backward just a bit, and the magic glow of white and purple that surrounded my floating body vanished, its power going with it.
I crashed to the floor, cringing at the height and the damage to my left ribs, but there was no time for wallowing as the ground shook from the shifter's approach.
My immediate instinct was to protect the woman who had saved me. Why it made sense to me to do that was a question I'd ask the gods when I ascended for judgment, but I scrambled to get up and darted forward until I skidded to a stop right in front of her.
It was as though she was royalty and it was now my every duty to protect her.
The world slowed. I took my final breath, lifting my arms up and crossing them like the iconic Wonder Woman move in the classics.
My death would be inevitable. This gorilla's impact would send me crashing into the wall five feet from us, but I didn't have a pinch of regret, unlike with my near-death experience in the water.
There were no flashbacks, but I again had a picture of my family. My bros and Everett. The life I'd enjoyed with them.
Forgive me. I at least died with honor.
The surge of heat that bloomed against my flesh made me hiss in agony, but the impact that crashed into my defensive pose didn't faze me.
In fact, it did the opposite.
My eyelids lifted in time to see the charging force of orange and turquoise, the static jolts reminding me of an electric frenzy. Its appearance created a reflective effect, sending the massive gorilla flying back like a blur.
She didn't just crash into the opposite wall. She went through it and into another room, igniting a chorus of shrieks, screams, broken metal, and collapsing rock. The kaboom! finale shook the entire place and had everyone crouching down in preparation for a ceiling collapse.
We all waited in silence, everyone's attention on the massive whole and the rising smoke. When the gorilla didn't come back, all eyes turned to me, and I looked over to my right arm, where the blazing turquoise mark was back in full force.
I fought to not get lost in its radiance. My body felt like an overcharged battery, and the slight tremble coursing through my arms and legs almost made me feel unstable.
"Worthy."
The single word had me turning around, my shaky body now facing the woman who wore a pleased smile of admiration. Why her approval almost brought me to tears was beyond me, but in the reflection of her irises, I noticed my eyes that were doing what hers had previously.
Glowing.
Guards charged me, and I honestly hoped they took me away because I didn't know how long I'd last standing.
My stomach dropped, the lack of food and the sudden exertion hitting me like a truck. I fell forward and expected the ground to welcome me but was quickly caught like I weighed nothing.
"Give the pris—" a guard tried to demand.
"Dare to kill her and I'll ensure you all die within the hour." The declaration was so cold, I shivered even harder.
Now that the buzzing was gone from my body, I was sensitive to the heavy energy around me. I knew it wasn't coming from me; the obvious source was the woman who must have been holding me.
"You can't—"
"Did you forget what I am? Do you need a reminder of what a Monarch can do?"
Thick silence fell before she continued.
"Whoever thought human guards were best for breakfast duty is an idiot. I've avoided coming here due to boredom, but this new predicament excites me. Do what I say and don't delay, for I have plenty of connections within these walls, though that's the least of your concern. I am the pure definition of psychic misery, and if you decide to disobey, do not beg for forgiveness when I plague your fragile minds with blissful catastrophe."
Her threatening words and insults made me afraid. I'd had plenty of scary moments, but the longer I remained in this woman's grasp, the more frightening she became. I honestly wished for death at this point, because the mere pressure against my body and mind was making me desperate to pass out.
The silent reply was all the woman needed.
"Treat her and let the dragon guard know. Tell the authorities the gorilla started it. I better see every bit of hair on this woman's pretty head intact, and no punishment should be given, understood?"
"Y-yes, Priso—"
"Alisha Butterfly. Or, 'Your Majesty'