Page 419 of Kingdoms of Night

Take her. She would make you glow with energy if you took all of hers. You cannot fight your fate, Thorned One. Destined to rise and reign. Take her. Destroy them all.

Their whispers were in the ancient tongue; they spoke like branches snapping and leaves tearing in a storm. But even in their harshness, their voices pleased him deeply. He gritted his teeth in an effort to stop listening, to ignore their magic-infused demands.

Stop!he shouted silently from his mind to theirs.I will never obey you. I will tear you from your roots if you continue this madness.

The trees went silent in his head. Utterly silent. Then the wind rose, howling through the upper reaches of the sea cave near the turn on the shoreline, whipping across his face and tearing Isa’s hair from its bindings.

They wouldn’t turn on him, would they?

“I hate it when these ocean-swamped islands get wind like this,” the weather-worn sailor shouted over the thrashing of the pines and the crack of the straining beeches and maples. “Takes the skin off my bones.”

“Quiet, please,” Viridi said. Isa glanced at him as she tugged a thick lock of dark hair from her face. “I hear voices. I think—”

A group of men crashed through the brush.

Isa’s eyes seemed to flash and her skin shimmered oddly…

CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT

ISA

Seigneur Brune held Nico by the hair.

Heat sparked inside Isa’s chest and spread through her entire body like a wildfire.

“Isa!” Nico called out, his voice full of pain.

She lunged, raging, but Viridi held her back. His gaze went from her to the knife Seigneur held in his other hand. Seigneur pulled Nico closer, the grip on his hair so tight that Seigneur’s knuckles were white. A dark bruise ran along Nico’s cheek, and he held his left arm like it might be injured.

Seigneur was going to die. That was it. No more hemming or hawing. Somehow, Isa would see that evil man’s end and she would dance on his ashes. The heat inside her crackled and snapped and her vision went oddly clear and bright.

“I am prince of this island,” Viridi said, his voice deep, powerful. “What do you want in exchange for the human boy?”

“I want it all,” Seigneur said, grinning, his trim beard twisting up at the corners of his lips. “Jewels. Scrolls. Everything in those two monstrous tree castles. I have men stationed at intervals around your island. If they don’t get a message from me telling them to return to our ship by the time the moon is high, they will set their torches to your trees and finish off this island of legends,” he said, his words grating.

Isa blinked, trying to see Nico, but the light was too bright or not bright enough…

More men broke through the trees carrying large wooden trunks that were bursting with pearl necklaces, golden chains, and age-darkened scrolls that probably contained some of the most rare knowledge in the world considering how old this civilization was.

“Now, get out of our way and head back to your ship,” Seigneur said, sneering. “You’re not going to attack me while I have this boy.” He shook Nico hard and Nico yelped.

Isa’s fingers prickled with heat and energy. “Release him and you can carry on with your pirating, you filthy beast.”

Seigneur lifted his eyebrows and stuck out his bottom lip like a pouting child. “Oh, do you not understand, little mouse?”

Viridi stepped forward. Isa grabbed his hand. His thorned fingers had lengthened and the change was coming on.

Seigneur didn’t bat an eye. “I will letyougo, little mouse, because you’re more trouble than you’re worth, but this one is young enough that he can still be beaten into submission.”

He smiled at Nico and the heat inside Isa exploded.

Light flashed around her body, blinding and star-bright; her limbs burned and stretched and cramped. She wasn’t in pain, but her head spun. Her back ached, pressure building along her spine and shoulder blades. The pressure released and a rush of warmth spread over her skin. As the heat raged across her body, she shut her eyes and threw back her head, calling out for Viridi.

When she opened her eyes, Seigneur was running away with Nico in tow. Seigneur’s men were firing arrows at her.

Moving by instinct, she leapt to block them.

The arrows bounced off her body, no pain at all. She thrashed, her mind completely tangled and her head dizzy. Something blocked the other two arrows, but then she turned quickly and Viridi shouted.

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