“You can’t kill all of them or me. The only creatures who could are—” Dragon fire erupted behind me, bathing the city in molten flames. The heat of it scorched my back, and the flames reflected in Hecate’s eyes. The pentagram on her forehead glowed, even as the rattles of the many dragons echoed through the night, lighting it up until it mirrored day.
“Didn’t your mother ever tell you that it was rude to interrupt people?” Tapping my chin, I feigned ignorance. “Oh, yes. There’s a balance in every world. So, of course, we’ll be keeping your magic, but you? You’ll go back into your tomb. It’s not personal, but you see, you fucked with the wrong bitch. I warned you not to touch him, but you just couldn’t help yourself. Are you listening? If I were you, I’d listen.”
The fear in her eyes was thick in the air. Her eyes continually trailed the dragons, who were now throwing dark witches into the air, tearing them apart. They flew over the ruins of the citadel, gliding through the air, effortlessly. Dragons were a thing of true beauty. Savage, murderous beauty, but semantics.
“It’s rude not to listen when someone speaks to you. Especially when that person is the Queen of Dragons, Hecate.” Flicking my lethal claws open, I licked one, staring right at her. “Make me forget where I was again? Oh, into the tomb you’ll go. In fact, I intend to shove you so fucking far deep inside that tomb, that’ll you’ll be ringing the devil’s doorbell. To clarify that, I’m not talking about your fucking clit. But I’m not a complete bitch, granny-saggy-tits. Once a month, I’ll bring Knox’s corpse to your tomb.”
“You’d let me have him after all the effort you endured in order to get him back?”
“Of course, I intend to bring him to you at least once a month. Aren’t you listening to me? Of course, I’ll have to make it worth his time. So, I’ll fuck him on top of your coffin. You’ll get the pleasure of hearing him moan my name while you lay there, unable to move or escape. You’ll have to put up with my screams, but honestly? He’s a fucking beast when he fucks. Oh, that’s right. You don’t know that because your darkness makes them, how shall I put this? Unfuckable? Impotent? How much of your power did you waste trying to get him to stand up? Because I saw the kiss he gave you, but you couldn’t even get his lips to move. Damn, must really piss you off. After everything you did to take him from me, and you still didn’t get that monster dick of his.”
“I had him many times,” she lied as her chest heaved with her anger intensifying. It was fine since she had no magic I’d allow her to use. I’d walked right in and had taken it from the bitch.
“You and I both know the truth of it. He never even kissed you. Not unless you call placing lifeless lips against yours. Let us not forget that, when he did, he dripped goo onto your old, saggy-ass tits? That’s because you had to fill him to the bream with your oily magic even for a lifeless kiss from him. How fucking desperately pathetic it was to watch you forcing his lips against yours.”
Her snarl of outrage caught the ear of a dragon, who dove for her. Hecate dove for the ground, escaping the flames by mere inches. Once they passed over her, she stood, slapping against the skirt of her gown. Wide, horrified eyes darted between the dragons flying above her. Lifting her hands, she aimed them toward the dragons, only for me to forcefully pull her magic away each time she sought to use it. I just smiled.
“I warned you, Hecate. He’s mine, and even as he is, I am keeping him.” Stepping closer, I smiled as my head canted to the side. “The best thing about Knox, Hecate? Is his soul. A soul you’ve spent eons attempting to destroy. It still shines from within that beast. If you stare into his eyes when those shields are down? You’ll be able to see how truly exquisite they are. Of course, you fractured it as you sought to force the darkness into him, but you created fissures. All you did was create a way for the light to reach in, to heal him. How do I know? I’ve felt the heat from his actual soul when I’m with him. His flame calls to mine, which made little sense at first. My flames were red, as were his—”
“He’s a murderer of witches, in case that’s slipped your empty head.” Hecate’s inability to not be the center of every single thing happening, was telling. She was the true definition of a narcissist.
“There was no such thing before you entered the Nine Realms. You created the history of witches. But it wasn’t enough, you forced it down everyone’s throats until they believed it to be true. You changed the history of the events. That’s why no one remembers the wars before your entrance into this world. Well, other than those who actually fought them. That’s why you attacked the royal families, killing the elders and every king and queen who refused to bow or bend a knee.” She was panicking, but I remained unaffected. I didn’t want to take joy from anyone’s misery, but I allowed myself to taste the bitterness of hers.
Flaming arrows shot through the air, slamming into the witches she’d been calling to her. Her hair singed as one of the arrows barely missed giving her a haircut. A snort of amusement left my lips as another bevy of arrows crashed into the next wave. Then, dragons shot through the air to the right of us, opening their mouths to reveal the serrated teeth, which reflected the fire within their throats, seconds before it released, decimating the witches.
“Once you’d murdered the weaker ones, you then went after the more powerful ones. Of course, you brought the weaker beings with you, in your army. But what to do about those ones that terrified you most? Wasn’t it the races who’d been able to wield flames? Can’t have fire around all the witches you’d crafted. No, because the light they wield is pure. It would have exposed you, and driven the darkness out. That would have exposed you, since the day you came here is the same as the first existence of witches or witchcraft. Then there was the pesky issue of a prince, one who’d pissed you off. You didn’t want him gone, not with all the plans you had in mind for him. But, alas, when in their true forms, dragons and phoenixes could discern the truth behind your little secret infliction that created an entire race.”
“I admit, you are much smarter than you look. It doesn’t change the fact that I won, and I’ll always win. This world is mine! You’re not strong enough to stop me, little girl. You should’ve chosen your side more carefully.” She folded her arms across her ample chest, and I snorted. “So, pray tell, what the fuck are you doing here? If you came to die, I won’t hesitate to end you.”
She was trying to pull on millions of lines at once, which allowed me to send one after another to the dead army. Merging minds with the weaver’s, I gave the signal as I handed off braided ropes of thin, wispy lines allowing them to diligently hand each one. The largest ones, which were here, I held in place with mana.
“No, I came for my fucking throne, and I’m intending to leave here with it as well as your fucking head.”
A malicious smile spread over my lips as she caught the flicker of gold lines swirling over my forehead. The bright, startling shade of turquoise glowed as the radiance of the gold fleck floated within them, as well. Thin, wispy tendrils slowly slid down my throat, then encircled it like the finest jewelry.