Academy for Courting Curses - Tara West Page 0,15

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“No!” Serah screamed.

Teju shifted into a human and threw a bubble around them with amazing speed. Laughter echoed around them as Rhia popped the bubble with the tip of her scepter.

“Turn him into a slug, My Queen.” Raphael laughed.

Teju threw a second bubble and a third. She popped them all.

“We’re running out of options!” Teju shouted to Draque.

Draque puffed up his chest, fire racing into his throat. “Then we burn them all.”

“Please stop this,” Serah demanded. “She’ll kill you!”

They weren’t listening to her. Teju shifted back into dragon form, and he and his brothers rose over the Fae, fire lighting up their throats.

The queen zapped them, lightning shooting out of her wand in three arcs. Serah screamed as blue light bounced across Ladon’s scales and zapped her off his back. She tumbled across his spine and landed on his spiky tail with a grunt, pain lancing along her ribs.

That fucking bitch! Thelix cried. Use your siren voice. Make her pay!

Rolling off Ladon’s tail, she stumbled to her feet, clutching her wand, watching helplessly as her mates convulsed like bugs flying into an electrified, magical shield, the energy completely engulfing them.

Fucking bitch was right. The queen was killing her mates! Rolling up her sleeves, she took a steadying breath, wishing she had a wand with the unbreakable curse, and stared down her nemesis. “Stop!” She hollered, magic flowing through her veins and electrifying her hair as she used her siren voice. “Drop your scepter, bitch!”

The queen stumbled back, the scepter falling from her hand. The wand disappeared into the mist near the floor with a whoosh.

A wave of murmurs and cries went through the observers as the Fae retreated.

“The scepter is lost!” Victor cried.

“No one can part the queen from her scepter!” Raphael hissed.

Two Fae helped Rhia to her throne, while the rest looked at Serah as if she’d set a litter of kittens on fire.

I’m out of here, Thelix squeaked.

Her mates stumbled and shuddered, and Serah hoped she hadn’t been too late to save them. She placed a hand on Ladon’s scale and felt static. Are you okay?

We will be. Draque tried to find his footing.

How had the scepter gone through the floor when her heavy dragon mates hadn’t even put a dent in the clouds?

When Ladon crouched on all four paws, she thought he was about to have a seizure. He angled his head toward her, his eyes foggy, sweat dripping down his scaled brow. Get back on. We have to leave.

She didn’t need to be told twice. She scurried up his side. Pressing her hands to his scales, she was relieved that the buzz of energy was hardly noticeable. After she was seated, she peered around his head. The Fae were still spread out, though they clutched their spears in white-knuckled grips, murderous looks in their eyes.

Rhia’s purple irises had darkened to an inky black, her voice dropping to a threatening rumble as she jutted a finger at Serah. “What have you done?”

Beneath her, Ladon’s growls rattled her bones.

“You were hurting my mates!”

The queen looked at her empty hands as if she was seeing them for the first time. “The scepter is gone! How did you do that?”

Serah shrugged. “I’m a siren.”

Rhia gaped at her as if she was seeing a ghost. “I am immune to the siren’s call.”

Draque’s laughter rattled his scales. “I guess not.”

The circle of Fae started to move closer, raising their weapons as if they intended to hurl them. Ladon straightened, and Teju and Draque shook their scales before standing erect once again. When her mates growled at them, they stopped their advance.

“No one can part the queen from her scepter,” Victor snarled.

Ladon snorted. “Serah just did.”

“Your successor can part you from your scepter,” Teju said to the queen.

Agonized cries rose from the circle of Fae, who lowered their weapons. Cowards.

Serah was overcome by a wave of nausea. This couldn’t be happening. She didn’t want to be the queen of a bunch of troll butt boils.

Rhia clutched her throat, a look of horror reflecting in her eyes. “Impossible.”

“Don’t deny it.” Teju growled. “I’ve studied Fae law.”

Rhia’s bottom lip trembled. “I have not chosen a successor.”

Teju’s fanged grin stretched nearly ear to ear. “Perhaps the scepter has chosen for you.”

“A half-Fae!” she shrieked. “Are you mad?”

Smoke poured from his nostrils. “Our goddess was only half-Fae.”

It suddenly occurred to Serah that the queen and the Fae were at their mercy, now that Rhia had no scepter. Serah’s mates could turn them