Page 107 of Madness of Her Mages

I smiled at Blaze, thanking him for cleaning up my hair. I scowled at my gown and robe. Both were smeared with blood and dirt. Blood? Then I saw a bucket of bloody organs nearby and knew the blood wasn’t mine, but remnants of Mortimus’s meal. Lovely.

Drae took my hand in his.I’m sorry. We should have been here for you.

I shrugged off his concern.It’s fine.

No. It’s not,Drae said while rubbing warmth into my back.She could have killed you.

I cupped his cheek, pressing my forehead to his.But she didn’t.He was right, though. Malvolia could’ve killed me with her choking magic or disintegrated me like she’d done to her former lovers. But she didn’t, so I supposed I should’ve been grateful.

“Did you know you could project your siren without speaking?”

I looked up at my aunt, whose top lip was pulled back in a snarl. Never mind that she’d almost killed me. The queen needed answers, and I had to behave like a good dog and submit. “I forgot I could do it,” I said through a groan, then nodded toward Drae. “He said I did it when the giants attacked, that he could hear my voice in his head though my mouth wasn’t moving.” I slanted a smile in Drae’s direction. “I don’t think I believed him.”

“You have earth shaking magic.” She pointed to a crack beside her, about as wide as my shoulders that stretched across the floor, disappearing beneath the stables.

“I do?” I scratched the back of my head, not comforted by the concern in my mates’ eyes. “I don’t know how I did that?”

“Were you trying to make me fall?” Malvolia asked.

I dragged a hand down my face, trying to dredge up my memories. Even though it had just happened, my brain was still foggy. “I was trying to get you to let go,” I finally answered.

She gave me a curt nod. “Think what you could do with this kind of magic.”

“Wh-what?” I rasped.

“You could tear down the walls.”

It felt like the blood had drained from my veins as I gaped at her. What walls did she expect me to tear down?

Lady Veronica leaned over me, her feathers tickling my face while she handed me a cup of water. “Here,” she said whileflashing a devious grin. “You sound like you’ve been sucking cock all night.”

Malvolia laughed so loud she snorted. The other witches hid their laughter behind their hands. My mates grumbled and swore.

I couldn’t help but smile as I took the cup from her. I drank it all in a few gulps. Though the green witch had healed me, my throat was still parched, and the cool beverage felt wonderful going down. “Thank you.” I handed the empty cup to her.

She bit her lip, her eyes roving over me like a mother hen fussing over her chick. “You’re very welcome.”

I latched onto her arm before she could pull away, whispering in her ear. “There’s more to you than just a feather collection.”

She blinked at me like Ember and Aurora after they’d been caught trying to sneak extra sweets. “I am a simple witch.”

“So you say,” I mumbled. “But your secret’s safe with me.”

A look passed between us before she went to stand beside Daminica, and I knew that whatever her flaws, she was not my enemy.

“Well, Niece,” Malvolia grumbled in her usual impatient tone. “Are you ready to try again?”

My shoulders slumped as I shook my head. “Aunt, I don’t thi—”

I screamed, and my mates’ roars echoed in my head when Malvolia hit me with another blast of choking magic. When I felt their flames at my back, I knew I had to stop Malvolia before they did something stupid.

“Release me!” I felt a burning sensation in my fingers, and my voice reverberated around us as if we were at the bottom of a wide canyon, and then a loud crack electrified the air.

Malvolia lurched forward and Drae and Blaze fell on top of me, shielding me with their wings. I screamed when a roarfollowed by several violent shakes filled my ears. Then all went silent, and I looked between a crack in Drae’s feathers at Malvolia as she hovered over us, holding up a large gray bubble.

My mates pulled off me, glaring at the queen and the other witches huddling around us before the bubble popped, revealing the destruction around us. The entire atrium had collapsed, caving in on itself like an avalanche of wood and glass. We coughed on dust and smoke as Mortimus flew above us in erratic circles, whinnying his displeasure. I looked behind me, relieved to see the rest of the structure still standing, the horses unharmed, though one stable wall had fallen outward.

“Fear is a powerful tool for unleashing magic,” Malvolia said as she scowled down at me, “but you need more practice honing your skills. Earth shaking is blue magic.” She nodded toward her coven of witches still huddled in a circle. “Cordelia will help you.”

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