Page 47 of A Sword of Ice
“Who?” She could hear the confusion in Julius’ voice, but she didn’t have time to ease it. Not when her familiarwas gone. When Petey had done something to him. She didn’t want to even think about what had happened or contemplate all the dreadful possibilities.
“Mana, keep him safe,” she whispered right before she broke away from Julius and ran. Her feet carried her with incredible speed, sending her zipping past the others. She didn’t give herself time to register their surprise at her sudden disappearance, or that Julius was calling her name.
All she knew was that another human was trying to take away someone she cared about and she couldn’t let it happen.
Not again.
And she swore, if Petey had harmed her familiar in any way…
He wouldn’t live long enough to regret doing it.
* * *
Her foot connectedto Petey’s office, the wood splintering inwards, flying apart. The man inside yelped, dropping his bottle of ale as she stormed inside. His eyes widened as he took her in, as if surprised she wasn’t skewered at the end of an iron sword like he wanted her to be.
“What the fuck, Io—” He barely got the rest out before she sped around the table, her hand gripping his throat. A single jerk of her arm and he was lifted, his body slamming against the wall as she held him suspended above the floor.
“Where is he?” she demanded.
Petey’s face reddened under the pressure of her hold. His fat fingers grasping against her hands, dull nails scraping along her skin as he struggled.
A fucking fool.
She was Fae. She’d never showed off how much more powerful she’d always been than him and because of that, he’d underestimated her. Never fucking again.
She loosened her grip just enough to get him to talk.
“S-s-sold the b-beast…”
“You did what?” she snarled, snapping her canines near his neck.
“I sold the beast!”
The shock of the words had her ripping her hand away as if he’d burned her. He fell to the ground, his legs giving up beneath him. He coughed and spewed, his hands going to his neck to rub away the soreness she’d left behind against his skin.
She staggered back a step until her lower back hit the edge of his desk. Pain seared up her spine, but she ignored it.
“You did what?”
Petey coughed and pushed himself to his feet. His back hunched, and his face was red with rage as he glared at her.
“I sold the fuckin’ beast! You were gone for a few fuckin’ hours and he was out of control. Bad for business, so I sent him away two days ago.” Spittle flew as he spoke, his voice rising and echoing in the confined space of his office.
“No…” Her heart fractured in her chest. How could she not have known? How could she not have noticed the distance between her and her familiar? Why hadn’t Mana hinted at what she would lose?
Was this to be her curse? To gain a mate, but lose her familiar?
She turned away from Petey, if only so he wouldn’t see the heartbreak slashing across her features like the badly painted portraits spread all across Porir. A sob rose in her chest and stuck there. She wanted to force it down, to calm down, but her head was pounding, her fingers scraping against the wood, digging a pattern on the surface.
“How could you?” she whispered, feeling the first sting of tears against her cheeks. “How could you do that to him?”
Petey shifted behind her. She felt his heat hovering close, the acrid scent of smoke and ale burning through her nostrils.
She felt the energy drain out of her. She tried reaching down into her soul to find the magical space her familiar had occupied. She didn’t feel different, didn’t feel like something was missing or in pain. That should have been a relief, right? But it wasn’t. She felt like her heart had been ripped open, like there was nothing but darkness ahead. The same feeling as drowning, like unforgiving arms were pulling her deeper to her death.
And shewasdrowning, gasping for breath, struggling against the currents of waves of her own emotions.
Petey’s hand closed over her shoulder, his grip firm. She was too far gone to shake him off. There was nothing but a roaring sound in her ears and the feeling of choking on water that wasn’t really there.
