Page 79 of Madness of Her Mages

“I wasn’t speaking of her.” Monte looked me over with a sneer before walking past me, putting himself between me and Malvolia. “Aren’t the white witch’s children here? We kill one of them and send their mother the body.”

Rage swelled my veins to raging rivers. He wouldn’t dare.

Furori joined his brother, his hands curled into claws as he gave my mates and me a challenging look. “Then we use the surviving child to bring her to her knees.”

Bastard!

Blaze and Drae flanked me, their feathers standing on end.

“You dare threaten innocent children?!” Drae roared.

“Not innocent.” Monte flashed a fanged grin. “The white witch’s spawns. They will grow to be just like her.”

Blaze’s roar was my only warning before he attacked, pouncing on Monte like a hawk scooping up a mouse. Then Drae and Nikkos joined in the fray, attacking Furori in a blur of fire and feathers.

My heart raced. My mind reeled. I threw out my hands with a scream, my siren voice ricocheting across the walls like a clap of thunder. “Stop fighting!”

All five mages stopped mid fight, and I gasped when I saw Furori was a heartbeat away from impaling Nikkos with a blade.

One moment Furori was looking at me, his eyes wide with fear and rage. The next moment, he was a cloud of black dust, disintegrating like burned parchment. His brother made a gasp before he was turned to dust, too.

Black trails of smoke retracted back into Malvolia’s fingers like trained snakes.

“I release you from my spell,” I whispered to my mates, afraid they would be next if they didn’t get out of her way.

They immediately went to me, grasping my hands and shoulders while giving Malvolia wary looks. Nikkos had a cut on his chin, and they all had burn marks on their clothing. I would inspect them later for more injuries, if we survived the evening.

Malvolia turned up her chin, glaring at the crowd. “Let this be a lesson to anyone who threatens my grandnieces.” A dark, hazy shroud surrounded her as she stared down at me. “War is coming, Shirina. Even if your sister isn’t a threat to me, the demons are, and now they have the potential to take possession of a white witch’s powers. You must decide where you stand, because if you’re not against Fachnan’s demon court, you are against me.”

I was unable to speak as all moisture evaporated from my throat. Palpable fear radiated off my mates and reflected in their eyes as they gently pulled me back from the piles of ash on the floor. My aunt had turned Monte and Furori to dust. If she could so easily obliterate her former lovers, she could do the same to my mates and me.

“I have lost my appetite. Someone needs to clean this up.” Malvolia frowned down at the ash piles as if they were no more than a nuisance. “I’m retiring to my rooms.” Her gaze swept over the five beefy mages who were moments earlier vying for her attention. “Who’s coming with me?” When the mages took hesitant steps forward, she waved away her three newest lovers. “Not you three. I need experienced lovers tonight.”

She turned on her heel and walked away without another word, and her two current lovers followed like obedient dogs while the other three mages stood there with crestfallen looks.

I looked at Drae.What do we do?

He threw a look over his shoulder and pulled me back the way we’d come.We get the fuck out of here.

Chapter Sixteen

We made our way into the hall, along with dozens of other courtiers, and I tugged on my mates’ hands, insisting we hurry, a tightening in my chest making me strain for each breath. After Monte and Furori made threats to the children, I had to see them, to hold them and know they were safe. I ignored the curious and furtive stares of the courtiers as we passed them, though it was harder to ignore the whispers coming from Felicity and her mates as they gawked at us while sitting on a window bench seat, moonlight streaming across their backs.

Her siren’s call won’t be enough to take down a white witch that powerful.Geoffrey’s thought rang in my mind as loud as a bell.

I have a feeling she’ll side with her sister, anyway, but I have faith ten thousand fire mages and the sorceress queen can take them,Felicity answered. Then she waved to me. “Don’t forget tonight, Cousin,” she said with a predatory smile.

I gave Felicity a bland look, nodding, and then squinted at the window behind her, chills racing down my spine when I saw twice as many Ravini mages light up the dark sky with their aerial war training.

Either she’ll fail or betray Malvolia,Steffan replied through thought while giving me a hard stare.

We should leave before we’re next,Geoffrey said.

No,Felicity admonished.She’ll reward us for our loyalty when she sees we’re the last ones standing.

Are you listening to us, Felicity?Geoffrey snapped.Malvolia won’t survive a war with the white witch.

Why do you think she smoked Monte and Furori?Her laughter reverberated in my mind like the screech of a dying cat as my mates and I walked past her.So that Shirina wouldn’t suspect when she came for the children. She pretends to love those children, but I know my cousin. She will use them as leverage before succumbing to the white witch.

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