Page 91 of Riot of Autumn

We collide in midair, but the Duke has made a mistake. I don’t know if he has the ability to shift into any animal he wants or if he’s limited in his options. His hyena is much smaller than my wolf, and not nearly as fast. My claws slash across his side and my fangs dig into his neck. The beast beneath me lets out a pathetic sound, but then his claws sink into my shoulder, right where the snake bit me.

My jaws release him without my permission, and a howl of pain rips through the night. I sway, my legs feeling wobbly and my vision tunneling. A booted foot connects with my ribs, and I fly backward, rolling when my legs give out. Pushing up to my feet, I spot Colton grinning at me from where he’s standing over the Duke. He’s shifted back to his human form but hasn’t managed to get up yet.

“You think your pathetic, mostly human, joke of an Axis can do anything to us?” Colton’s smile turns into a sneer as he walks toward me. “And now that the veil is open, you’re even more worthless. I’m going to enjoy killing you. Or maybe I’ll chain you up so you can watch while I fuck your little girlfriend in front of you.”

My lips peel back in a snarl, and I growl at the bastard. Colton thinks they’ve got the upper hand, but he can’t use his touch to make me see things that aren’t there. We planned for that. Miri, Rhys, and Ruby have spent the time since we formed this plan to create potions and protective bracelets. Not only did the eight of us take them, we also passed them out as party favors at the festival to keep all the humans safe from Fae influence. We’re essentially immune to compulsion, but Colton doesn’t know that.

I’m still weak from the venom pumping through my veins, but I’m strong enough to take down this piece of shit. Colton reaches out to grab my face, but I dig my paws into the earth. I launch myself at the Fae who has done more damage to us than most. He stabbed Archer, for fuck’s sake. True terror flashes in his eyes as I barrel into him. My fangs grip his arm, and I use all my strength to fling him across the clearing. I should have snapped his neck, but I’m not done with him yet.

Turning my head to assess the Fae in front of me, I find Seraphina’s attention locked on me. With a shriek, she sends blasts of wind and balls of ice at me. The wind makes forward movement nearly impossible, reminding me of a recurring nightmare I have where I’m treading water but never get anywhere.

The ice rips against my sides, slicing up my skin where it manages to gouge deep enough through my fur. Seraphina’s nearly white hair swirls around her head like a ghostly banner. That’s when I see what’s around her neck. My fucking best friend's necklace from Ruby.

The sound that comes out of me is more fantastical beast than wolf. Rage turns the world around me red. It was bad enough that she stole it, but to wear it around her neck like she deserves to have it touching her skin is too much. I want nothing more than to rip her head off and take back what belongs to me. But I can’t fucking move forward in this wind.

A ball of fire lands at Seraphina’s feet, setting the hem of her dress on fire. She screeches, quickly putting it out with her water magic. It’s enough of a distraction that the wind around me disappears. I don’t waste the opportunity, sprinting across the clearing and knocking her down with one swipe of my paw. I’m on top of her, my jaws around her neck before she can catch her breath. She’s frozen in my grip, her heart racing so fast I can hear it through the chaos.

I shift, ripping the necklace over her head and placing it back around my neck before she can blink. I’m trying to figure out what to do with her–should I knock her out? Even if she is a disgusting person, I don’t know if I can just cold clock her.

I shouldn’t have taken so long to decide.

“Stop. Right now, or I’ll end this thing’s life.” The Queen’s voice has me leaping to my feet, dragging Seraphina with me, and my heart sinks to my stomach.

Seraphina looks up at me with a smirk, and I shove her away. She regains her balance, the air of superiority back. The Queen is standing over Ruby, a long slim blade of ice held to her throat. Rhys and Lena are nowhere to be seen, but Ruby is there, on her knees. I stumble forward, my fear and the venom making me dizzy.

Ruby’s looking up at the Queen, eyes wide with fear. She’s shaking her head, looking more afraid than I’ve ever seen her.

“Please, my Queen. Please—"

“—Stop talking,” the Queen commands, and I sense the magic pushed into the words.

Ruby’s mouth snaps shut, but her eyes continue pleading. Her fingers clutch at the Queen’s gown, but the Queen kicks away her hold. She grins down at the woman begging for her life at her feet.

“You think I don’t know what you were doing? That I wouldn’t feel it? What you’re still trying to do?” The ice blade digs into Ruby’s neck and a trickle of blood spills from the wound.

It’s so hard not to run right over there and rip the Queen’s heart out with my bare hands. I grit my teeth so hard there’s a good chance I’m going to crack a tooth.

“You and your friends had a part to play. Now that I’m here, it’s time to take your final bow. Be grateful I let you live as long as I did.”

“No.” The word bursts from my chest, right as the Queen stabs her blade into Ruby’s chest.

33

RUBY

It’s a surreal experience to watch yourself get impaled with an icicle. Okay, so it’s not actually me, but Ezra’s cry really sells the moment. It also brings me back to the present and the fact that I have something very important I should be focused on. That doesn’t include watching the Queen stab the other Ruby.

Rhys is behind me, and sweat pours down his face while he maintains the illusion–or I guess the Fae word is glamour–that everyone is seeing. Or not seeing as the case may be. To everyone in this clearing, including myself, Ruby Laurens was just stabbed. Which is fucking insane to see. Also, to everyone in this clearing, Rhys and I are invisible.

How is this our lives right now?

When Ezra flung Colton across the clearing like a giant sack of shit, Rhys went to work. He hid me under his glamour and made Colton into the new, less awesome version of Ruby. Colton hit the ground hard and by the time he could stand up the Queen’s guards were dropping him at the Queen’s feet. All the while he had no idea he’d been glamoured.

“Ruby, hurry up. I don’t know how much longer I can hold this,” Rhys grunts, his arms starting to shake.

“Right. Yep.” I push away all the noise in the clearing. I need to finish this fast so that no one gets hurt because I’m taking my sweet ass time.

I blow out a breath and concentrate on summoning all the magic in the clearing to me again. At least, all of it that doesn’t belong to the Axis and Emric. I had to practice identifying all their magical signatures until I knew them without a doubt. Right now, my focus is on all the Fae surrounding us. The Queen, the Duke, Anthony, Colton, Seraphina, and so many others whose names I don’t know.

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