Chapter 41
I stared at Warwick, my heart thudding loudly in my chest. One hand was pressed to my amber necklace. I hoped it looked like I was clutching at my chest in fear.
And, inexplicably, I heard Varius’s voice inside my head. Just like with Azure. He must have kept the amber stone from earlier.
“Sybelle, where are you?” Varius asked.
I couldn’t outright say, I’m in the Noxen Forest , or Warwick would get suspicious. I also didn’t know if Varius could hear my thoughts, or if he could only hear what I spoke vocally, like Azure.
So, I said loudly, “What are you even doing out here in these woods? Aren’t there supposed to be enchantments to keep fae out?”
My other hand was still holding the gleaming rose jewel. I knew if I dropped it, the horrible ringing sound would return. It would incapacitate Warwick… but it would affect me, as well.
I had to time this right.
“Yes, there are. But it looks like you have conveniently suppressed them. For now.” Warwick inched closer, and I drew a step back.
If he attacked, I wouldn’t be ready for him. I had to let go of the amber necklace and pray Varius had heard my response .
I didn’t know where Azure had vanished to. But it was good she remained hidden. Warwick could not find out about her.
Slowly, I lowered my hand and discreetly moved it behind my cloak. I needed to withdraw my diamond dagger from the folds of my cloak, which was quite difficult to do without Warwick noticing. My sheath was strapped to my thigh—I had to grab the blade from behind so he wouldn’t notice.
Warwick’s eyes sharpened, his gaze following the movement of my hand.
I lifted the rose jewel to distract him. “Why do you want this? How did you even know about it?”
He smirked. “There is so much I know, tiny human. It would rattle your fragile little mind.”
I lifted my chin. “Try me.” I needed to buy more time. My fingers parted the fabric of my cloak and reached my trousers.
“While I would love to stick around and chat about my vast amount of knowledge, I’m afraid I’ll need to take that jewel from you before the enchantments of this wood start attacking me.”
My heart jolted at that. Did he not know that holding the jewel was how I had silenced the ringing?
And was the enchantment only silenced when I held the jewel? If Warwick held it, would it do the same thing?
Or was it because of my fae magic?
Either way, it was an advantage I could use. Clearly, Warwick didn’t know as much as he claimed.
“I’m not just going to hand this over to you,” I said. My forefinger brushed against the strap holding Wraith Killer. But I was already stretching as far as I could go without twisting. If I moved too much, Warwick would notice.
“You will if you know what’s good for you.” Warwick drew closer. “If I can kill Varius’s pitiful assassin in a manner of minutes, just imagine how quickly I can dispose of you. ”
Fear chilled me to the bone, but I was determined not to show it. “How are you connected to the Earthen Court?” I asked, my voice rising. Even knowing he wouldn’t tell me, I still had to ask.
Warwick froze, his eyes flaring wide for a moment before that smirk returned. “You’re cleverer than you look, human. I’ll give you that.”
“You’re fae ,” I said. I stepped back again and pretended to trip over a root. My body twisted, as if to move out of the way, and I wrapped my fingers around the dagger’s hilt as I staggered backward.
“Another astute observation,” he mocked. “You’d be surprised what fae can do with a little glamour. In fact, you’d be shocked to discover just how many members of your so-called human court are actually fae in disguise.”
My blood chilled as his gaze swept over me, cold and calculating.
Shit. Did he know I was fae? He had to, if he ascertained that I was the one who had silenced the enchanted ringing.
But… how many others in the Earthen Court were actually fae but masquerading as humans?
Warwick chuckled at the look of horror on my face. “Ah, did I break the little human’s brain? You are so fragile.”
No, he couldn’t possibly know I was fae. He kept calling me human .
Swallowing around the lump of terror in my throat, I said, “What do you want with me? I’m no threat to you.” My hand scrambled to pull the dagger from its sheath.
“You are a means to an end.” His eyes dipped to the rose jewel. “I only needed you to procure that for me. Now that you have, I can dispose of you so you don’t disrupt any more of my plans.”
What plans? What is he plotting?
I didn’t have time to ask. Without warning, he lunged for me.
In that split second, I released the rose jewel and pulled out Wraith Killer.
Instantly, the shrill, piercing sound erupted all around us.
Warwick sank to his knees, crying out as he clapped his hands over his ears.
I gritted my teeth, pushing myself through the pain, and swiped the dagger.
