch out my wings, and I ruffle my feathers before tucking my wings in again, then I turn to my creature.
“Took you long enough,” I tease in my head. I’m guessing bonding with a creature is permanent, so if we’re going to coexist, it’s better that the creature understands my sense of humor straight away. I’m relieved when an amused tinkling noise sounds in my head, and I take that as a good sign.
The creature folds her wings behind her. “I was waiting, my bonded.”
“Waiting? For what? For me to almost die again? I left you all the snacks I could.”
That tinkling sounds in my head again.
“I do not care for snacks such as what you provided,” she answers.
I press my lips together. “Great. Well, now I know we’re not compatible. Who doesn’t like chocolate?”
That’s followed by even more laughter.
“I was waiting until I could be sure,” my creature explains, going back to what she’d said earlier.
“Okay. Sure about what?”
“Sure, that you’re the one I’ve been waiting for,” my creature answers. “The one we’ve all been waiting for.”
My heart skips a beat as I remember what the nasken creature had told me not too long ago.
She’s been waiting for you. My chest pangs.
“I can’t be who you think I am. I’m fated to Knox and the others.
I’m the one who’s going to make us lose the war.
” I might have escaped the cloaked figure, but it doesn’t change the warning in the prophecy.
“Fate is a funny thing,” my creature answers. “It can lead you to a crossroads and nudge you in a certain direction, but you are the one who must choose what path to take.”
My lips curve into a smile. “Great. I’m bonded to a wise ass.”
More of the creature’s laughter sounds in my head, and I decide I love the sound. Somehow, hearing it makes me feel like everything is going to be all right. That is, until I remember my mates are restrained, and the queen now undoubtedly knows about us.
I change forms, deciding that it’ll be better to face the shadow queen as a human.
I stand in a black outfit with silky black feathers arranged around my shoulders.
My long pink hair flows to my waist, just like I remember from my dreams, the thick locks teased by the wind as my shadows twist around me, no longer looking like small baby snakes, but fully grown, adult shadows. Yep, I’m definitely a badass.
Around the arena, the warriors erupt into applause like they’ve just witnessed some incredible miracle, and I finally turn to the ceremonial box again.
My mates are still captured by the queen, but they’re no longer struggling. No, they stare at me in complete awe and with pride shining in their eyes.
I grin stupidly at them, but when I turn my gaze to the shadow queen, my smile falls.
Queen Krosia’s face is red with fury, and she lifts her arm, pointing directly at me. “Seize her!”