Page 6 of Malicent
“But what, Felix?” My voice is low, dangerous. “I trusted one witch—one—and she’s here in these very walls. The rest? They follow their own fucked up moral codes. They’re abominations. That’s the truth, ingrained in me as deeply as the scars left on my body and the lies I believed for years.”
Tyran shifts in his seat but presses on. “The North is up to something. I do not know what, but a seer came to me. Call Luna crazy all you want, but she’s predicted everything.”
Gods above, he’s actually listening to that lunatic.
The North is a cold, dead land, shrouded in snow and mystery. Our spies haven’t been able to penetrate their ranks sinceTyran’s grandfather. Entering the land ensures certain death either by the cold, creatures, or the company.
Mountains and sea help keep our lands safe from the maleficent magic that has reigned there since the dawn of time. It’s the region where the tales claim that the most wicked of things went to rest.
World enders.
Their sons.
Their servants.
“We’ll need witches for what’s coming. It comes at night. We’ll need creatures of the night,” Tyran says, his tone uncharacteristically serious. “And before you argue, witches would never agree to this, but they have. That alone is a huge feat for us.”
The shock of witches agreeing hits me like a slap to the face. “They agreed?” Witches don’t make deals, especially not with mortals. This reeks of wrongness. A trap, plain and simple.
“Yes, they agreed, which tells me they know something, too. In return, they get free rein and won’t be hunted. And yes, I know the damn risks,” he adds. Irritation flashes in his eyes. “But there’s nothing to protect if what Luna warns us about comes true.”
For once, real worry etches itself onto Tyran’s face, carving lines into his youthful features. It makes him look older, more drained, finally showing a sliver of the true weight of carrying the crown.
“What is Luna predicting, exactly?”
Tyran shakes his head, frustration clear. “I’m not allowed to know it all—fates above—but something dark, something strong and capable of wiping out the South, is being brought in. And with what we have right now, we’ll lose, even with you.”
The words land like a stone in my chest.
“No moves have been made yet,” he continues, “but they will come. I’m just trying to prepare.”
How ominous. Luna couldn’t even manage to specify if it’s an army, a god, a new fun power, or witches teaming up with the North. No, just “something dark” that “could kill the South.” Brilliant. Thank you, Luna. The night sky is black, you mental ward patient. Truly narrowing it down for us.
I sigh, rising to my feet. Rolling my neck and shoulders, I try to shake off the tension coiled in my muscles, but the weight of this unwelcome news refuses to leave. “What coven agreed to help?”
“The Le Strange,” Tyran says, all too proudly. The fucking idiot.
The shadows beneath my skin stir like restless tides, the inky onyx coursing over my neck, chest and arms beginning to writhe. I feel the silver in my eyes churn as his words settle like poison in my veins. It evokes a wrath like no other from deep within. That name, the one I swore would never pass anyone’s lips again. Tyran just made a deal with the devil to save us from some new hell.
The young king would learn the devil comes when you call but it’s no friend to anyone.
The scars on my back burn again, echoing the memory of when they were fresh. Rage wells up, thick and suffocating, as the hate I’ve buried for years claws its way to the surface, constricting my throat. They should have all died that night, every last one of them. Of course, the Le Strange survived.
Cockroaches always do.
Chapter 3
Millicent
TODAY MARKS THE DAY I leave the coven. My trips beyond its borders have been few and fleeting, only ever for sacrificial rituals, and I have never ventured overnight, let alone this far. Nora forbids it. Standing at the edge of the tree line, I hesitate, my next step weighed by thoughts of Cadia. I hadn’t said goodbye to her, a selfish attempt to shield myself from the inevitable hurt and pain our parting would bring. My attachment to her always made me feel so weak. Swallowing the lump in my throat, I force my legs to walk forward.
“Oh, yoo-hoo!” Cadia’s voice rings out, growing louder as her footsteps close the gaps between us. Before I can react, her body slams into mine, nearly knocking me off my feet. Her arms wrap tightly around my waist, pulling me into a fierce hug. “No goodbye to your favorite person in the universe? I’m insulted,you bitch,” she teases, her laughter bright and unrestrained as she releases me.
I turn to face her, and my resistance crumbles at the sight of her radiant smile. She’s glowing with excitement, her joy contagious and bittersweet. Throwing my arms around her, I squeeze her tightly, not caring if Nora might catch us. I was leaving anyway. A smile tugs at my lips as I lean back, taking in her face, drinking in her features as if indulging myself in the memory. “Isn’t it odd I’m the one leaving this time, not you?”
“I am overjoyed,” Cadia says, her voice brimming with sincerity. “For well over a hundred years, I’ve been desperate for you to see the outside world. Millicent, you’ll love it—if you embrace it.” Her golden eyes gleam knowingly as she offers me a pointed look, one that makes me roll my eyes in return.In what world would I love this situation?
“Love it? I’ll be living with vermin. What’s there to love about that?”
