Page 61 of A Heart of Crimson Flames
“They—they’re all gone,” he whispered. “All of them. My pack dead or stolen by Nero to fight his own battles and not for their King. He convinced me to send every last one somehow,” the King rambled, his voice tinged with madness. “I don’t know what spell he cast over me to compel me to do so. The power he wields now... But what about me? What of my power? He’s going to steal my crown, isn’t he? He’s going to take my gold.”
“Your gold should be the least of your concerns,” Maez growled.
“I-I’m all alone now. Please. Please don’t kill me.”
“You’re begging me?” Maez asked, cocking her head.
He instantly dropped to his knees. “Yes, yes, please. I beg you. Spare me.”
Maez threw her head back and laughed, the sound makingTadei flinch again. “You know, I’ve heard many things about you in my time, Tadei,” she said. “I heard you were quite fond of making people beg.” His eyes grew even wider at the accusation. “Tell me, did you ever show them mercy?”
“Please—”
“No,” Maez cut him off as bile rose up my throat. “It turned you on, didn’t it?”
“Mercy, please—”
“You don’t know the meaning of mercy.”
Tears streamed down Tadei’s face as he blubbered, begging and pleading that Maez spare him.
“Silence!” Maez shouted and Tadei abruptly stopped. She wandered over, nose wrinkling, and she stooped in front of him to meet his watery eyes. “One day, Tadei, your death will feed my power. Your soul will give me enough magic to end another dozen just like you.” His whole body trembled violently. “But I will spare you today.”
My mouth fell open in surprise as Tadei collapsed in relief, sobbing his thanks.
Maez turned and looked at me, and there was nothing but hatred in her eyes as she said, “Let’s go.”
“But—”
“Let’s. Go.” Low and lethal. She stepped back to let me go first, stooping to blow out Tadei’s candle as she went.
I walked out of the room, and she closed it behind us, leaving the sobbing pathetic King in the dark.
“I don’t understand...”
Maez ignored me as she picked up the bag of treasures and slung it over her shoulder. She surveyed the walls. “You know it took hundreds of years for builders to place each of these stones,” she said, and I turned to her with a questioning look. “Hundreds more for them to paint every tile. And yet with one flick of my wrist, I can undo what took hundreds of years with a single burst of power.”
She turned her hand over, emerald sparks shooting out sobright I had to shield my eyes. And when I lowered my hand again...
The doorway was gone. Only a smooth wall of beautiful, intricate tiles, not even the slightest inconsistency or crack to denote old from new. It was as if the door to the King’s chamber never existed.
I gasped—not at the result, but at the show of power. At the ingenuity of her actions. This was vengeance. Not only was Maez killing an evil king, this was one small ounce of retribution for what had happened to her so many years ago.
“Briar,” Maez rasped my name, and I looked down to see the hand she offered out to me.
I looked back up at the wall in surprise as I heard the faint screams and bangs from the door beyond. But instead of gaping in horror, a smile curled the edges of my lips.
Maez held my harsh gaze, but I didn’t shrink from this darkness. My surprise morphed to glory until I basked in it. How many more would be saved by her—my Goddess of Vengeance? I knew I would never blame Maez again for taking that dark magic, for using it like this. If anything, I wanted her to use it more. A rueful smile split Maez’s lips as I stepped into her side and took her hand, leaving the King of the Onyx Wolves to die in his pitch-black tomb.
Calla
I SAT WITH MY BACK TO THE WHISPERING WELL, FIDDLING WITHa tattered sprig of fallen holly. I’d told Mina to head back without me, that I just needed a moment, and a moment turned into several. My legs were numb from sitting on the bare ice by the time Grae found me.
“I’m guessing the conversation with Sadie didn’t go particularly well?” he asked as his shadow rose up my legs.
Unlike me, Grae had been smart enough to wear a thick fur-lined cloak. My mate spread the cloak out beside me and crouched, wrapping one arm around my waist to slide me across onto the fur lining. I let out a little hum as he pulled me into his side, and I leaned into his warmth. I hadn’t realized how cold I was until he arrived. I was so stuck in my head, I’d forgotten to live in my body.
“They found a group of humans seeking refuge in the south,” I said, feeling the weight of each human victim stacking atop me like a poisoned stone. “It’s only getting worse. I fear Nero won’t stop until there are no humans left.” Grae’s grip on me tightened as I cleared my throat, trying to push away the haunting images Sadie had left conjured in my mind. Every time I felt like we might have a pause to regroup, to strategize, I was once again reminded of Nero’s boot on all our necks. “How was the training with Verena? Do you think they’ll be ready?”
