Chapter Twenty-One

Wren

When I woke, thick, black clouds rolled over my head, and it was clear I wasn’t in the hut anymore. I jerked, the sound of the sea crashing against the cliffs made it clear where we were. A storm rolled across the island, black clouds billowing in faster than was naturally possible. The wind shifted, an undercurrent of danger lurking in the electrified air. Lightning sparked overhead, giving the island a breathtaking display of power and might. The grass under me felt soft and cool.

“The storm isn’t natural. Where’s Benedict?” I asked.

Kieran landed beside me, checking on me before turning his gaze back to the sky. I didn’t answer him, because it was probably better if he wasn’t here. My tattoo prickled in anticipation, my stomach nervous and churning. The rains came next, sending most of the witches and drakens in the valley scurrying inside their tree huts to wait out the storm. I turned and embraced it, opening my arms wide. Kieran laid a hand on my shoulder, but I refused to budge. There was a clang of thunder loud enough to shake the island, and then he was there.

Thad stood on the cliff in front of me, his dark hair wet as the storm raged around us. He was a shadow in his draken form, only the glimmer of the lightning off of his obsidian scales giving away his position. I didn’t need to see him to know he was staring at me. We locked eyes, and then I was shoved roughly to the side, into Kieran’s waiting arms. Ronan was there a moment later, looking unsure.

“It’s taking all of my self-control not to kill you where you stand.” Benedict appeared between Thad and I, quivering with rage.

A second storm roared from the west, rising up to clash with Thad’s. I heard screams as the clouds met, a literal hurricane churning above as the two kings faced off.

I fought off Kieran and pushed in front of Benedict. “What are you talking about? All he ever did was save me, again and again and again!”

Benedict’s eyes glowed in the darkness, his blood magick sparking and glowing against his skin. “He marked you with a tattoo. Like he owns you.”

I reared back, blinking rain out of my eyes. “That’s not it at all! I’d stupidly got sucked into some white magick, and it needed balance! You said yourself it was the only thing saving me right now!”

Benedict snarled. “He attacked you, and you’re still in pain.”

Thad jerked, and I rolled my eyes. “Right, because what was the likelihood you were going to let me go to him to heal it?”

I shouldn’t have bothered. Benedict was beyond rational thinking, his draken only seeing a threat against his mate. Benedict growled and lunged at Thad.

I screamed. “No! Stop!”

Thad roared back, using his shadows to block and dodge Benedict’s claws and fangs. Amethyst met black in a whirlwind of fury. Thad flipped Benedict over, flinging him up against a rock. Benedict shook his head wildly, stunned. When was the last time he’d met a draken bigger than him?