Chapter 29 #2
The fight ensued then, the males fighting anxiously, trying to get behind me and failing. It felt as if they were trying not to deal any fatal blows—not one going anywhere near my heart or head. That’s how I knew he was inside. I shouldn’t be shocked the sadistic fuck wanted to say hello.
Another five were down, which should’ve left one remaining, but apparently my count was off because there were four now.
“Fuckers,” I muttered beneath my breath as pain radiated within my thigh. I didn’t dare look, not taking my eyes from the enemy on either side of me. But suddenly the wound started to burn, the ache climbing up my thigh, and my knees buckled beneath the weight of it.
I tried to push back up to my feet, but a blade against my throat stopped me, everyone’s weapons lowering to a guarded stance as their eyes hit the male behind me.
“Let’s go, bird. Someone wants to say hello,” the male commanded from behind me.
I knew he was close, the fire seeping into my leg only belonging to one male.
“Tell your leader to drop the magic if he expects me to walk of my own accord,” I said through gritted teeth. Just as the words left my lips, the magic ebbed. Still present, but more background noise than overwhelming pain.
Pushing myself back to my feet, the male shoved me forward. No one took my weapons, I guess assuming I wouldn’t be a match for Voss and the insanity within his mind.
My eyes scanned below us, a trail of bodies left behind, but no Bastian to be seen. Lovely. Hopefully he wouldn’t dally. I had no desire to spend long with Voss today.
We walked into the tower and down a steep set of stairs, passing no one along the way. Immediately I realized he’d set a trap, only letting small amounts of guards out at once to make it seem like they had less soldiers here.
I briefly wondered how many were stationed here, and if I even cared.
Getting out would be nice, but unnecessary. As long as Bastian made it home, I’d be happy.
“I’ll be honest, bird, I thought you’d end up here sooner,” Voss said with a smirk, his words interrupting the thoughts rumbling around in my mind. “I’ve been waiting since the moment I heard he let you out of your cage. Hoping you’d play right into my plan.”
My thigh ached, a slow trickle of blood still running down it. Dagger must’ve been some type of shadow stone. Unfortunate.
“And what plan would that be?” I questioned as my eyes tried to take in more of the room. Voss did seem to enjoy hearing himself talk, which was hard when Keres was there.
He was seated on what appeared to be a throne, and I imagined the space used to be somewhat magnificent before it all went to hell and Oren had left.
“The one where I finally get to kill you,” he replied plainly.
I nodded slowly. It checked out. He’d been eager to kill me mid-torture a great many times, but Keres always stopped him for whatever reason. Voss seemed slightly bothered by my lack of interest if his pursed lips were anything to go by. He stood from his seat and stared down at me.
“Is Lady Cora enjoying her time outside the safety of Whitbourne as well?” The way her name slipped from his tongue had my teeth grinding together. A shove from behind me made it clear Voss expected an answer to that one.
“How would I know?”
He rolled his eyes, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Did you not refuse to leave without her back in Whitbourne? That’s what my little birds told me.
The shifter refused to leave on his own two feet unless he could bring his new toy with him.
” He laughed, the sound echoing through the ruins we stood within.
“Oh, I’m sure our master was thrilled to hear that.
Quite the pet she was to him, and you came along and defiled her.
I’ve seen other males lose their eyes just for glancing at her for too long. But you?”
He scoffed, shaking his head as he started slowly pacing in front of me.
“You come along and take her without a second thought of how it’ll affect things within our court. Her blood. The dreams.” His voice trailed off as he stared off into the distance.
I tried to control my breathing at the mention of the dreams, unsure how they could’ve possibly known about them.
“Well, it won’t matter now. You’ll be out of the way soon enough and Master shall reward me handsomely,” he stated. “Of that, I’m sure. All of Cora and my hard work will be rewarded.”
My brows drew together before I could stop them, the confusion clear on my face as his own eyes widened.
“Oh, that’s right. You don’t know. I mean, how could you, of course? I should tell you. It isn’t like you’ll be able to do anything about it. You won’t be leaving this castle alive.” He was rambling and it felt as if I was quickly running out of time.
“Do you often ramble like this? Do they not let you communicate with others when you aren’t locked inside Whitbourne’s cage?”
His eyes snapped back to my own, the anger clear within them as the fire started back up my thigh. I fell to my knees once more, my palms hitting the debris-filled floor—the only thing to save me from face-planting below.
The pain slid up my thighs, into my torso, and through my chest without pause.
“I’ll show you a cage,” he mumbled as he stepped closer to me.
It took every ounce of my willpower to reach the holster along my leg, my fingers clutching around the metal of the hilt. He must’ve thought I was holding the injury on my thigh, because he didn’t move to stop me. In fact, no one did.
My fingers grasped tightly around the grip, and I used any remaining power to push myself to my feet. One hand on his shoulder while the other jammed the shadow stone dagger into the side of his neck.
“Don’t speak her name as if it’s yours to speak,” I growled as his wide eyes stared at me in shock.
I braced myself for the hands to grab me from behind, my eyes not leaving Voss’s, waiting to see the light leave them, but no one came.
A slow clap started from behind me and I finally turned to peer over my shoulder, letting Voss hit the floor, to find Bastian smiling. He was covered in blood and sweat, a tired look clear in his eyes as he stepped over the decapitated males that had brought me in.
“Well done, Feathers, well done.”
I shook my head at him as the fire magic finally started to wane from my body and the light finally left Voss’s eyes.
“One down, two left,” I muttered under my breath as I pulled the shadow stone blade up, slicing through the rest of this throat and then puncturing the blade through his heart for good measure.
He was gone, but it was only the beginning of the terror I wished to see rain down upon the Court of Ice. I felt Bastian walk up next to me and I shifted to my opposite leg, blood still running down the knife wound from previously.
“Why isn’t that healing?” he questioned as he stared down at the tear in my trousers.
I shrugged. “Shadow stone, I guess.”
“Cedar,” he began, shaking his head before he paused. “None of them had shadow stone weapons.”