Chapter 23
Imani had taken to walking the edge of the labor camp every day. She didn’t really need the sustenance, not with Kiran still helping her. But, occasionally, a soul would call to her, and she couldn’t resist. It was as if the soul wanted to be inside her.
Her whispers seemed to get louder each time she did, too, asking to be let out.
She didn’t think too long on what that meant, still often beguiled by her strange magic and tendencies. If she did, she’d ache with the desire to know her breed. To even just find one other person like her would be a revelation. Especially her father. Why hadn’t he ever come for her?
A red brand, though—she was from the Under. Maybe he couldn’t leave the realm to get to her. Yet, somehow he’d left before when he’d slept with her mother. Or did he? Did her mother travel to the Under realm?
Questions about her origins tumbled around in her head, but she pushed them aside. She needed to focus on that task at hand—practicing for training.
There was a small, wooded area with soft pine needles layering the ground where she sometimes stopped to read or practice her magic.
Zadie had been busy with the emissaries, and they hadn’t trained much.
But she was sure lessons would resume when they returned, and Imani didn’t want to be out of shape.
With a swipe of her wand overhead, Imani watched as the shadows shimmered into existence, blotting out more of the dim daylight.
They wrapped around her body, swirling until she was nothing but invisible air.
She was in her shadows. They lifted her off the ground like a leaf in the wind, and she floated above the ground, invisible to the whole of the world for several peaceful moments.
Then, with another swipe, the shadows spun and twisted around her again, dropping her back down to the ground and revealing her solid form.
“My, what interesting magic you have,” a female voice purred from behind her.
Imani’s defenses went up as her back went ramrod straight. Carefully, Imani turned her head and body until she could see Ayla standing several feet back, just outside the small practice circle Imani had created around herself.
Ayla had seen everything—Imani couldn’t lie.
She blinked a few times before replying, “Yes, I do.”
“These fascinating shadows wouldn’t have anything to do with the red brand and sigil you possess, would they?”
Surprise threatened to widen her eyes, but Imani kept them blank. What a stupid question. The arrogant Norn elf already knew the answer. She must have seen them the night she’d walked in on Kiran and Imani.
“I heard you were quite upset by the labor camp nearby. Such a big caring heart you have.” Ayla smirked.
“I’m sure you’d be just as interested in knowing that the king doesn’t throw every witch into a camp.
Some of them, he keeps for himself—experimenting on them, leveraging their magic for his own use. ”
“I thought Magnus hated magic.”
“He does, but he sees some of its value. After all, he’s a witch himself.
It’s petty magic he detests.” Ayla paused.
“I daresay he would find your brand quite fascinating. Fascinating enough to want to see what you could do for him. I must warn you, though, those witches usually end up in chains. Especially ones who’ve lied to him. ”
“He could try,” Imani snarled. Her shadows would devour him whole if he thought chains would keep her controlled.
Ayla tsked. “Such a silly girl. You cannot take on the king.”
Oh, she thought she knew Imani. This woman thought wrong.
“Now, knowing that,” Ayla continued, “I have a proposition for you.”
“What could that be?” Imani said through gritted teeth.
“I keep my mouth shut about your red brand and sigil around the king—after all, he would be so disappointed you’re not the Norn elf you claim to be.”
“What do I do for you in exchange?” Imani asked out of curiosity. She had absolutely no intention of getting trapped in a deal with Ayla. Hopefully, someday, people would learn that making deals with her or imposing threats didn’t end well for them.
The other Norn elf stalked closer and grabbed Imani by the cloak so fast she barely registered what was happening.
Ayla shook Imani’s shoulders, and her lip curled in disgust. “I want you to stay away from Kiran. You’re never sleeping with him again.
In fact, you won’t even talk to him. Your mouth won’t even be in the same room with him if I can help it. ”
Imani was pretty sure Kiran enjoyed feeding from her just as much as she did and would most certainly demand it. But she didn’t point this out to the elf.
“Ayla,” Imani said, feeling the name roll over the edge of her tongue. “Foolish, stupid Ayla.”
