AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I was only half listening, determined to discover his intentions before he could act on them. “Because I don’t knowthat you’re telling the truth,” I quipped, more than ready to end the conversation. But I was so close to passing the barrier…
Rage flared from him at my questioning of his integrity, dragging me to the center of his heart.
There.
Flashes of feeling overwhelmed me almost instantly as my magic latched on to his emotions, flipping through them like they were pages in a book. Never before had I ventured so deep into someone’s psyche, and I nearly vomited at what I found.
Desire-filled fantasies of me before my rescue. Desperation to keep me while we were at Zirok. Jealousy over my close interactions with the Nighthounds. Adoration as I spoke to the people of the Night Realm. Love as he drank me in while I wore the golden dress. Fear as Iron Realm soldiers ripped me away from him. Grief upon finding his father dying minutes later. Fury as he raced through the woods searching for me. Laying with my clothes at night. Protectiveness over images of my belly swollen with child. Obsession to bind me to him by any means necessary.
I yanked back with horror, but in my haste, I brushed against his binding magic, causing it to flare to life and give chase as I lost control of the tendril. It was thick, ropey, and vile, with a hellish desire of its own, grasping at my magic as I frantically pulled away, barely managing to slip through its corrupting fingers.
Kazimir’s chuckle was filled with depravity, sending a shiver of fear down my spine. “Did you find what you were looking for, Izidora?” He lunged, capturing my throat in his hand before I could react. Gasping for breath, I rose to my tiptoes, trying to relieve the pressure on my neck. With my right leg, I kicked out, landing a heavy blow to the inside of his knee. He grunted, his grip loosening just enough for me to suck in a breath. I locked my hands together and brought them with all the force I couldmuster on the crook of his elbow. He released me completely, and I stumbled backward and away from him.
“Don’t touch me,” I snarled, calling white magic to my hands, ready to defend myself.
I was not powerless in the face of the monster Kazimir had become.
“You are mine. I will touch you whenever I want. Don’t you feel the pull between us? You want it as badly as I do.” Kazimir merely jerked his clothes straight and faced me again, unruffled by my strikes.
“Maybe I did once, but no longer. Something is wrong with you, Kazimir.”
His once-kind emerald eyes darkened, and his lips curled into a sneer. Two thick black ropes like snakes landed at my feet with a dismissive wave of his hand. They uncoiled and moved of their own accord, slithering toward me. I blasted each of them away with white magic before they could get close, then called my wings and floated backward and away from the sinister magic.
Better to have a third movement option.
Kazimir sniffed the air around us. “I smell your arousal, Izidora. It clings to your thighs.”
Bile rose in my throat. “You are insane.”
Faster than I thought possible, he had me pinned to the ground. With all my strength, I pushed against him, screaming for help. Panic clawed its way up my throat, and my mind blanked on what to do to defend myself as he caught my hands together and shoved them above my head. The other gloved hand found my mouth, silencing me. “I went crazy when he took you. I had to, to get you back. You just need to understand the depths I would go to, the darkness I would fall into, for you. Then you’ll choose me.”
Kazimir had said as much before, but I had already made my choice. Therightchoice. But if I called on Ruslan for help with Kazimir pinning me like this, he’d kill him. He wanted so badly to win the other monarchs to his side, and I feared if he killed the new king of the Night Realm, they would turn against us. I didn’t want everything to go dark because of me.
“Zuriel! Help! I’m in the stables.”
“I’m on my way.”
The hand that covered my mouth shifted slightly, and I did not hesitate to bite down, hard. “You bitch,” he seethed, a stinging slap whipping my head to the side.
But the pain sharpened my focus and fueled my rage, which I redirected to my magic, spearing it into his mind. The last thing I ever wanted to do was torture anyone with my empath magic again, but he’d crossed a line, and I wanted vengeance.
His back arched and he fell away, writhing in pain as I focused all my energy on sending the whipping sensations I knew all too well across his back. I’d suffered hundreds of lashes, yet they still stung my back as I forced Kazimir to feel them too. My eyes burned with unshed tears as I struggled with my breath, bearing the pain so I could deliver more to Kazimir.
Zuriel dropped from the sky beside me as Kazimir screamed in agony. My cousin looked at the red mark across my face, then at the writhing male in front of me. “I’ll take it from here.”
Releasing my hold on him, I stalked away as Zuriel caged Kazimir in a net of light. “If you ever touch her again, I will not hesitate to kill you. You are a despicable excuse for a male.”
Zuriel backed away with me, holding his magic until we were out of sight of the male I had loved first. Adrenaline still flooded my veins, and I hurried through the halls of Ryza, my heart pounding in my chest as I struggled to gulp down enough air. I took the spiraling stairs that led to our suite two at a time, and once we were safely behind closed doors, I let go. Tears flowedfreely down my face, and I heaved breath in and out until Zuriel shook me gently to get my attention.
“Follow my breath,” he instructed. I focused wholly on my cousin as he took me through a familiar set of breathwork until I calmed down.
I was safe. There was no cave. I was not trapped. I was not powerless.
Not a moment later, Ruslan burst through the door with a wild look in his eye. He rushed to my side, and through our bond I felt wave after wave of concern. “Izidora, what happened?”
I dried the last of my tears and then snorted with not nearly enough disdain. “Kazimir attacked me. I think I handled it pretty well.”
Zuriel dipped his head in agreement. “I never thought I would see her willingly do it, but she tortured him with her empath magic.”
