A sudden punch drives into my lower back with such force, all the air is knocked out of my lungs and my legs buckle. I drop to my knees, gasping, arching my back from the ache zigzagging up my spine.
An arm locks around my throat and wrenches me to my feet and up against a hard chest. “Got you, bitch!” Jasion snarls in my ear, strangling me.
I struggle against him, shoving my elbow into his gut and kicking my heel into his shin. “Let me go!”
His grip tightens. “You will die today!”
Dread shudders through me.
“This is something I should have done long ago.” He raises a blade over my chest.
My life flashes before my eyes, and with it comes visions of everything that will be ripped from me. This piece of scum will kill those who mean everything to me and take away what I’ve fought to find my whole life—my family and happiness.
When I catch sight of Ahren pinned to the ground by two guards, Deimos is surrounded by three others, and Luther is thrown into a wall, my heart bleeds.
I draw on everything inside me, every thread of power, and call it to the surface just as I had back in Ash Court.
A blast of energy launches from my hands so ferociously that I’m suddenly shoved back into Jasion, both of us stumbling. His grip loosens, and I pivot on my feet, driving my palms against his chest. All the power inside me pummels into him.
He’s thrown backward and onto his back in an instant.
His eyes widen into orbs, the blade drops from his grip, and he glances down to his chest. Blood seeps from where my energy hit him. A terrifying cry spills from his mouth as he frantically wipes as more and more blood emerges from his pores.
An explosive flutter of air zooms right past me on both sides.
Wings are all I see at first, violets and greens and magenta, then I make out the dozens of fairies—no, hundreds of fairies—swarming through the great hall.
I yelp with joy at seeing them—they are the most incredible sight.
A group rushes over and attacks Jasion, surrounding him until they coat his entire body. His screams are all I hear, while wings beat around him.
Maybe I should feel pity, but the vindication of giving him exactly what he deserves is the sweetest satisfaction ever. After just a few moments they pull back from their assault, leaving behind the clattering of bones falling to the floor. Clothes. Hair. And a few flecks of blood.
That is all that remains of the fucking asshole mage, and even that is too much. I’m going to make sure every bit of him is burned to ashes.
The guests at the far end of the stage are crying out, ducking from fairies who aren’t even touching them. My mother stands before them, looking at me with a wide, approving grin. “Finish this,” she says.
A fairy with glinting blue wings flutters in front of me and waves.
I blink to clearly see, and my heart beams. “Hiss!” I can’t stop smiling because this little critter is exactly who I’d hoped to call. “You came!”
Eirian. The word streams over my mind, and she swings around and hisses, pointing to the chaos.
I turn to the hall where the Shadow Court guards are no longer fighting but cowering away, falling to their knees before the princes with remorse, with confusion. Which confirms that Jasion did indeed spell them.
Dead bodies litter the floor, fae who lost their lives because of two greedy bastards. And my sights set on the princes’ father, slithering like the snake he is to dart out of the room. “Hiss, bring him to me.”
She catapults across the room like a torpedo, an arrow of fairies right behind her.
They collide into him, taking him off guard.
He spins around, his face contorted in panic as he sees what’s coming for him. His screams are music to my ears.
The gorgeous little creatures swarm him as he fights against them, flinging his arms out, but he’s off his feet in seconds. They carry him over to me, then drop him down where he collapses onto his knees in front of the steps before me.
My three princes approach their father, as does his ex-wife. My mother is by my side.
“Ahren,” he grovels. “Will you let her hurt me? I’m your father, your flesh and blood.”
My prince steps up to his father, his expression one of pure hatred and fury. He lifts his fist and drives it into his father’s face, sending him to the floor on his back. “I no longer have a father.”
Ahren then unbuttons his jacket and lets it drop to the floor behind him, followed by pulling his top up and over his head.
The Queen on the stage gasps, but I know exactly what he’s doing, and I love him for this.
His shoulders curve forward as the back of his shoulder blades split downward. Wings push out of his back, the sound like leather rubbing together. They spread out on either side of him in glorious blues and violets and white. Spanned outward, they a large portion of the room’s width. My prince lifts his chin, not ashamed of what his father told him was wrong, and I’m so fucking proud of Ahren.
The whole room is oohing because their prince has the most spectacular wings, which I believe is rare.
He glares down at his father and says, “You tried to break me, but it didn’t work. Fuck you!”
He glances at me and gives me a nod of approval, as do Deimos and Luther. I glance over to their
