Lienna.
I stared at Veronica, my heart pounding in my chest, knowing I couldn’t fight her this time around. I had barely recovered from our last altercation, and now I had to face this? Especially when it seemed she’d grown stronger. Her shadows were even darker, red lightening striking through them.
Groaning, I let my head drop, exhaustion washing over me.
“Veronica, aren’t you tired?” I mumbled under my breath, but she seemed to have heard me.
“Tired?!” she repeated, her voice filled with incredulous disdain.
“This will only end once you’re dead!” she screamed. With a wave of her hand, shadows surged higher, raining down on us.
Hermes’ shield barely protected us from her onslaught, but those around us weren’t so fortunate. Their screams reverberated through the air, chilling the blood in my veins. I screamed, covering my ears as I clung to Hermes.
This was worse than being in hell.
We tumbled to the ground, and I bit back a groan as pain overwhelmed me. Lifeless bodies lay scattered around us, their skin pale as ghosts, eyes wide with frozen horror.
Veronica’s powers intensified, her darkness feeding off the chaos. Unsheathing his sword, Hermes stood, defending me against Veronica’s relentless attacks. Though he landed some blows, they made little difference. Veronica was out for blood this time.
Veronica unleashed a wave of shadows, sweeping me off the ground. Her dark tendrils wrapped around me like chains, constricting my movements. I struggled, but they only tightened, immobilizing me.
As she pulled me closer, her sardonic smile grew, twisting her face. I whimpered, feeling the shadows dig into my skin like burning brands. My body felt submerged in scalding oil, every nerve screaming in agony.
“Finally, you’re mine now,” Veronica muttered through clenched teeth. Her eyes blazed with manic glee, her pupils dancing with malevolence. I tried to summon the moon goddess’s powers, but it just wasn’t happening.
Panic set in as I suffocated under Veronica’s shadowy grip. My lungs burned, desperate for air. Hermes’ distant shouts and clashes with Veronica’s shadows faded into the background. All that remained was Veronica’s triumphant gaze.
“How does it feel to be the caught one now?” She hissed, moving closer. Not fun? I thought but never said it out loud.
Veronica’s shadows deepened, squeezing tighter. I whimpered, dark spots dancing in my eyes as I struggled to breath.
My thoughts fragmented, losing coherence. The moon goddess’s presence felt distant, unreachable. I was trapped, at Veronica’s mercy. And she had none.
Veronica’s shadows constricted further, and I screamed until my voice was raw. A thousand blunt needles pierced my skin, every nerve screaming in agony. Tears streamed down my face, blurring my vision.
Paralyzed, I couldn’t move, could barely breathe. My chest compressed, lungs burning. Is this how I’m going to die? Hermes’ enraged cries echoed through the chaos.
He fought valiantly, sword flashing in the dim light. Other soldiers joined him, but Veronica’s minions seemed endless.
Their attacks faltered, unable to breach Veronica’s dark shield. My body no longer felt mine. Sensations dulled, growing distant. Pain receded, replaced by numbness. My thoughts fragmented. Maybe this was truly the end.
All of a sudden, Veronica’s grip relaxed, and her shadows dissipated. When I raised my head to look at her, I saw her gaze had drifted off, as she was lost in thought. A calculating glint sparked in her eyes.
“You know what?” she said, her voice tinged with malice. “I just came up with a better idea. You’re coming with me.”
My heart skipped multiple beats, racing in disbelief. Fear clawed at my chest. Why did that sound worse than dying? The thought sent a chill down my spine.
Hermes seized the opportunity, swinging his sword directly at Veronica. But she was prepared.
With effortless ease, she caught him off guard, disarming him. A cold, menacing glare in his direction.
“You dare to interfere?” she spat.
With a swift motion, she attacked. Hermes flew through the air, crashing into trees, tumbling to the ground. I opened my mouth to scream, but no words came out of it.
Heavens, I hope he isn’t hurt. The thought echoed through my mind. Veronica turned to me, an impish smile spreading.
“Now that we’ve gotten rid of the fly,” she said, “let’s get going, shall we?” Tears streamed down my face as desperation overwhelmed me. I wished I could slap the smile off her face.
“And one more thing,” Veronica muttered, fist clenched. Pain exploded as she punched me. My head whipped sideways, vision blurring. Sound receded.
Everything went black.
.
.
.
I woke up to a damp, horrid smell assaulting my nose. Scrunching up my nose, I blinked my heavy eyes open, trying to get used to the darkness surrounding me.
The smell only grew worse, and I felt like throwing up, but there was nothing in my stomach. My blurry vision cleared, and when I looked around me, I realized I was in a tent – a dirty, rundown one at that.
I wanted to move, but something dangled and clinked on my hands and legs. I stiffened, looking down at it. My heart skipped a beat when I realized I had been chained up to a stump.
Dread began to pool at the bottom of my stomach. This can’t be. nWhere did Veronica take me to? I moved again, but I could barely get anywhere due to how short the chain was.
Tears stung my eyes, and that’s when my ears registered the loud noises I was hearing as voices. It was Veronica talking to someone else, and they seemed to be fighting.
Their voices grew louder, and I could pick out some words.
“You’re supposed to kill her!!” a voice thundered, making the entire tent tremble.”Not bring her here!” the deep voice bellowed back.
“If you would just listen to me!” Veronica screeched, her words dripping with anger and frustration.
“We are going to kill her, eventually,” Veronica continued. “But what better time to kill her than in front of the shifter kings who have been relying on her to win this war?”
My heart plummeted at Veronica’s words. I coiled into myself, squeezing my eyes shut, as if blocking out the truth could change my fate.
“What?” the deep voice asked, its tone laced with skepticism.
“Yes,” Veronica replied, her voice cold. “She is their key to winning this war. It’s why she has been kept hidden for so long.”
“I do not care about shows,” the deep voice growled. “I want her dead.”
“And you will have her dead,” Veronica assured. “Not just now.”
A deep groan escaped the stranger’s lips. “I can’t with you sometimes,” he muttered.
My heart pounded in my chest. I swallowed the lump in my throat, my breath shaky. They were going to kill me. But they wanted to do it in front of all the shifter kings. The cruelty was staggering. Footsteps echoed outside, coming closer by the second.
I curled into myself, fearing what was to come. A massive figure blocked the meager light filtering through the opening. I looked up, shocked by the sheer size of the person. His eyes gleamed in the dark, filled with rage and an unsettling darkness. His gaze locked onto mine and for a moment, time froze. Is that Oberon?
By the heavens, I am doomed.