Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 91049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91049 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 455(@200wpm)___ 364(@250wpm)___ 303(@300wpm)
I narrow my eyes as I see who the woman in front is. I get this nagging feeling that I know her. My brain won’t make the connection, causing my anger to rise.
“This isn’t good,” Bach whispers beside me.
“I know her,” I say.
“Yes, I was thinking the same thing.”
My lips part with a gasp as I realize who the other woman is. She’s the one who had her arms around Argon’s waist in the sphere’s image of him returning home.
“I don’t have a good feeling about this. You and the others guard the castle.”
“What? Where will you be?”
“I’m going to protect us.”
“Blaise—”
“Do as I say.” My voice echoes through the room, shaking it.
“Yes, princess.”
I stand and summon my cloak to wrap my body. I don’t so much as think before I shift the atmosphere outside the castle. I darken the sky and create a storm of snow and lightning.
“If you want to enter my world, you will play by my rules,” I mutter before phasing from my room to the courtyard, where I stand ready for battle.
* * *
Coralo
We step through the portal right at the edge of a thickly bushed forest. Right away, I can feel the power of this realm. I look up at the sky as it darkens.
“She knows we’re here,” I say.
“Yes, but she’s weakened.”
This is weakened? Oh, Mother. I think you’re underestimating your enemy again.
I release a sigh. There’s no use in telling her that. We need to do what we came here to do and get back. Hopefully, before we’re exposed. Although, I don’t think that’s going to be likely.
“Surround the castle. Push her to me. We need to draw her into the woods. I have a greater chance there.”
I nod and turn to our warriors to signal for them to split up. The group who remains with us, I wave forward as Mother moves toward the front of the castle. The closer we get, the more concerned I become.
“Argh,” Mother shouts when a wall of fire rises before us, almost singeing our faces off.
We all jump back. Mother lifts her hands as she murmurs a few words. She flickers in and out, but nothing happens to the wall of flames.
I purse my lips. Maybe I should’ve stayed behind. This woman is about to get us all killed. She begins to chant a little louder, and this time, the fire douses.
She turns to me with a satisfied grin. “See, piece of cake.”
“Sure,” I murmur under my breath.
“What was that?” Mother says, lifting a brow.
I look away so she can’t read my expression. A gasp leaves my lips. “Look, there she is.”
Mother whips her head around to face the castle once again. Standing in the courtyard is a cloaked figure. I assume that’s the beast Mother has been ranting about most of my life.
“Archers, attack,” my mother commands.
The sound of multiple bowstrings tightening fills my ears, followed by arrows zipping through the air. The cloaked figure stands completely unbothered as the arrows head for them. I understand why when the arrows stop midair, inches away from the being.
“Oh shit,” I breathe when the arrows turn to ashes and fall to the ground.
The cloaked figure flips back her hood, revealing a mass of curls. Even from this distance, I can see the glowing of her eyes. On instinct, I turn and put distance between myself and the warriors at our backs.
Mother leaps in the air just before our warriors go up in flames. Their cries of pain fill the air. I watch as the fire they’re in is consumed. I jerk my head up to look at Mother. She’s fading in and out again, but the warriors—though charred—are no longer on fire.
“You will fight,” she commands and the warriors stand at attention. The glow that surrounds each of them tells me they’re no longer living beings but creatures of my mother’s creation.
“I didn’t sign up for this.”
I quickly look around for cover. This is about to get messy. My mother is in way over her head.
Or maybe not. The warriors we sent to surround the castle start to move forward behind the beast. She seems unaware of their approach.
Suddenly, the beast speaks and everyone behind her flies backward as if her words rippled through the air and punched them all in the chest. My mouth drops open. I can’t believe my eyes.
“Welp, she’s not playing with us. Fuck this.”
I turn and hide in the shadows of the forest. Just far enough to hide but still see what’s going on. My mother is going to get us flattened or burned to a crisp.
This beast has the power of the royals of the land of Kunglig. Now I see why Mother needed Argon to be the one to come destroy her. If this is her weak state, what the hell would have happened to Argon had he tried to fight her?