Page 107 of Of Stars and Lightning
“You fucking whore.”
Before Sol could stand and flee from the precipice, he dug his sword into the side of her blouse, holding her in place just long enough for him to press his dagger to the back of her neck.
He knelt next to her face, and Sol could hurl from the sight of him being so near.
Killer.
Pervert.
“You’re a disgrace to your goddess,” Sol whispered through tight teeth. “I would’ve given you a fast death, you know. But you kill me, and I doubt my Court will be as kind.”
Ezra gave her a vile smirk, running a hand along her thigh, then hip, then shoulders. Each squirm only made him go slower. “Once I’m part of Semmena’s court, I’ll ask for Sawyerlynn as my wife.” He lowered his lips to her cheek. “And I’ll be sure to remind Rimemere just how easy you were to kill.”
End him, Sol. Let me in and end him.
Sol breathed heavily, the sting of the knife at the side of her throat was nothing compared to the ache over her body. Again, her aunt chanted in a haunting song: in, in, let me in, dove.
“But of course,” Ezra flipped her over, not caring as his dagger fell over the edge. He held her in place with a forearm to the neck, then moved his mouth to hover over her own, the reek of the blood from his neck wound making her hold her breath. “I must first know how you taste.”
Sol shut her eyes.Come in.
A ghastly laugh shook her very bones before a spear of cobalt light shot from her palm, penetrating Ezra directly in the chest and sending him flying over the edge of the cliff.
CAS
AS SOON ASCade Lane tackled him into the exit slit, Cas knew they were fucked. Not just him and Sol, but anyone and everyone who got in his way on the other side.
They landed with a heavy crash at the beginning of a prairie, and Cas wasted no time.
He sprang to his feet, dragging Cade up by the collar of his leather battle suit. The asshole laughed, spitting in Cas’s face.
“Your Princess is so fucking dead, Xanthos.”
Cas punched him in the face. Again. And again,
Cade went down with unbelievable ease, his back colliding with the ground as Cas continued to pummel him, then after deciding it wasn’t enough, unleashed his Shadows to pin him down, sure to tell them to burn.
To scorch.
To kill.
“Casimir and Cade.” Vaguely, Cas heard Jeriyah call to them from a few yards away. The old man waved a paper at them. “Now, now, we are still on Winderlyn’s premises—killing will result in a penalty.”
Wards replaced Cas’s fists, singeing Cade with each blow. “I don’t give a??—”
“Gods, Casimir.” Arms wrapped around his chest pulling him off Cade. “He’s not worth you getting on Winderlyn’s bad side,you fool.”
He shrugged out of Cattya’s grasp. “Do not touch me.”
She brought her hands up in mock surrender. “I’m not the bad guy today, love. Your Princess begging me to save you pulled at my cold, cold heart.”
“Where is she?” Phil ran forward, his hands shifting frantically. “I—She’s not here. I can't feel her.”
“You left her?” Jonah’s expression darkened, even through the exhaustion. “Your job is to protect her, and you left her?!”
Cas didn’t need the Dianese Heir rubbing it in. Not knowing what was happening behind the sealed, towering wall was quite literally killing him. Even his Shadows seemed to turn against him.
Where is she, where is she, where is she, they chanted.
