Page 29 of Wrath of the Fae

‘Tessa. My love. Ready for more, are you?’

‘Fuck you, Ezra,’ she spits back.

‘Been there. Done that, my love. But I’m happy to take you back if you beg.’

‘I would rather die.’

‘No. You shall not die, Tessa. You are far too valuable. But you will wish for death, you traitorous little bitch. Just put your weapon down and get on your knees. Where you and all women like you belong.’

‘Make me,’ she snarls through gritted teeth, firming her grip on her sword.

‘I will. You are mine, Tessa. My father’s idea of a joke, no doubt. But you are who he chose for me, so you are whom I shall have. Our children will be powerful. Your ability to manipulate and control emotions and my power to mimic. Just think of how strong our bloodline could be.’

‘You touch me again,’ she warns. ‘You’ll die.’

‘This rebellion will not last another five minutes. The city is filled with my men. You are all trapped, dead or dying.’ Ezra takes a step forwards. Tessa steps between us, shielding me.

‘That is the second time one of you has stood between me and whoever is hidden under that cloak.’ He looks down at me as I keep my face hidden in shadow. He sees my bleeding hand on the ground, and a look of realisation sweeps across his face. ‘Those are ancient rune markings,’ he breathes. He lets out an unsure scoff, suddenly far less cocky than he was. ‘No one can use these things anymore. What are you trying to do, huh? How did you know this was down here?’ He steps closer to me, rage building in his words as he points his sword at me. ‘Who are you?!’

Lucca lands beside Tessa, and I let out a breath I had no idea I was holding.

He’s alive! He’s okay!

His wings tuck in, and he shakes with vengeance and wrath.

‘I want to know who that is under that cloak, Lucca,’ Ezra jeers, pointing the tip of his sword at me. ‘Tell me. And I’ll make your death quick instead of returning you to the King for his judgment. And Tessa, I’ll keep you in chains rather than cutting off your legs. Last chance.’

Lucca attacks, repeatedly bringing down his sword and driving him back.

Get on with it!He yells in my head.

‘Get on with what, hmm?’ Ezra asks, laughing as Lucca attacks, blocking each of his blows.

I could scream in frustration. I don’t know why it’s not working.

Why isn’t it fucking working?

‘Grab whoever is under that cloak!’ Ezra orders the soldiers as he fights Lucca. The soldiers turn their focus from fighting them to getting past them.

I hit the ground harder and harder with my palm.

Work! WORK!

Tessa falls to her knees before me and grabs my head, pressing her palms hard into my skull. Her eyes start to shimmer.

‘Sorry about this,’ she says.

A lie.

I get slammed with such despair and misery I can’t breathe. All air is squeezed from my lungs as she manipulates my emotions to her will. The need for my permission to use her powers is a thing of the past. Her powers are fully grown. As strong as they have ever been. And she throws a soul-shattering amount of despair straight into me.

The scream I release makes the room tremble. The ancient rune markings glow a vibrant gold and get brighter and brighter until they hurt my eyes. Tessa is screaming with me, feeling everything she’s dumping into my mind. Feeling the pain. The fear. The horror. The despair. A silky mist connects us, not just at her fingertips, but from her whole body. A ghostly shroud seeps from her and latches onto me.

Her pain. Her despair. Her fear. All of it. Thrown at me in one go.

Ezra tosses Lucca aside and raises his sword in desperation to sever us. He brings it down on Tessa, aiming for her neck. I reach out my hand and look up at him, my power building. Our eyes lock, and his face falls in shock.

‘Raven…’

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