Page 122 of The Bones of the Cursed

I smile. “Me too. What would you do without me? You and I make a pretty good team in a fight.”

He chuckles. “Very true. Plus, I need you to keep Kailu in his place.”

I stand, hugging him tightly. “I’m so glad you’re all right.”

“We all are.” He gives me one last squeeze before heading for the front door.

Just as I step towards my mates sparring in the grassy yard a few feet from where I stand, the ground rumbles. It shakes so hard it throws me to the ground. I cover my head, protecting myself from falling debris. Malakai and Kailu race towards me.

When the shaking stops, they help me to my feet, and we rush through the castle for the foyer. Malakai throws open the large oak doors and I’m not prepared for what I see when I step outside. Smoke billows throughout the city. We race to the iron gate to see ghouls attacking the citizens of Percius, and none other than Iclas himself on the cobblestone street, weaving his death mist. He holds a man by the throat, slowly suffocating him. Anger like I’ve never felt before crawls through my body.

Where do these ghouls keep coming from?

“Why won’t he justdie?” I scream over the sounds of anarchy.

The rest of our friends and family come out, cursing at the sight.

“The slippery bastard has a knack for escaping death,” Viros says through gritted teeth. “We thought we got him when the Fates destroyed the building in the blast, but we couldn’t confirm anything. Nothing survived, bodies turned to mist.”

I look to Malakai and Kailu. “Let’s end this once and for all.”

Everyone murmurs in agreement and readies for battle.

Hannah stands near Hendrix looking every inch a warrior.

I hug Hendrix tightly. “I know this is your job and you are used to it, but you are my friend and I am telling you that you better be safe. Got that?”

He chuckles. “Yes, ma’am.”

I kiss him on the cheek, then turn to Hannah. “And you, too. Kick ass but come home safe.”

Siveral comes up and wraps his arm around me. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep her safe.”

Hannah groans in annoyance. I give Hendrix a knowing look, and we both laugh.

I walk away, Hendrix following. “Those two are going to kill each other.”

“You aren’t kidding.” I laugh and then we walk side by side to find Malakai and Kailu.

Hendrix and Kailu talk briefly, hugging each other before strapping knives to their bodies. My nerves skyrocket, knowing that a lot of our men are injured still. Barely healed.

But I step into the fray, giving Malakai and Kailu one last look.

I decapitate every ghoul I find, not stopping until their black blood flows down the city streets. One crawls towards a little boy crying in an alleyway, curled in a ball as he screams for his mother. I sprint as quickly as my legs will carry me, the entire time focusing on my emotions, tapping into the anger just beneath the surface. Flames dance at my fingertips and I shoot them towards the ghoul, his shrill screams like nail on slate. Repulsion skitters down my spine, but I battle through it to slice clean through its neck. Quickly I grab the young boy in my arms, seeing the male from the flower shop across the way holding his own against a ghoul, pushing him back with his water magic. I shield the boy’s face in my shoulder, cutting the head off the ghoul. The florist looks at me, his normally stoic expressionfilled with shock. I thrust the boy into his arms. “Keep him safe.”

I have no time to explain further, and thankfully he nods and hurries inside with the lost child.

I trip over a body on my way back towards the gates of the castle, just down the road from the florist’s shop. I whirl to find Maryanna’s vacant eyes staring up at the sky. Nausea churns in my gut, tears following down my sweaty face. I gently close her eyes, sadness lingering at the loss of my first actual friend here, even though she would never admit to liking me. Stubborn woman that she was.

An explosion of magic rocks the ground so hard that debris scatters into the sky, a piece knocking me flat. Smoke floods the air, choking breath from my lungs. I cough, trying to clear the soot and ash from my throat, and squint through the haze, seeing my brother laying on the ground. I crawl to him, fear skittering up my spine. I reach a hand out and turn him over, finding blood seeping from his hairline. His face is caked in soot. He lets out a groan, and I immediately release the breath I had been holding.

I scan the war-torn area, looking for my family. I see a few of them shakily getting to their feet, riddled with injuries. I scan the street, looking for the faces that will instantly calm me. My blood simmers with each passing second.

I walk through the bodies, checking every single one. Some I know, some I don’t.

I still don’t find them.

At last, I spot Kailu’s blond hair in the distance where he’s fighting off a ghoul, but my heart flips over, dropping like lead into my stomach. Where is Malakai?

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