Page 53 of My Demon Desire
I grab the iron dagger from the rope belt at my back and jab it straight into her gut. Pain sizzles up my arm and I let go, panting.
Instead of twisting in agony, the queen grins in a way that has me feeling sick. She eases the knife from her belly.
"Do you think you can beat me so easily?" Her fingers dig into my neck, her grip so tight that it feels like she is going to pull my head off. White-hot pain slices through my skin.
"Annalise," Kaden roars, barreling at the queen like a raging bull.
But she throws the knife and it sinks right into his shoulder.
"Kaden," I try to scream, my air cut off.
"Kill them," she says and seven guards rush for Reis and Thorne.
My monsters punch and kick. Except there's too many of them. Reis takes a swipe to one cheek and blood gushes down his face.
My vision darkens and Kaden's eyes meet mine as the iron blade poisons his body. And the pieces of my heart break apart.
CHAPTER18
ANNALISE
The queen's claw-like, cold fingers press against my windpipe, cutting off my air as she holds me in a death grip. My heart is pounding as I look around to see the destruction she has caused.
My father is slumped over, stabbed. Kaden is cut and wounded, struggling to fight off the queen's guards. Reis and Thorne are also near death, fighting for their lives without any weapons against spears and swords.
I know I have to get free and save myself and my loved ones. I can't let them die at the hands of this evil queen. I begin to struggle against her hold, using all my strength to try and break free.
"So pathetic." She chuckles in a mocking tone. "And to think the queen fled to save you. She could've remained here if she had fought me as she should have."
And she would've miscarried me. I close my eyes, unable to see the pain of death anymore. I thought we'd won when I used the iron dagger on her, but it did nothing. Iron was deadly to the fae.
Wait. Was that it? Was she not really fae then or part like me? "You're not pure fae," I force the words past her squeezing my throat.
Her grip loosens for a split second and I twist hard, breaking free from her grasp.
I face Morrigan, determination and rage in my eyes. I will not let her take any more from me.
"It's true, isn't it? You're half-fae like me or perhaps quarter-fae, that's why the dagger didn't kill you."
Then I glance to my right where Kaden is wheezing. "Kaden, turn into your human form."
"It's just a glamour," Throne shouts.
"Kaden, do it." I've no idea if this will work, but hopefully, it will buy my dark fae some time.
I bring the dagger down on her arm, intending to cut her and prove to everyone she's only part fae, but she brings her sword up, clashing against my strike.
"You're right," she sneers, "I'm not pure fae. But that doesn't make me any less powerful. Or less a queen. All of this is mine, should've been mine from the beginning. My cousin should've been removed when she brought those two stupid human lovers here."
She lunges at me with her sword, but I dodge, dancing back a step.
"I killed them all. But your mother loved the one too much to let him stay here and die. She gave up the throne for him. So it's mine."
"She used her magic to protect me,” I say, everything clicking into place. How Mom must have leapfrogged twenty-five years into the future so she could have me without fear. How they’d have been looking for her and me in the wrong timeline. "Including allowing twenty-five years to pass on this side of the portal, hoping you'd look for the heir to be fifty like my dad."
I dodge another strike, keeping my eyes trained on hers.
"But she failed," the queen sneers, "And you'll join her in death."
