me collapse with a pained shout. I bite my lip, holding in my screams as I turn my head to stare up at the fairy. How the hell did I not see the prince move from his spot around the fire?
He approaches at a casual, unhurried pace, and I scream in agony when he grabs hold of the end of the spear that was driven into my leg and pushes further so that it pierces deep into the dirt beneath me, anchoring me to the ground. Satharal immediately drops to my side, her hands sliding over me in an attempt to comfort as she grabs hold of the spear. I scream again to the unhinged laughter of the prince when she pulls fruitlessly.
The spear won’t budge.
I grab her hand and pull her over so that she’s crouched in front of me.
“Go,” I beg. “Find Eliph, wherever he is. Please. Run away!”
She shakes her head, her arms clasping around me. “I won’t leave you here alone,” she growls. “I won’t let them kill you just because my false king permits it. I will right this wrong that my people allowed by our docile acceptance.”
Tearing away from me, she leaps to her feet, her lips pulling back from her teeth as she lets out a savage roar.
Even through my haze of pain, my eyes track the prince as he circles us, the surprise in his expression at her roar shifting to an oily smile as his eyes narrow on the elf.
“So surprising to see an elf out here all alone—and helping my lawful prey escape, one that your king gave me full rights to, I might add. So what should I do with such a traitor full of so much delicious magic?” He practically purrs over the last two words, making me shudder.
Satharal braces, and I can see some defensive sparks of magic gathering at her hands. He does too, but he just laughs and extends one scary-looking hand tipped with vicious claws toward her.
The elf lashes out with her magic, and all manner of vines erupt from his skin, making him howl with anger and pain, but he somehow hooks his hand around her neck despite the painful ravaging of his body and drags her up into the air even as black vessels burst oozing with blood all over his skin.
Her eyes widen in shock at the impossible maneuver as he dangles her up in front of me and draws her close to his mouth.
I can see her eyes widen in shock and horror. She is still fighting him, and he’s practically deformed now with the vines making a mess of muscle and tissue, but he doesn’t stop. Whatever magic he ingested to make him so powerful, her magic can’t stop him, and I see the moment she realizes that. Her eyes dilate and turn toward me in silent apology as his teeth rip deep into her neck and tear away the flesh.
I press my fist into the dirt, sobs shaking me as I hear every lusty swallow of blood and groan of delight until, finally, I hear her body drop beside me. I turn my head up to face my would-be murderer, hate shining through the tears that drip down my cheeks. His smile widens as he stares down at me, and in those eyes I can see the madness of the hunt brimming in their depths and every horror I experienced as I was chased by those creatures through the woods. He was the head of the vile snake. He licks the blood dripping from his lips and teeth as he crouches down and leans in close.
“Your death will not be so fast, but it shall be even sweeter,” he murmurs. “But for now… just a taste.”
Gripping my chin with his fingers, he leans in closer and tips my head to expose the vulnerable skin of my neck. I stare out at the stars, and they glitter at the tear-filled edges of my vision.
Satharal… What a fucking waste of life, all thanks to the games that these high elves and fairy courts play with everyone else around them as if they’re only pawns.
In the distance, a light brightens like a star, but so much larger. It’s not falling from the sky or hanging above, but now that I focus on it, I can see it’s careening at impossible speeds through the forest, growing larger at its approach.
Halathnar stiffens as everything brightens around him, and he straightens to face that