Academy for Courting Curses - Tara West Page 0,17

her. Her uncles had no right to reject her. She’d never done anything to any of the Fae. They treated her like she was of no more importance than the grime under a troll’s fingernails, and she was fucking sick of it.

“You just said it was your wand, so which is it?” Straightening, she clutched the scepter to her chest. “Mine or yours?”

That’s our girl, Draque projected.

Now that we are queen, they must lick our pussy whenever we command, said Thelix.

Queen of the Fae. Great Goddess! She could hardly believe what was happening.

The cloud shook as a deep roar resounded around them, rattling Serah’s skull.

Ladon bristled beneath her. “What the fuck was that?”

Draque swallowed, a visible knot sliding down his long neck. “That was louder than any dragon.”

Everyone looked to King Tormung, whose eyes were wide with fear.

Fuck.

* * *

Serah clung to Ladon as he took off, following King Tormung. She looked over her shoulder; Tehu and Draque accompanied them. Her uncles and Rhia followed them on winged horses. The clouds parted, and she saw a blue monster below them, at least ten times the size of a dragon, with a bulbous head, inky, tear-drop shaped eyes, and eight tentacled arms that snatched witches off the beach, shoving them into his massive beaked mouth. Dragons tried to drive him back with fire. The beast smacked her father-in-law, Dagon, sending him careening into the ocean. Thaddeus and Hector flew after their father, dragging him from the ocean moments before a tentacle slapped the water.

Great Goddess! Teju said in her head. I cannot believe my eyes!

What is it? she asked, almost afraid to know the answer.

Kraken, he rasped.

We’re so fucked, Thelix cried.

“Retreat! Retreat!” Tormung boomed after the monster flung one of his generals. The dragon hit the side of the cliff with a sickening crunch, then slid onto the beach with a slackened jaw, his neck twisted at an awkward angle, his lifeless eyes staring up at the sky.

They landed on top of the cliff overlooking the destruction. She slipped off Ladon’s back, and her mates shifted into humans, clutching their wands like lifelines. They ran to Dagon, who had shifted into a middle-aged man, cradling a broken arm while the rest of the family hovered protectively. Violet got to work setting his arm. Serah clutched her gut when she heard the bones crunch back into place. After Violet gave him a potion for his pain and he fell asleep, they turned their attention back to the ocean.

They joined other witches on the edge of the cliff, shooting blue bolts at the beast. He swatted away the magic like a human shooing flies. Some witches had chosen to stay on the beach and fight. Their wands were useless, blue bolts bouncing off the goliath’s rubbery skin. All they did was piss him off and leave themselves vulnerable to his wrath. Other than Rhia and her uncles, who watched from the safety of the cliff, the rest of the warrior Fae were nowhere to be seen, hiding in their cloud. She didn’t know if they hid because of cowardice or Rhia’s lack of leadership. Either way, she didn’t relish the thought of becoming their queen.

When the beast wrapped a long tentacle around the fallen general’s leg, they watched helplessly as it dragged the dragon across the beach. Tormung let out a wail when the monster disappeared beneath the water with his prize.

Rhia placed a hand on his side, comforting him. “He was already dead,” she said. “There was nothing more you could do.”

“How did this happen?” Fire brewed in Tormung’s eyes as he looked helplessly at Rhia. “The Kraken disappeared with Gae over a thousand years ago.”

Rhia’s shoulders fell. “I don’t know.”

“Where did it come from?” Serah asked Teju.

He scratched the back of his head. “No clue.”

This wasn’t good. Teju knew everything. Once again, she scowled at the unwanted rod in her hand. “Did the scepter do it?”

“Don’t be a fool,” Rhia snapped furiously.

In that moment she felt the former Fae queen’s hatred for her and knew the bitch wanted to destroy her. Could she have summoned the monster?

The kraken resurfaced, blood dripping from its beak.

Smoke poured from Tormung’s snout as he snarled at the creature. “I will rip off his spider limbs one by one.”

“You will do no such thing.” Rhia glared at Serah. “You will drive the beast back with the scepter.”

Serah arched back. “Me?” She turned the scepter over in her hand. “I don’t know how to use this.” It