Page 39 of Of Shadow and Moon

“Eztli, no-”

But it's too late. He uncorks the vial and downs the liquid in one gulp, his eyes never leaving mine. A strange glow overtakes his skin, his body trembling as he lets out another laugh, this time twisted and unnatural.

And then, in another instant, before I can stop him, he disintegrates.

One second he is there, grinning like a maniac, the next, he is gone.

I stumble backward, my dagger still clutched in my hand, my breathing raspy. What the fuck just happened?

He's a freaking demonio. He could have shadowed out of my grasp. He did not have to go and off himself.

Shit.

I spin around, trying to steady myself, trying to make sense of it all, but the world tilts beneath me. My heart is racing, my chest tight. The panic I had been holding at bay slams into me full force, and I can't breathe. I can't think.

I buckle under my weight and land on the ground, wheezing as the panic burrows talons into my throat. My vision begins to blur, my hands are icy cold, and I’m shaking uncontrollably.

Not here. Not now.

He saidwe.

We know who you are.

I press my palms into the chilling earth, trying to find my grounding, trying to find purchase and pull myself back from this spiral. But it's no use. The fear, anxiety, guilt, it’s too much.

Chapter 24

Rhyker

Igo to my kitten’s room first, my footsteps silent. My heart thrums with anticipation as I approach the door, a wicked smile curling at the edges of my lips. She's supposed to be here at this hour.. This is her routine, and I know her routine, inside and out.

But her room is empty.

A flush of anger surges up in me. She strayed from her routine. I make myself step back and draw a deep breath. Her scent hangs in the air, light, a whisper of vanilla and peony. It cools the jagged edge of my anger, but only barely.

I close my eyes and replay everything I know about her. She's not in her room, fine. That's okay. She mixes things up sometimes—just to keep me on my toes; I like to think. The image brings a soft chuckle under my breath. Clever girl.

The courtyard, of course, is where she would be found when seeking fresh air or space. I spin abruptly and pad swiftly towards the courtyard; my heavy boots on the stone floor almost silent.

My movements are quick as I round the corner. Whatever she's doing, I'll find her. I always find her.She can't escape me, not that she would want to, of course. She just doesn't know yet how perfectly we fit together. But she will.

She'll see.

As I walk towards the courtyard, I see movement off to the side, where the cobblestones meets the dark forest. Selestina has her knife to someone’s throat. As I move closer, I realize it’s the douchebag from Metztli. Etzli Moreno. The general in the making.

My kitten is panting but not from desire, and I can see that she doesn’t want him to die. She is looking for a way to fix this.

What exactly is she trying to fix? What kind of trouble has my kitten gotten herself into?

Before I blink, I see Etzli reach into his collar and pull out a vial. Selestina tries to stop him, but in one quick motion, the contents of the vial are down his throat, and thealmostgeneral of the night kingdom is gone with the wind.

Good riddance. I hated that pompous asshole.

But my kitten, she starts breathing quicker, backing up before she plops herself on the ground. She is looking everywhere and nowhere, not even knowing that I am here. I know she knows I watch her, I see her face change the moment she picks up my scent. But here and now? It’s like she has completely forgotten the world around her.

Selestina sits on the gravel, her back straight, her hands shaking, twisting into her lap. Her breathing is shallow and irregular, as if she struggles to pull enough air into her lungs, yet is never satisfied. Her head is hunched down, a curtain of hair obscuring her face, but I don't need to see it. I feel it in the way panic rolls off her in waves, sharp and jagged.

My kitten is coming undone.

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