Page 27 of The Serpent Prince

Muttering the spell for the illusion again, she went invisible and fumed as she walked back to her rooms. She tripped going inside, twisting her ankle, but her shadows pulled her back up. She growled and tugged off her gloves, tossed them aside, then did the same with her boots.

Her shadows whipped around the room, easily breaking free of the tenuous hold. She’d barely kept them inside on the walk back. It was only when she was threatened that they misbehaved. How was she being threatened right now when no bodily harm was imminent?

She sighed, dragging herself down to the floor, her back against the wall. She wanted to wake up from this nightmare.

Every movement hurt as her chest radiated pain, but her breath wouldn’t slow. It was then she finally admitted to herself, in the cold, dark reality of the morning light, the despicable truth of it all.

There was no denying it―she wanted Kiran—and when she wanted something, she would obsess over it until she got it. Maybe if she could just give in once to the animalistic desires splitting her from the inside out, she could gain some semblance of control back.

But Kiran’s words splintered her. Imani wasn’t tempting?

They would see about that. The other beautiful female was a traitor to her own kind, and tomorrow, Imani would rip away as much glamour as she dared and bring the full force of her looks and magic to bear. Kiran’s warning to be careful around his father be damned.

CHAPTER 10

Imani’s foot ached, and she tried not to limp to the throne room. While all of her obvious glamour was gone today, she couldn’t truly strip herself bare in front of the king. This wasn’t like the duel against Aiden. She wouldn’t risk the king seeing her red brands, and it would only frighten people to see her missing fingers and scarring in such a public manner. So, she had sliced off another half a toe and shaved off the nails on the rest of the others to cast a flesh magic illusion. The nails, at least, would grow back. She only hoped it would be enough to stand up to the king’s scrutiny.

Kiran knew part of what was hidden, but hopefully, he’d just assume it was the echo shield at work.

Besides the flesh magic and echo shield over her red brands, missing fingers and black marking, she was out in full force. Entirely without glamour, her soft pale skin glowed. Her eyes were piercing bright blue and her lips pink and full. Even her hair shone lustrously in beautiful curls that she’d tied loosely with a ribbon down her back.

People stared when she walked past, desire in their eyes.

Gripping her wand, she felt exposed but somehow more powerful than she had in years.

The throne was located at the center of Menlone Mountain, and she wondered how long it had been here. A long time, she guessed, because the castle seemed to have been built around the room, and it was older than anything in Essenheim.

Dank hallways led them downward, deeper into the belly of the mountain. Dozens of sconces and candles lined the walls and table, casting everything in an orange glow. But, without windows, it grew darker and colder, too.

Imani’s teeth were on edge as she tried to calm her racing thoughts. She hadn’t even laid eyes on it yet, but the throne seemed to feel more menacing the deeper they went, bearing down on her heavily.

Paths became steeper the deeper they climbed. Crowded, too. It scared her a little to be this deep and so crammed in.

The steps leading down were narrow, and with her injury, she slipped a few times. Luvon, the other high-bred Norn witch who’d survived the assessments, grabbed her arm before she could totally lose her footing.

“Thank you,” she mumbled, irritated at herself. The pain in her foot was excruciating, but she needed to get it together.

Luvon stared a little too long at her binding mark but didn’t say a word. He was kind.

Suddenly, she forgot all about looking demure. It was almost difficult to breathe as they approached the large room. Guards swung the doors wide open. Luvon and Imani stood awkwardly together as breeds found each other and began conversing. Their two-person group of Norn elves was the smallest.

Women dressed in simple gray gowns—similar to the fashion in Essenheim—and a single guard surrounded the two Norn elves. Imani peeked around them to see that the other breeds were also being grouped together and assigned staff. The shifters took up the entire front of the room, with the nymphs holding up the rear. Pixies were scattered throughout the center, along with Imani and Luvon.

Up front, there appeared to be a scuffle. Imani craned her neck to see and watched as one man took a swing, missed, then stumbled into the empty space near the stairs to the throne. In an instant, he convulsed on the floor.

Curious, Imani couldn’t look away. “What’s happened to him?” she asked Luvon, her eyes fixed on the man.

Luvon came to stand next to her, and she felt comforted to be here with someone else of her kind. She wondered if he missed his heartmate.

“That was the throne, and only the king can control it. Otherwise, it protects itself from anyone getting close, to keep its power from unworthy usurpers. No one but a monarch has been able to sit upon it since its inception, and no one but a monarch can invite you into its circle.” Luvon sighed. “He’s lucky. He was only too close for just a few seconds. He’ll live.”

The massive throne on which the Niflheim king presumably sat looked fearsome and grotesque, but unlike the subtle power of the crown, an intense and overt feeling of magic emanated from it, drawing Imani’s attention.

Anyone attempting to steal the crown could probably get it off the king’s or queen’s head, despite the pain it would cause the monarch, but once they did, the person would eventually become overwhelmed and choked by the growing branches and roots. Some say the crown could devour a man whole and embed the organic matter into itself, only making its power stronger.

The only person the crown did not destroy was the monarch.

There were few things in the realm that wielded their own magic without a conduit, like a wand. The crown and the Draswood trees were two of them. The throne was the third.