Page 97 of The Dragon Queen

"Youcan'tdoit,"Igasp,lungsheaving,myskincrawlingwiththeremnantsofblacklightningburningthroughmyveins. "Youdon'thavethepower."

"ButIwill."Hisgazedartstothecrown,stillgrippedwithinmyhands. "Nowthatyou'vesokindlygoneandfetcheditforme."

Recoiling,Itrytostepbackward,butI'mcaughtinthesamedeepblackropesofsmokeandcrackling,blindingmagicthatmymatesare.

"Iwasn'tsureyouhaditinyou,youknow."TheShadowKingisgloatingnow,hismaskofcivilityfallingforamoment,revealingthetwistedvisagebeneath. "WhenRookbetrayedme,Ihopedhemightstillbeusefultome--thathemightconvinceyoutogoaftertheCrownand 'takemedown'."Hespitsthewords,venomdrippingoffhistongue. "Buttherewasnotellingifyouandyourmerrybandwouldsucceed,oriftheTombwouldconsumeyouthewayithassomanyofmyservants."

Ishudder,newhorrorsdawningonme,evenasI'mcaughtinawebofnightmares.

Thiswashisplanallalong.TogetmetofetchtheCrownOfCindersforhim.Heknewwhereitwas,even.

Iblink,andtearssqueezeoutthecornersofmyeyes.

TheonlysolaceIhaveisthatmyuncletrulywasonmyside--butthatdoesn'tnegatethefactthathewasalsoanunwittingpawn.

AndsowasI.

Awhippinglashofpurpleandblackthornslungesoutofthedarkcloudofsmokeensnaringme.ItreachesfortheCrown,butIholdontightly.

IshakemyheadthebestIcanwithinmybonds. "I'llnevergiveitup."

"Ididn'tthinkyouwould."Erembourliftsahand,andhisSorceressfloatstohisside. "Retrieveitforme."

He'ssoself-assured,butjustlikeshedidwhenhecommandedhertostripmeoftheBracer,shehesitates. "Mylord--"

"Doit,"hesnarls.

Herjawflexes.Sheapproachesme,though,andallmymagicisboilingoverwithinme.Imaynotbeatfullstrength;Imaybetornapartbythewayhe'srippedmymates'connectionsfrommyheart.

ButIhaverageenoughtoovercomeitall.

TheSorceressextendsherhand,andIsnapmyteeth,mydragonroaringwithinme,andmyownbrandofShadowmagicbrushesherasideinamistofvioletwrath.

Shehisses,stunned,retreatingbacktothesafetyofErembour'sshadow. "It'sasIsaid,mylord.ShehasabondwiththemagicalartifactsthatI--"

Eremboursnarlsandshovesheraside.Gasping,shecrashestotherock,agashonhercheekbleeding.

"Useless,"hegrowls,andhe'sloomingevenlargersomehow,allteethandmalice.

Butthere'sacrackinhisveneerofinvincibility.Anedgeofangersohotitshootssparks.

Forthefirsttime,he'snotcompletelyincontrolofthesituation.

"Youwillgivethecrowntome."Theairfillswithmoreshadows--darkerones.

Butthey'reinsubstantial.

Theholdonmeloosens,forjustafractionofasecond.Ispitbloodontotheground. "Never."

Theothermonarchsbehindhimbegintoshift.

It'sKingZephyrwhosnarls,impatient, "Justtakeitfromheralready."

Erembour'seyesnarrowintoserpentineslits,andanotherjoltofpurplelightningrendsthesky.Zephyrflinches.

Erembour'sstillgrowling,butaneerie,unsettlingcalmcreepsintohistone. "What'sthefuninthat?"

Justlikethat,hismagicalrestraintstightenaroundmeoncemore.Thegroundcrackles,glowingwithmenace.

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