Page 171 of Crown of Briars
Relief blossomed within me, bolstering me to sever the heads of a few more humans before they could escape. Several of my soldiers drew their alporas forward, chasing after the humans who were retreating to the cover of the woods—a fear tactic to ensure they would be cowering between the trees, buying us more time.
I kept my shadows in place, even after Orla and the army had vanished from view. I waited a moment more before reeling them in with a gasp, my body slumping over from the strain of it. Were it not for Zorben keeping me upright, I would have collapsed to the ground.
“To the courtyard,” I urged the soldiers closest to me. “Let us regroup before they return.”
A line of men formed in front of the portcullis, standing guard for the humans’ inevitable retaliation. The rest of us made our way to the other side of the gate, either by flight or on foot.
I dismounted, my knees buckling the moment my feet touched the ground. Zorben leaned into me, catching me before I fell. I patted the side of his neck in gratitude, then scanned the nearest soldiers. “Where is General Vexon?”
“Here, my lord.” Vexon appeared, his windswept red hair covered in dirt and blood.
“Any word on the rest of our forces?”
“We have one regiment here. Another will arrive within the hour.”
I winced. That wouldn’t even give us half the numbers the humans had. “And the others?”
“No word. It’s likely they haven’t even received our call for aid yet.”
Shit. I ran a shaking hand through my hair. My magic was spent. All I had left was the strength in my body, and even that was failing.
“My lord?”
I blinked and found Vexon gesturing to the hand I had just used to run through my hair. “What is it?”
“Your claws.”
I scrutinized the black talons of my fingers, and my heart seized.
The claws wereelongating. They now stretched longer than each of my fingers.
“Mother of Shade,” I hissed, glancing to my other hand. Those claws were lengthening as well.
This had never happened before. Well, except for…
I glanced up at the darkening sky. The sun was sinking into the horizon, and on the other side of the castle was the moon, growing clearer with every passing moment.
Thefullmoon.
“No,” I whispered. “No, this cannot be.”
Tislora had been giving me elixirs. Sybelle had consented to using her blood. I had drunk the potions specifically to avoid this from happening!
I shook my head violently, hoping I could force the effects of the curse away from me. A riot of fear assaulted me, blaring in my mind, warning me I was doomed. Everyone would die because of me.
“My lord!” someone shouted. A sudden sharpness bit into my forearm, jolting me from my tortured thoughts.
I sucked in a breath and looked at Vexon. He had dug hisfingernails into my arm and was staring up at me with worry in his eyes.
“My lord, are you well?” he asked.
My gaze flicked to my claws, which had stopped growing. They still seemed much longer than before, but perhaps that was my imagination. It was very likely my waning strength was causing hallucinations.
But that wouldn’t explain why Vexon had seen the claws.
I straightened to my full height. We were at war. And even if the curse’s transformation was about to claim me, I could not abandon my people.
I still had time.