But the bitch laughed, clearly underestimating Imani. While most Norn women were petite, Imani’s size was quite small even for her breed, but that didn’t mean she should be underestimated.
This woman was an idiot, for sure.
Ayla shoved her backward. Imani used her shadows to catch herself easily and strode forward, grabbing the other elf like she’d grabbed Imani. Imani’s nostrils flared. Smoke and a peppered smell hit her.
“Were you with him recently?” Imani whispered. She swallowed, hating the tightening in her stomach at the idea of Kiran wanting anyone else. Imani might not be in love with him, but she didn’t want him with anyone else, either. It was selfish and pathetic, but it was how she felt.
“Yes,” Ayla hissed. “He still readily comes to my bed, clearly not getting enough from you.”
Something ancient rattled Imani’s bones. The kind of feeling that good people didn’t feel. The kind of thing her sister would probably never feel or at least act on, despite her recent ruthlessness.
If the other elf wanted to test her, so be it. A thrill went through Imani at the thought.
Imani put her face right up to Ayla’s, their noses almost touching.
“You’re lying. And it’s pissing me off.” The scent wasn’t enough to suggest they’d slept together.
Maybe they’d been in the same room. Maybe Ayla had tried to touch him, and even though he said he reserved the right, Kiran had not had sex with this woman recently.
“The king will protect me—after all, I’m getting him the passcodes to the Vathis city gates from my mother.”
“And how are you possibly doing that?”
“My mother is First Healer to Ellisar,” she said with her nose upturned.
Imani flipped her wand out, letting it roll over her fingers, and wrapped her shadows around Ayla’s throat. “You’re even more of a traitor than I expected.”
No matter what she turned into, Imani could never imagine handing the Draswood over to Magnus. He’d raze the trees to the ground, and Imani would rather die than see her beautiful, magical home destroyed in such a way.
Eventually, Imani glared and let go, flipping her wand in her hand again, trying to decide what to do with this elf.
The woman slit her eyes and rasped, “He’s engaged to me.”
Oh, if Imani heard that again, it would be too soon.
She punched the elf.
Ayla spat blood, rubbing at the side of her face. “You little cunt, you—”
Before she could finish, Imani grabbed her by her stupid, glamoured silver hair and slammed her face against the tree. Ayla screamed, letting out a cry of pain as pieces of splintered wood shattered around her head. It almost looked like a spider web … a bloody spider web.
Pushing her face harder against the splinters, Imani made the female cry out again.
“You stupid—”
“Shut your fucking mouth,” Imani hissed, grabbing her hair. Blood poured from the side of Ayla’s face, and black and blue bruises were already forming around the cuts.
The female whimpered, struggling against her, but Imani held her still, pulling on her hair. Tears spilled from Ayla’s eyes as she opened her mouth to scream.
The sky chose that moment to release a downpour. Imani barely noticed.
“You scream again, I bash your skull in again, you hear me?”
Ayla glared at her, and the female’s eyes turned to defiant slits. “I’m—”
“I’m speaking, and you’ll listen while I do,” Imani snarled.
She shoved Ayla to the ground, choking her with her foot pressed against her throat. “Prince Kiran is unavailable. You should use whatever little brainpower you have remaining to remember that, you worthless idiot. How much more do you need to bleed to remember? I’m nothing but thorough.”
Ayla didn’t speak, but her eyes promised to follow through on her threat to tell Magnus about Imani’s red brands.
Imani weighed her options. She could force a binding on the elf, but in her heart, Imani didn’t think that would stop her. The elf might have been stupid to threaten her, but she wasn’t shy about going after what she wanted.
Death it was then—Imani would have to kill her.
At that conclusion, she felt her shadows pulse, but Imani wanted to do this without magic—the old way, like Riona the hob had taught her.
In fact, she wanted to take Ayla’s head and bash it in further, but she needed to make sure they were away from prying eyes.
Peeling her face from the ground and grabbing another fistful of hair, she dragged her farther into the forest. Then she cast an invisibility shield over them both. She wished she had defensive magic to silence everything—because Ayla was going to be screaming after Imani was done with her.