He jerked backward, but not quickly enough.
The blade cut through his tunic and drew blood.
Hissing, he pressed a hand to his chest, glaring at the smear of black blood.
Over the ringing noise, he shouted, “You’ll pay for that, you little bitch!”
He dived for me, but I swung again, my dagger slicing into his arm.
It didn’t stop him, though. One arm wrapped around my legs and tugged, bringing me crashing to the forest floor.
I yelped, my fingers tightening around the hilt of my dagger.
A surge of strength flooded me, and I snarled at him.
I kicked and bucked, managing to free myself from his grip.
Then I rolled before climbing to my knees and driving the blade straight into his abdomen.
He howled in agony, clutching at his side, but I wasn’t finished. I elbowed him directly in his wound, then turned and smashed my head backward against him. Something made a sickening crunch —his nose, most likely—and I jabbed my elbow backward into his chest for good measure.
I turned, prepared to drag my blade across his throat and be done with it.
But his arms wrapped around my chest, trapping me against him.
I struggled and writhed, but his body was so much larger than mine.
I tried slamming my head backward again, but he ducked, his face peering over my shoulder to whisper in my ear.
“I was going to kill you quickly,” he rasped. “But now, I’ll have my way with you first. You’ve brought this on yourself, you pathetic human.”
He leaned in and bit down hard on my shoulder. I screamed as his fangs pierced my flesh, dragging through it and drawing blood. The ringing sound intensified, as if spurred on by our fight. I felt blood dripping from my ears, and my skull throbbed.
A roar echoed nearby, and something huge tackled Warwick, pulling him away from me. Blood soaked my tunic and cloak, but I forced myself upright as a flash of blue scales sparkled in the moonlight.
“No!” I cried. “Az, don’t !”
But it was too late. Warwick stared at her, eyes bulging as she pinned him to the earth. Her talons dug into his chest, which was already covered in his blood. She roared again, then clamped her jaws over his shoulder—the same spot where he’d just bitten me.
Warwick screeched, his body thrashing as Azure tore into him.
I stumbled forward, falling to my knees as the piercing in my skull made my vision swim.
The pain was too much… too much…
Sudden silence covered the wood, and my head jerked upward in alarm. I searched for the rose jewel and found it still resting in the dirt where I’d dropped it.
But the ringing had stopped. Why?
Azure made a snarling sound, jerking my attention back to Warwick.
Coming to my senses, I hurried over with Wraith Killer in hand.
Before I could sever his head from his neck, he managed to kick Azure in the stomach.
She groaned, her body coiling from the blow.
Warwick wrapped his legs around her, then rolled so she was underneath him, her teeth still buried in his shoulder.
“A dragon,” he hissed. “A gods-damned dragon . How you managed to find one, little human, I don’t know. But I’m taking this one with me.”
He wrapped his hands around Azure’s throat, undeterred despite her ripping out a chunk of his shoulder.
I cried out and rushed him, driving my dagger between his shoulder blades. He grunted but kept his hands on Azure’s neck, as if getting impaled by my magical weapon was a minor inconvenience for him.
How the hell was he still conscious? I had stabbed him multiple times with an enchanted blade, and Azure was about to tear off his arm.
My dragon was growing weaker. Her eyes went unfocused, and she slumped over.
I elbowed Warwick in the face, then slammed the hilt of my blade against his skull. His head whipped sideways, his hands loosening for a moment. I managed to push him off Azure, then slammed my boot into his chest to keep him down.
I pressed my dagger into his neck. Black blood bloomed from the wound. I drove it deeper, but his fist struck my stomach, knocking the breath out of me. I slid sideways. Warwick shoved me fully off him, then climbed atop me, his knees pinning my body down.
“If that’s how you want it,” he growled, “then fine.” His hips ground into mine.
I screamed and wriggled, trying to free my arms, but I was trapped. His hand clamped down on my wrist before he wrenched Wraith Killer from my grasp. With a snarl, he tossed the blade well out of reach.
In an instant, my strength left me, and the intensity of my wounds pulsed with fresh awareness. My limbs groaned, and spots danced in my vision.
Without Wraith Killer, I wouldn’t last much longer.
A howl pierced the night air, and heavy, thundering footfalls approached. Warwick’s head whipped up, his eyes flashing. Shadows spilled through the forest, blotting out the moonlight and drowning us in darkness.
But I was not afraid.
My husband had arrived.