Page 89 of Merciless Is My Crown

We emerged into pandemonium.

Ice coated my veins as I searched the vicious fighting, looking for Adele, trying to pick out familiar faces.

Red blood from black.

Black was all I saw, black-armored witches fighting other witches, black cloaks swinging, and wicked curved blades hacking until I finally spotted Raziel, carving a path straight toward us through the carnage.

“Anaria.” He was splattered with gore, his eyes wild as he scanned my blood-soaked side. Fear bloomed in his eyes, and he gripped my chin, peering at the twin slashes on my cheeks, then he speared a burst of healing magic through me so fast I almost collapsed.

“Solomon is dead, but the prisoners have been released.” I gasped for air as I studied the chaos behind him. “As you can clearly see.”

“I don’t have a good count on enemies. We were separated in the initial assault.” Raz roared as he threw up a shield before us, his magic shuddering when a blast of bright magic hit full force. “Tavion and Tristan headed for the prison to intercept the other prisoners, Zor’s around here somewhere. I don’t know where the fuck Zeph and Simon are.”

The corridor and the huge hall beyond were filled with battling witches, ringing with the sound of clashing steel, and the floors smeared with blood. More of those brilliant flashes of magic were followed by screaming then a terrible silence.

Another blast of power crashed into Raziel’s shield, the iron candelabra over our heads swaying before it crashed down, splintering to pieces. “Duck,” I growled. Bella and Raz crouched low as I sent my shadows spinning for the witch with her weapon still raised, mouth open in surprised shock when my magic struck her in the chest, turning her to a pile of ash.

Beside me, Bella blew out a shaky breath of relief.

“Let’s go,” Raziel ordered. “I’m getting you both out of here.”

“That’s only one out of how many?” I argued, the words coming faster as I saw he meant what he said. He’d grab my arm and we’d be gone from here. “We can’t leave, Raz, not when we can fight.”

I scanned the chaos. There, a black suited witch raising her sword over the head of one in a brightly colored gown. I vaguely recognized the victim from our meeting, the witch who’d asked all the questions.

Another spear of power, another pile of crumbling ash, the unwielded sword clanging to the floor only to be picked up by the witch in the bright yellow dress, her grin fierce as she dove into the melee.

“And that’s two.” I bared my teeth at Raz, daring him to order me to leave again. “We will not leave these people—my people—to face this alone.”

“Fine. Don’t leave my side.” Raziel’s dark eyes were somber as he held out a knife.

I grinned, reckless glee rippling through me as I brandished Solomon’s, stained with my blood. “I took Solomon’s. But thanks.”

Raz rolled his eyes and dropped his shield.

Bella guided us through the fighting, pointing out enemies with unerring, calculated ease, and once we’d cleared the corridor, we moved into the great hall where Zephryn and Simon fought back-to-back, blood streaking down their faces as they ducked and parried blows both magical and steel.

The dragon’s eyes flashed with madness, lips pulled back from sharpening teeth, but even with his bad leg, he was a brutal fighter, burning through adversaries with more magic, weapons, and agility like they were made from paper.

I picked off another three of Vireena’s inner circle, the hard-faced ones who’d stripped us of our weapons when we’d arrived. But there were plenty of bodies littering the floors, and we shoved through the fortress, magic swirling around us like a storm, Bella sandwiched between me and Raz, as safe as we could keep her since she refused to be left behind.

Outside the windows flames of gold flashed past, too fast to be moving on two feet, then the real screaming began.

“Looks like Tristan’s enjoying his new form,” was all Raz said as we strode across blood-splattered stone and past stone-faced witches already regrouping, shouting orders to secure the fortress and find the other traitors as the tide finally turned in our favor.

“There’s one of Vireena’s advisors.” Bella pointed to the swirl of black cloak disappearing around the next bend. “That’s where—” She didn’t get another word out before she broke into a run, flying around the corner in a flash of red-blond hair.

I wasn’t as fast as Raziel, not usually, but now, fueled by adrenaline and wrapped in power, I kept up as we sprinted after Bella down the empty hall until we slid to a stop at the end.

“Where did she go?” I spun, scanning the closed doors lining both sides. “These look like private living quarters.”

“Vesper,” Raz muttered, tugging on the nearest doorknob. “That witch had to be going after Bella’s mother. She’s in one of these rooms.” Raz clenched his jaw. “And so is Bella.”

The hair on my arms rose. “I’ll take the right; you take the left.”

We found them in the third door on his side. Raz went through first, only to be blasted right back out by a surge of power that would have killed him if he hadn’t shielded himself before we’d begun kicking down doors.

As it was, the witch only expected one opponent and couldn’t rally her magic fast enough to counter my shadows spinning toward her like a javelin.

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