Page 110 of The Wolf and Her Shadows

At those last two words, the crippling fear constricting my chest lessens to a slightly more manageable level. Forcing myself to nod, I shift my gaze away from the cruel prince of my nightmares and instead focus on The Shadow Prince standing before me. The prince I love.

Gritting my teeth, I snarl, “The only promise I want you to make, is that he won’t live to see another sunrise.”

“Your wish is my command, Your Majesty.” Without another word, Vannaria vanishes, leaving behind nothing but a swirl of shadow and a warm, tingling sensation where her hands had just been. Before any of us have time to react, she reappears on the main deck, one armed now wrapped around a wide-eyed prince and holding a dagger against his throat.

“I demand you unhand me at once!” Garin screams, attempting to lean away from the blade at his neck. “Just wait until my father hears about this!”

Whatever fear I’d experienced a moment ago completely vanishes at the sight of the pathetic man now trembling in my lover’s arms. Drawing my own magic to the surface, I begin slowly making my way down the stairs towards them. My friends immediately fall into step behind me, their anger nearly as palpable as I’m sure mine is.

“Our quarters are soundproof,” Trick calls out once we’ve made it to the bottom of the steps. “I recommend taking him there.”

At his words, Garin’s eyes snap toward me. “You bitch! Just wait until I’m done with you, I’ll make you wish you’d never–” The blade against his throat cuts deep into skin as he attempts to lunge for me.

Shaking my head slowly, I taunt him further by clicking my tongue. “Eh eh eh.” I allow myself a single moment to watch the blood trail down his pale skin before stepping directly in front of him and lifting my hand to his throat to heal his injury. “Can’t have you killing yourself on accident before I get a chance to return the favor for what you’ve already done to me.”

“You… You can’t… You shouldn’t be able to…” he stammers, his eyes widening even further.

“Shouldn’t what?” I ask, tilting my head in a display of innocence. “Shouldn’t be able to do this?” Taking a step back, I summon several vines from the wooden deck of this ship beneath our feet, their long thorns glinting in the sunlight. “Whoops. Would you look at that? Someone must’ve given me my magic back.”

Behind him Vannaria chuckles. “Would you like me to escort this piece of filth to the captain’s quarters for you, Your Majesty?”

Shifting my eyes to hers, I nod. “Yes please, Your Highness.”

While I know how much she normally loathes when people call her by her title, I can’t help but to relish in the way Garin splutters, “Excuse me! I’m the one who’s the fucking prince! You will show me the respect I deserve, you–” Whatever else he says is cut off as Vannaria shadows them both away.

Placing a large hand on my shoulder, Stephan whispers, “Would you like us to come with you? Or?”

I quickly shake my head. “No. Ensure the children stay below deck. Trick’s room may be soundproof, but…”

“Understood. We’ll keep them entertained.” His hand falls away. “Be careful, Mariane.”

With that, I take a deep breath, straighten my shoulders, and stride purposefully toward the captain’s quarters.

As soon as I open the door, I’m greeted by angry shrieks and curses, proving just how effective the room’s enchantment truly is. However, Garin’s cries immediately cease when I slam the door shut, replaced by the sound of his strangled laughter.

“It doesn’t matter how much magic you have. You won’t kill me, and you know it,” he sneers, still foolishly attempting to break free of my lover’s hold. “Not when you know it’ll put your precious little forest at risk. As a matter of fact, I think this is already enough for my father’s mages to set fire to it, don’t you?”

“Hmm. You make a good point.” Glancing over his shoulder at Vannaria, I tap a finger against my chin while I summon fresh vines, loosely coiling them around his ankles. “What do you think, Your Highness? Should we let him go? Beg for an apology?”

“Why do you keep calling them that?” Garin snaps, doing his best to crane his head to look at his captor as I slowly secure both his legs and wrists to the floorboards beneath him. “Who the hell are you?”

“Oh, my sincerest apologies. You’re right, we haven’t been properly introduced.” Vannaria waits until I’ve finished restraining him before stepping into his line of sight and dipping into a mocking bow. “My name is Vaniaren Zarathi, heir to the fallen Kingdom of Amzarath.”

“The Shadow Prince,” he gasps, his eyes somehow growing even wider. “But, that’s impossible. My father killed all the Nightshadow Elves.”

“Clearly he missed one,” I say, lovingly caressing Vannaria’s arm as I lean my head against her shoulder. “But don’t worry, your father will be joining you soon enough. In death, that is.”

“Along with everyone else responsible for the massacre of my people.” Vannaria grins wickedly as her eyes begin to turn brown. “We have a score to settle after all.”

Seeing Garin fruitlessly struggling against the iron-tight grip my vines have on him, I realize I forgot to create the thorns on these. I quickly rectify my mistake, enjoying the way the so-called prince’s angry shouts immediately transition into cries of anguish when the long barbs dig into his flesh. A smile curls at the corners of my lips as blood begins to trickle from each of his small wounds.

“Please,” he whimpers, a pleading look in his hazel eyes. “Please let me go. I’ll do anything.”

“That’s funny,” I coo, taking the dagger from Vannaria’s hand and stepping away from her. “I vaguely remember saying a similar thing once myself. Do you remember what you told me?”

The way he lowers his eyes proves he does. A fresh wave of fury surges through me as I use my vines to force him to his knees, his pitiful whining music to my ears.

“You do, don’t you?” Pressing the tip of the dagger beneath his chin, I force him to meet my gaze again. “How about you say it again. Nice and loud so my lover can hear you.”