Darcy stiffened, clearly aware of the danger she was in. Still, her expression remained one of disdain.
“That’s Queen Darcy to you, leech,” she chided Maryam.
The agonizing pain that she’d kept suppressed for centuries erupted in one glorious explosion of fury.
The heat in the air was replaced by a coat of ice, the walls cracking beneath the force of her power.
“You will never be my queen, dog,” she snapped, instantly regretting the loss of her usual cool composure.
She wanted to be in command of this encounter. To face this female with a dignity and grace that honored the memory of her dead mate. But just seeing the Were standing there, alive and glowing with happiness, when her own heart was shattered…
It was too much.
“You’re right. I won’t be your queen, because you’ll soon be tried and convicted for your attempt at mass murder,” the female said, her tone filled with a smug assurance that only inflamed Maryam’s fury.
Did the bitch think she had the right to judge her?
She was surrounded by luxury, adored by her family, and treated with a respect she’d done nothing to earn. Most of all, she had the unwavering love and loyalty of her mate.
Maryam resisted the urge to step forward. She was in command of the situation, but she wasn’t going to forget that there were several Weres and curs roaming through the house. She needed to be prepared for a quick exit.
“It was a revolution,” she corrected in sharp tones.
Darcy folded her arms over her chest, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “It was a psychotic hissy fit that failed.”
Maryam narrowed her eyes, struggling to leash her temper. “It’s true that I failed to destroy the Anasso. But I can have the next best thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Destroying his mate.” She smiled. Just saying the words felt good. As if they purged as small amount of the bitterness gnawing inside her like a corrosive acid. “As the Anasso destroyed my mate.”
Darcy blinked, her expression confused. “Styx killed your mate?”
“The previous Anasso.”
“Oh.” Her confusion remained. “What does that have to do with Styx?”
She didn’t bother to lie. Not now. This was, at last, the time for her to be honest. With herself. And with this female who was about to be sacrificed.
“He snatched away my opportunity for revenge,” she replied, revealing the hatred that burned in her unbeating heart. “I should have been the one to strike the killing blow. It was my right.”
Darcy’s lips parted, genuine horror in her green eyes. “You’ve started a revolution that threated to destroy thousands of demons because you were peeved you didn’t get to kill the Anasso?”
Maryam hissed. “You have no idea what it means to lose a mate.”
“No, I don’t, thank the goddess.” Darcy shook her head. “But I can’t imagine that killing innocent creatures would make me feel better.”
Maryam shrugged. “We each grieve in our own way. I only wish that Styx could be here to see the female he loves scream in pain.”
Aiming the gun at Darcy, she was placing her finger on the trigger when the shrill shriek of an alarm blasted through the house.
Shit. It had to be Roban.
Momentarily distracted, Maryam cast a quick glance over her shoulder. Any second, the guards would be filling the hallways. She needed to finish this and…
The sound of running footsteps warned her that she’d allowed herself to be dangerously sidetracked. Quickly spinning back, she saw Darcy sprinting across the room. Instinctively, she pressed the trigger, assuming that the Were was intending to tackle her to the ground. It wasn’t until the bullet flew wide of the mark that she realized she’d miscalculated.
The female was clever enough to feint an attack before she veered to the side and, with one smooth motion, leaped headfirst through the window.
Maryam cursed at the sound of shattering glass. The Were was trying to escape. Without bothering to consider the consequences, Maryam surged forward, leaping through the opening of the broken window and landing on the soft ground below.
The house was now ablaze with lights, the alarms shrilly piercing the air and the thunder of footsteps warning that the guards were searching for any intruders. Maryam ignored the commotion, furiously focused on the scent of the fleeing dog.
She raced along the narrow path that led toward a nearby conservatory. Did the female think she could hide among the daffodils and petunias? Or was there some hidden trap she was intending to spring?
It didn’t matter.
Nothing mattered but striking the killing blow.
The blow intended for the previous Anasso.
The image of Styx howling in pain when he discovered that his mate was dead had just managed to form in her mind when there was a blur of movement from a nearby hedge. She came to a halt, baffled when she couldn’t catch any scent or sense any presence.
What had caused the shadow?
Waving the gun from one side to the other, Maryam was prepared to shoot anything that moved.
Unfortunately, her grim determination couldn’t protect her from the mystery attacker who had already managed to circle around her. She felt the necklace yanked away from her throat at the precise moment the silver blade was shoved through her back and directly into her heart.
“Nooooo!” her scream of fury echoed through the air as she fell to her knees.
How could fate be so cruel as to snatch away her chance of revenge?
It wasn’t fair.
It wasn’t…
* * * *
Xi held the necklace in his fingers as he watched the female tumble face-first onto the ground. Seconds later, the slender form shuddered, the flesh cracking like an empty shell. Then, with an unnerving speed, Maryam was gone, and nothing remained but a layer of ash on the dew-kissed grass.
Lingering long enough to make sure the traitor was well and truly dead, Xi turned away.
He no longer had any interest in the female. Any threat she posed was over, and with the necklace he’d taken from around her throat, he could now enter the house.
His only thought was reaching Brigette.
Chapter 21
Styx grimaced as they entered the long open space with a low ceiling and a thick smell of mold. He had avoided this particular cavern, and none of his Ravens had a reason to be in this part of the vast maze of tunnels and caves.
It was here that Styx and Viper had battled against his old master, and the darkness that had been a part of the previous Anasso’s soul seemed to linger. Cautiously glancing around the empty space, Styx frowned. He could feel Ian’s presence. It pulsed through the room with a raw, savage force. But he couldn’t see him.