Page 141 of Rage of Her Ravens

She squinted above her again, then nodded. I looked in the direction she squinted and saw absolutely nothing.

“He went to every town and used blinding magic,” Ember said and then paused, and I realized she was repeating what Lady Chara’s spirit was telling her. “He burned the libraries.”

“Why?” I asked.

Ember’s eyes had a glazed-over look that startled me. “Because he is Chaos,” she said in a monotone.

Great goddess. What was happening to my niece?

“Chaos?” Blaze rasped.

Ember blinked at us, her eyes alert once more. “That’s the name of the demon possessing him.”

Fuck!Drae’s curse resounded in my skull like a gong.

Ember twisted her doll’s hair around her sticky finger. “She says the only way to break the spell is to kill Thorin.”

“How do we do that?” I blurted.

“Find the other white witch and go to Fallax,” Ember answered.

The ‘other’ white witch. Great goddess. She believed I was a white witch, too.

The door cracked open, and a male servant came inside. He had dark hair and eyes like a typical Ravini, but he had small human ears, and his wings were limp curtains hanging down his back. He bowed low before Drae. “My Lord.”

“Leave us!” Drae jutted a finger toward the door, his eyes lit with rage. “We do not wish to be disturbed!”

The servant looked nervously from me to Drae. “I’m sorry, My Lord, but Queen Malvolia is here.”

I gasped, panic icing my veins.

“What?” Drae jumped to his feet, his wings furiously flapping. “Where?”

The servant pointed toward the ceiling. “She is on the battlements, My Lord.”

Drae loudly cleared his throat before turning up his chin. “Please escort her here and alert the staff we will be hosting her court for supper.”

“Yes, My Lord.” The servant bowed, then disappeared through the double doors.

My legs felt as limp as runny porridge as Blaze and Nikkos helped me stand, flanking me as if they were prepared to defend my life.

“Why is she here?” I rasped.

Drae visibly swallowed. “She knows we have you.”

Magic pulsed through my veins, swelling my lungs. “Will she try to kill us?”

The color drained from Drae’s face. “I hope not.”

Not a reassuring answer. No matter. I wouldn’t let her harm us, either way. Even if she had been fooled by the mind spinner, I couldn’t forget she’d tried to kill Tari and me when we were in our mother’s womb.

“What do we do?” Nikkos asked his brother.

Drae squared his shoulders, leveling us each with a dark look. “We tell her the truth, that Shiri’s parents turned on her, and Shiri seeks asylum with her aunt.”

“Do we tell her about Thorin?” I asked.

“No!” Fire swirled in his eyes and sparks flew off his fingers as his voice shook the marrow of my bones. “She might not believe us. We have no idea how much he’s corrupted her mind.”

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