in thy shadows! Thou wouldst strike at my familia? Thine own, then, shall pay thy tithe to me!”
Adonai turned his bloody eyes to Liviana Scaeva, cowering with her son beside the shattered throne. Jonnen stood in front of his mother, little fists clenched.
“Adonai!” Mercurio warned. “Don’t!”
“No!” Sidonius cried.
The speaker flung out his arms toward the woman and boy. Ribbons of blood scythed through the air at them both. Sid was dashing forward, bellowing at Adonai to stop. But Mercurio knew he’d be too late.
Too late …
With a whispered roar, a shape coalesced between the boy and the incoming blood—a man in a white robe, trimmed in purple. Julius Scaeva held up his hands, cried out as the blood struck him, burst through him. He staggered, gasping, eyes widening. Clutching his chest, the man turned slow, one hand held out to his boy.
“Father?” Jonnen breathed.
“M-my son…”
And with a bubbling sigh, the imperator of Itreya toppled to the floor.
Silence reigned—the guests’ panic stilled, the storm of blood around the speaker cutting lazy, broad arcs through the air. Taking no chances, Adonai curled his fingers again, lances of gore piercing Scaeva’s body dozens of times. The flat sound of splitting meat rang in the hall. The speaker’s beautiful face was turned hideous by the fury in his eyes.
Chunk.
Chunk.
Chunk.
Curling his fingers into fists, the blood about Adonai finally stilled. It splashed to the ground, lifeless, spatter-mad patterns coating the dance floor in a gleaming slick.
Mercurio’s heart was thunder in his chest as he whispered. “’Byss and blood, he fucking did it.”
Jonnen took one step toward the imperator’s corpse, tears shining in wide eyes.
“… Father?”
Adonai spat on the floor. Eyes on Scaeva’s body.
“Earned my power be.”
The speaker knelt beside his sister, knees in the blood, wrapping her up in his arms. Marielle slipped her manacled hands over his bare shoulders, seized hold of him tight, eyes closed against her tears.
“I feared the worst,” she whispered.
“Always shall I come for thee,” he murmured. “Always.”
Adonai pulled back from her embrace, brushed tapered fingertips over her bruised eyes, her split lips. Marielle turned away, putting her chained hands to her breast as if to cover the wasted skin and weeping sores. But Adonai cupped her cheeks with bloody hands, turned her to face him.
“How many times must I tell thee, sister love, sister mine?” he whispered.
Adonai kissed her eyes. He kissed her cheeks. He kissed her lips.
“Thou art beautiful.”
The shadow punched through his chest. Black and gleaming and sharp as broken glass. Adonai gasped, red eyes wide. Marielle screamed, her brother’s blood spattering on her face. Another blade of shadows pierced the speaker’s chest, another, another, the weaver wailing again as her brother’s body was torn from her arms, up into the air. Adonai’s beautiful face was twisted, blood spilling over his lips as he clutched the shadows piercing his flesh. Eyes on Marielle as she reached toward him.
Mercurio looked to Scaeva’s body, watching in horror as the imperator placed one palm on the bloody floor, pushed himself upright. Liquid darkness was leaking from the holes in his flesh as he stood, his shadows writhing. Whisper slithered up from the dark at his master’s feet, coiled about his shoulder. Scaeva looked at the pinioned speaker with eyes black as the skies above.
“I have the blood of a god inside me, Adonai.” The imperator shook his head. “How could you possibly think to harm me with the blood of men?”
Scaeva closed his fist.
And Adonai was torn to pieces.
Marielle’s scream of rage and horror rang on marbled walls and singing Dweymeri crystal. Another wave of panic hit the crowd and they surged again, finally breaking through the ballroom doors and streaming out into the palazzo beyond. Mercurio could hear their cries, their panic, the thunder of their retreating footsteps, staring in disbelief at Adonai’s remains.
Sidonius was less awestruck. The big gladiatii had stolen across the bloody floor at Scaeva’s back, snatching up a fallen sunsteel sword. Bladesinger had already gathered Jonnen in her arms, dragging a dumbstruck Liviana Scaeva to her feet. Mercurio beckoned them, hoping to slink back into the dark and flee for their lives.
Except the dark could see everything he did now.
The shadows lashed out, snatching Jonnen from ’Singer’s arms and smashing her into the far wall. Sidonius roared and raised his sunsteel, the sword bursting into flames. A shadowblade punched through his belly and the gladiatii gasped, staggering. Another black blade flashed, sending the big Itreyan skidding across the bloody floor and crashing into one of