Page 49 of Torn Ivy
“You’ve aligned yourself with chaos incarnate,” Draxon says, our shadow weapons clashing in displays of impossible darkness. “Did you think there wouldn’t be consequences?”
The fight moves across the courtyard in bursts of speed too fast for mortal eyes to track. Draxon is good, one of the best. But I was trained by the Dark Court itself, and some lessons you never forget.
“You’re not here for me,” I murmur, catching glimpses of his true purpose in the patterns of his attacks. “This is about her. About showing her what’s at stake.”
His laugh confirms it.
“Smart boy,” Draxon purrs, his form rippling like oil on water. “So many pieces in play. So many ways this could end.”
I switch tactics, pulling on the Fae magick that marks me as royal blood. The shadows respond differently now, taking on aspects of starlight and frost.
The starlight-infused shadows swirl around me, responding to my blood. Draxon’s eyes widen slightly as he recognises the true power of the royal bloodline.
“Ah, there it is,” he says, a hint of respect colouring his tone. “I was wondering when you’d stop holding back.”
“You want a show?” I snarl, feeling the magick surge through me. “I’ll give you a fucking show.”
I lash out with tendrils of shadow and starlight, each one carrying the deadly chill of the Dark realm. Draxon counters with his own shadow constructs, but I can see the strain on his face as he struggles against the royal magick.
“The Court underestimates her,” I say, pressing my advantage. “They think she’s just another pawn in their games.”
Draxon laughs, a sound like cracking ice. “Oh, we know exactly what she is. The question is, do you?”
His words give me pause, and in that moment of distraction, he strikes. A blade of pure shadow slices across my chest, drawing a line of silvery blood.
I stumble back, more shocked than hurt. It’s been a while since anyone has managed to wound me.
“You’re compromised,” Draxon says, circling me like a predator. “Your feelings for her have made you weak.”
“You’re wrong,” I growl, letting my royal blood flow freely now. The shadows around us twist and writhe, responding to my unleashed power. “She doesn’t make me weak. She makes me stronger.”
The students around us have formed a massive circle, unable to look away even though they should run as far as they can. There will be collateral damage.
Draxon’s eyes narrow as he senses the shift in the air. The veil bends around us as I tap into the full potential of my heritage.
“You’ve forgotten who I am,” I say, my voice echoing with ethereal power. “What I am.”
The shadows coalesce into solid forms, nightmarish creatures born of darkness and starlight. They circle us, snarling and snapping.
Draxon takes a step back, real fear flickering in his eyes for the first time. “This is beyond your station, Prince Bram. The Court will not tolerate such a display of power on this realm.”
I laugh, and the sound sends cracks, spiderwebbing across the concrete. “And yet they sent you here to test me, to see if I was still their obedient little prince.” I bare my teeth in a feral grin. “Consider this my resignation.”
With a thought, I send my shadow beasts lunging for Draxon. He fights back valiantly, his shadows clashing with mine in a dizzying display of dark magick. But he’s outmatched, and he knows it.
“You can’t protect her forever,” Draxon gasps as my minions tear into him. “The Court will come for her and for you.”
“Let them come,” I snarl, tightening my grip on reality. The veil between worlds grows thin, and I can feel the pull of the Dark realm. “I’ll show them exactly what happens when you threaten what’s mine.”
With a final burst of power, I rip open a portal to the Dark Fae realm. Draxon’s eyes widen in panic as he realises what I’m about to do.
“You can’t,” he pleads. “They’ll kill you for this.”
I smile coldly. “They can try.”
With a thought, I send Draxon hurtling through the portal, his screams echoing across realities. The gateway snaps shut behind him, leaving only a lingering chill in the air.
The shadow creatures dissolve as I release my hold on them, reality settling back into place. The students who witnessed the fight stand frozen, their minds struggling to process what they’ve just seen.
