Page 243 of Commanding Scythe and Sky

I planted my hands into the earth as the rain continued to pour.

A scream turned my blood molten. One of ours was down—Moros jumping out like the coward he was. With a bellow of rage, I bowed my head, eyes still locked on the serpent as she dove for Tieran, then Bronwyn, then Kingsley, jaws snapping with each lunge.

Now, I ordered. Satisfied when the others vanished, I held my ground as the enormous snake whirled, its body slamming into the buildings on either side as it turned on me. Those gold eyes flew wide—and then she was seizing.

Her enormous scales rippled unnaturally, the ground steaming around her as tremors wracked her body.

Agony down the bond fueled my next decision. I funneled power deeper and forced it through the ground—a chasm cracking across the street, sparks popping from dormant power lines as it writhed beneath her.

And for the first time in months, I smiled.

For Ansel. For Ally. For Aren.

Because the snake was smoking, long body rigid, jaw unhinged. When I finally broke the circuit, she collapsed. I stalked forward, sparks still dancing at my fingertips, and cocked my head as the massive diamond-shaped head shifted toward me.

Blood seeped from its tear ducts.

“Where is she?” I snarled as the thing writhed again, shadows misting, smoke furling while she shifted back, growing smaller. “Where is my mate?”

Naked, skin marred by vicious burns, Marlana dragged in a rattling breath and glared at me. She flinched when my boots settled in the puddle around her, the sky flashing with another roll of lightning as I crouched beside her.

Her lips moved, the words lost beneath the crackle in her lungs. Her power was receding—willingly or from the shock, I wasn’t sure. Slowly, those black eyes turned brown—nearly hazel—agony written across them as her back arched off the unforgiving ground.

Clasping my hands between my knees, aware of the others closing in, I demanded, “Speak up, Balaskas. Couldn’t hear you.”

She just wheezed, glaring at me as blood seeped from her tear ducts.

“Trust me when I tell you this is the merciful option,” I mocked, pulling a syringe from a cargo pocket. “The others voted to fill you with reaper’s venom and throw you to the men whose women you sterilized.”

Because she would’ve done the same today. The women herded to the right side of the stage—those without power in their veins—would’ve been pinned down by Renown while Marlana’s deathlike magic reached beneath their skin, cauterizing their fallopian tubes so severely not even the Hazelharborians could set them right. Infertility framed as mercy—because who would be so cruel as to bring children into a world like this?

“You… wouldn’t… dare.”

“Pin you to the goddamn city walls for them to do whatever they please?” For the first time since we’d raided their estate, I unleashed my power—the piece that could wrap around her terror and pull taut. Inflate it. Twist it until her pupils widened and a tremor wracked her frame. “Let them each take their fucking turn before we leave your mutilated corpse there for your brother to find whatever’s left of you?” I arched a brow, twisting her fear tighter, sneering when she fucking pissed herself. “You have my mate—have tortured her for months—and I have no mercy left.” I slammed the needle into her neck, her eyes flying wide as I jammed the plunger down. “So. I’ll ask you again.” I jerked a blade from the sheath at my ribs and slammed it into her thigh. A soundless scream tore out of her as I twisted it, lowering my voice. “Where is my mate?” Blood rolled down her cheeks as Marlana gasped, “Already dead.”

Get her the fuck out of here, I ordered down the line, sliding another blade free. Aloud, I said, “You know, some son of a bitch tethered our fates together. Me standing here breathing says you’re full of shit.” I sank the knife into her other leg, her strangled gasp like music to my ears.

“Alvara Porter is dead,” she wheezed, back bowing off the ground as venom burned through her system. I knew it was a lie. Knew that if Adrastos was wrong and one did not kill the other, I still would’ve felt it. Would’ve felt her leave us here.

But her words still sent ice skittering through my ribcage.

“Have it your way.” I stood, shaking my head in disgust as the others closed in. Tieran clamped cuffs around her wrists. Kingsley landed a brutal kick to her side, doubling her over.

And I was well and truly damned because I fucking enjoyed it.

Enjoyed her whimper as he landed another.

Because she had my mate. And I didn’t care if I had to dismember her inch by fucking inch—she’d give me what I wanted. I lifted my chin, scanning the wreckage in our wake, an eerie knowing pulling my gaze east⁠—

—right as Kade’s voice sliced across the street. “August!! Down!”

Only I was already falling. My chest burned as gunfire cracked off the walls behind me. I slammed into the ground hard enough that the echoes of the world died. Or maybe that was the fire in my chest.

With no air left in my lungs, I curled onto my side, grunting as my fingers found the wound through my shoulder—frantically reaching to make sure the burning in my back meant an exit wound.

It did. Relief lasted all of a second before I lifted my chin and found wholly black eyes.

Moros goddamn Balaskas lowered his pistol, head cocked in that predatory assessment of the damage.