Page 130 of Wrath of the Fae

Cyrus takes my face.

‘Look at me, my love,’ he says, trying and failing to sound calm as he searches my eyes. ‘What’s happening to you?’

I sweep his hair from his face, admiring his handsome features.

My Mate.Mine.

He takes my hand in his as it passes over his lips.

‘What the fuck…’ he whispers.

My entire hand is now covered in those markings.

Beautiful. So beautiful.

It spreads slowly, covering wrist.

‘Stop! Stop it!’ Cyrus orders, gripping my fingers tightly. ‘Whatever this is, stop!’

I furiously scream in his face before sending him soaring back.

How dare he tell me to stop! How dare he try to control me!

A small horde of soldiers charge toward us, and we get separated. I kill with impressive grace.

But when the sky is cast in shadow, I look up. Hundreds of arrows are falling from the sky. Iron-tipped and uncaring of their target. The enemy winged warriors shoot one after the other in perfect unison at us all, desperate to end this revolution at any cost.

I hear it again. That low growl in my soul.

My power swells in my chest, and my eyes burn gold. With a furious yell, I thrust my hand forwards. A blast of power erupts from me. The arrows shoot back from where they came. At least half the winged warriors get struck, screaming in pain as the iron pierces their flesh. The worse cries are from the ones whose wings get shredded. They spiral down, weeping and grabbing at them.

Such grief for their wings, devastated by iron. When they land, the humans and freed Fae finish them off.

I take to the skies, swooping over the battle, laughing wildly as I see the devastation through the flashes of lightning. The humans and freed Fae cheer over the thunder as they see me above, slamming into the enemy winged warriors. My powers snap and twist bones. My hounds protect those below and decimate the soldiers.

We’re winning.

We’re fucking winning!

I’m about to swoop down and rejoin the carnage when something tears through my shoulder. The iron steals my power, and I fall. Before I hit the ground, I get body slammed by a winged soldier who soars far from the battle. He has no plan to fight me, just to separate me from the rest as he swoops and dives away from the battle.

He’s so fast the rain hurts as it hammers against my skin, and the wind deafens me. I try to pull the arrow free to access my powers, but he stops me. So I bite his neck and tear with all my strength. I scratch and claw. I thrash and punch. He howls, and we start to fall from the sky, spinning wildly as we go.

My wings beat ferociously at my back as I watch the ground get closer and closer, but his hands are shut tight, dragging me down with him.

We slam into the ground, skidding in the thick mud deep in the orchard, stopping only when we collide with a brittle tree that splinters into pieces around us.

Determined, I sit and wrench the arrow free before climbing on top of him and stabbing him repeatedly. Blood splatters over my face as I scream like a wild animal, stabbing and stabbing. He gurgles as blood spews from an artery.

Exhausted, I drop my arms by my side and let the rainwater wash over me, ridding my face of his blood.

I stand.

LUCCA!I call in my mind.

He doesn’t answer.

I pant, breathless and aching over every inch of my body. He’s got me far from the palace. The sound of the fight is distant. I have to get back! They need me!

---