The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash 4)

Her skin split open at the hairline as I stalked forward, another blood tree taking root, then another and another behind me. Blood beaded along the slice curving toward her temple, narrowly missing her left eye. Another deep cut formed across her forehead and ran through her brow.

Another pulse of eather hit me as she staggered to her feet. I drew that into myself as my throat burned. As an ache settled deep in the center of my back, and my jaw throbbed. I lifted my hands, and all the fallen weapons rose from the Temple floor and flew forward.

Isbeth waved her arm, sending them scattering. “Cute parlor trick.”

Closing the distance between us, I cocked my head to the side as a chunk of stone slammed into the side of her head. Blood gushed from her nose, her mouth. “How’s that for a cute parlor trick, Mother?”

Isbeth stumbled, catching herself. Her head whipped toward me. “You want to kill me? It won’t bring any of them back. It won’t stop what is coming—”

A wave of eather rolled from me, striking Isbeth. She fell back, laughing.

The air charged around me as lightning cracked overhead. I sucked in that energy as I saw Millicent fighting to get to Malec. Isbeth lashed out. A pulse of light struck my leg and splintered off, striking Millicent as she grasped the dagger protruding from Malec’s chest. She spun back, landing in a pool of blood near a toppled pillar, the blade limp in her hand.

“Betrayed by both of my daughters.” Isbeth wiped the blood from her face. “I’m so very proud.”

Snapping forward, I grabbed the crown. She howled as the jewels snagged, tearing clumps of her hair free as I yanked it from her head. Rage fueled me as I drew back my hand and backhanded her with the crown, knocking her to the floor.

“Gods,” she grunted, spitting out a mouthful of blood and teeth. “That was uncalled for.”

The energy ramped up, and I shattered the crown, bits of rubies and diamonds falling to the floor. I knelt, grasping the back of her hair. Shadow and light swirled under my skin as she met my stare. “Your reign has come to an end.”

“I chose Malec,” Isbeth said, gripping my arm, her touch burning. “It had to be him because I couldn’t kill you. I wouldn’t because I love you,” she whispered, slamming her hand into my chest.

The eather burned straight through me, overwhelming my control as it lifted me from my feet and sent me flying backward. Every single nerve ending screamed out in pain as the eather shot through me. It was like being struck by lightning, robbing my breath and stealing muscle control. I knew I was falling, but I could do nothing to soften the impact.

“Poppy!” Casteel shouted.

Every bone in my body shook as I hit the floor. Bright lights flashed behind my eyes as I rolled to my side. The breath I took scorched my lungs. My ribs protested the movement as I tried to sit up. The ache in my back spread into my shoulders, and all the while, those lights kept flashing, allowing me only glimpses of the chaos around me. Reaver was down, shimmery lights sparking from him as he attempted to shake off the dakkais. Malik lay with one arm over Millicent as if he sought to shield her with his last breath. Not a single inch of their bodies wasn’t scorched or torn up. No more draken flew, and Kieran, he yelled my name, too as the lights flashed—

Suddenly, there was no light. No color or sound.

Then, a speck of silver throbbed and expanded, growing brighter, and in that light was her. Hair, the color of moonlight, fell over shoulders in a cascading mass of tangled curls and waves. A luminous sheen nearly masked the freckles across the nose and cheek and gave the skin a silvery, pearlescent glow. But I recognized her from the dreams that weren’t dreams. Her eyes opened, and I saw they were the color of spring grass—green laced with bright, luminous eather.

“It wasn’t supposed to be this way,” she whispered, but there were no blood tears now. Acidic, icy-hot anger fell upon me. An endless fury I had never felt before, could never experience because it had grown for decades. Centuries.

My entire body spasmed as I remembered what Reaver had said—what Vikter had told Tawny. The beginning verse of the prophecy. Born of mortal flesh, a great primal power rises as the heir to the lands and seas, to the skies and all the realms. A shadow in the ember, a light in the flame, to become a fire in the flesh…

To speak her name is to bring the stars from the skies and topple the mountains into the sea…

Her name was power, but only when spoken by the one born as she, and of a great primal power.