Page 101 of The Magic of Destiny
“Secure the prisoners!” Asrael shouted.
“Sloane, listen to me. Wait until the guards are all together and then you can blast them with fire, okay? Bram wasn't moving,” I choked out. “And Khol, oh gods. Sloane, we have to get out of here.” Another wave of cramping hit me with the force of a train, and I had to bend over and take deep, jagged breaths.
“Get over here, beast,” Asrael commanded. My back was to him, and I stumbled forward when Sloane moved past me.
“Wait,” I begged.
“Foolish. The lot of you. Did you really think you could best me?” Asrael laughed cruelly. I panted as I watched Sloane walk over to Asrael.
“Down,” Asrael barked and Sloane dropped to the ground, lowering his head in submission.
Oh moons, we're so fucked.Tears were falling from my eyes, though I wasn't sure if they were from shock, fear for my men, or the pain I was feeling.
A cart was brought in from somewhere, and the guards tossed my men onto it one by one. Turning my head, I vomited when Bram's limp body hit the cart and his arm fell lifelessly over the edge, twisted at an unnatural angle. Kai was still in Bagheera's form, but the big cat's eyes were closed, his tongue lolling out. At least I could see his chest rising and falling slowly, so I knew he wasn't dead. Cam and Fischer were the only two who were semi-conscious, but that was a bit of a stretch. Khol was still lying where he'd been stabbed, and I couldn't bring myself to look any closer.
“Dig the blood mage out from under the chandelier later. It can wait,” Asrael told the guards.
“Why?” I croaked, as Asrael approached me slowly.
His mouth curved as his lecherous eyes trailed down my body. “You can come out now, darling,” he called over his shoulder. I tried to stand tall and be brave for my men, for my babies, but oh my fuck, everything hurt.
I felt myself pale as I caught a flash of red hair. A long, deep blue dress.
“Hello, daughter. I'd say you're looking well, but you've got a bit of something…” Laurie trailed off, gesturing to her crotch.
“What?” I whispered, moving my hand to my inner thighs which were pressed together tightly thanks to the waves of cramping. “No,” I cried, horrified, as I stared at the blood now coating my palm.
The drawing I'd found in the sketch book. This was it. It was happening.
“No.” A flurry of movement within my stomach—the first I'd felt—had me wrapping my arms protectively around myself. The little kicks and jabs pressed against my forearms as sobs wracked my body. “Help me, please,” I begged the woman who had given birth to me.
She and Asrael shared a look, and Laurie slowly walked the few steps to reach me. Her hand cupped my cheek and hope fluttered in my heart that she would do something.Anything.
“I told you before. The prophecy is about me, not you. Yet here you are, still trying to take what's meant to be mine,” she snarled, and I cried out when her palm slapped my face with enough force to knock me to the ground completely.
“Get them out of my sight until I decide what to do with them,” Asrael barked, and the guards began rolling the cart with my men out of the room, as the old banners with King Thane's insignia fell to the ground, new ones with Asrael's crest taking their place. I reached for Sloane, not that it mattered. I couldn’t move and he was lost to his PTSD, and maybe Asrael had some kind of stronger hold over him.
“Sloane,” I croaked, my voice nothing more than a broken whisper. His ice blue eyes locked on mine, and I swear they were as wet as mine.
My vision wavered.Please, stars. Not my babies.They were still moving so I took some small solace in the fact that I'd been able to at least feel them. My head was foggy and disoriented as I stared blankly at my broken dragon. I'd lost a lot of blood, and I knew I'd black out soon.
‘Don’t let them hurt us, Sloane. We need you. You’re stronger than you think you are.’I pushed the thought through the mental link, my breathing slowing.
This couldn't be how it ended. My dreams had only just begun to come true. Blinking slowly, I lifted my eyes and gazed out a large window. A sea of darkness moved through the sky.
Wings, scales, and tails.