They fought more, but Imani just pulled harder, throwing her against another tree before punching her in the nose. A gasp and a cry escaped Ayla as she slid down onto the ground and gripped her bloody nose, sobbing. She clearly wasn’t trained in any sort of combat.
Kneeling in front of her, Imani grabbed her chin and ensured Ayla could see her clearly. “What were you doing with the prince this morning?”
“Fuck you, you insane whore.”
Imani stared at her, trying not to laugh in her face. The elf was insulting her, but she was so pathetic that it was hard even to get worked up about it.
“I am insane. Now … Ayla.” Imani sighed. “I’m going to ask again nicely. What were you doing with Kiran this morning? And don’t you dare to lie to me again and insult both of us.”
“Sucking his cock. It’s a nice cock.”
“Wrong answer,” Imani ground out. Grabbing her neck, Imani choked her tight. Ayla’s arms swung around like a madwoman, but Imani pinned them down quickly with her other hand. She screamed before Imani silenced her with a knee to her gut. Then Imani strangled her harder.
Pulling back, panting, Imani gave her a moment to cough and catch her breath. Imani smiled.
Tears streamed from Ayla’s eyes as she shook, covered in bruises and blood. “He’s mine. He will love me eventually,” she sobbed.
“Love? Kiran?” Imani threw her head back and laughed. “You’re even dumber than I thought. Kiran doesn’t love. I’d suggest you find a new male to delude yourself over, but I’m going to kill you today,” Imani hissed against her ear. “Now, tell me you understand what I’m saying.”
“Fuck yo—”
“Gods, you’re fucking annoying.” Imani punched her again. And again. And once more. “Tell. Me.”
A ragged, deep panting filled the air around them as the female cried.
“I won’t look at him,” Ayla choked out. “I … I wasn’t with him today. He denied me. I swear, I thought he—”
Another punch. “You thought wrong,” Imani snarled, slamming Ayla’s body to the ground. “You made a mistake coming here to threaten me with one of my biggest, darkest secrets. I can’t risk you telling anyone.”
So Imani struck again, and again, and again. After a moment, her hand was so slick with blood that it caked underneath her fingernails. Not even the rain could wash it away, and the combination of water and blood made her hands slippery—numb.
Imani felt that numbness, everything inside her collapsing into decaying dust.
A soul started materializing above the body.
Blinking harshly, Imani stared down at Ayla and felt nothing except anger that the woman had been stupid enough to threaten her. Imani was angry at Kiran, too, for letting such a conniving woman into his life. Or letting his father manipulate him into it. Ayla would be alive otherwise.
Imani kicked the elf in the ribs once before stepping over her dead body.
Her shadows were tearing at her skin to get free. She’d exercised immense control over them during the altercation, but she was done with that.
She took a deep breath, extending her wand toward the body.
Now.
An explosion of darkness surrounded her in black nothingness. The spray of blood and guts from Ayla’s body splattered against her face and chest.
It took seconds, and the void was so deep Imani couldn’t see her hand in front of her as she pointed her wand outward to pull them back in.
As the darkness cleared, what little remained of Ayla was sprayed on the trees and a bit on the ground. The rain was already washing it away, but some parts remained. Mostly dust and remnants from her bones.
Finally, Imani cast an alteration spell to clean the prolific amount of remains covering the area, as well as her body and dress.
Unlike with Malis, she wouldn’t leave anything silly, like bones, behind this time.
Glancing around, she nodded at her work. The woods were pristine except for one spirit—a coalescing ball of light—that lingered near the treetops.
Sighing, Imani held out her arms above her head, calling the spirit forward.
With one deep breath, she took the ball of light inside her and felt it nestle inside her own chest, a feeling of fullness taking over her body.
Imani wondered again if there was a way to call the souls back from inside her body—could she save them or did she just obliterate them into nothing?
She still didn’t understand.
But it felt good to get rid of Ayla.
Glancing at the perfectly restored forest, Imani turned on her heel. “Godsdamn Kiran, ruining my morning walk,” Imani muttered, straightening her dress as she strolled out of the forest.