I sneered, pressing my thumb to the photograph to burn it to cinders before dropping the necklace into my pocket and turning to Vard. “Was there anything else in her possession?”
“Just a pouch of stardust, my Lord,” he said. “It seems she has been evading the FIB for quite some time by moving from location to location with her herd.”
“How dare they use a Dragon-made creation to defy their king,” I spat, striding past him out the door with a decree firmly in mind as he scurried along at my heels. “Inform the press that a new law will be announced this afternoon. I am prohibiting all Orders from carrying stardust except Dragons or those with a permit from the king. Anyone found in possession of it will be charged with treason.”
“Yes, sire,” Vard said. “A wonderful choice, My King.”
I strode out of the FIB headquarters, fastening my coat as the wind whipped around me and a throng of photographers rushed forward to intercept me. A ring of FIB agents kept them back, but I paused a moment on the steps, letting them take their pictures as my chest swelled and a satisfied smile filled my face.
“Another traitor has been dealt with,” I called, pride in my voice as a barrage of photographs were taken and questions were thrown my way which I had no interest in answering. I’d have a statement drawn up tonight and—
A loud splat made me look down as something wet hit the ground at my feet and I sneered at the pile of shit which had exploded across my shoes.
“My Lord,” Vard gasped, grabbing my arm but I shoved him away from me with a snarl just as a huge and foul smelling turd slapped down onto his shoulder and chunks of it splattered across my chest.
“Argh,” I growled, my head snapping up to look toward the sky where it had come from, finding a familiar looking lilac haired girl sitting on the back of a Griffin as she held up its tail and another huge pile of faeces came tumbling towards me. I tried to wield air to stop it from striking me, but I was still within the no magic wards which surrounded the FIB headquarters so I was helpless to stop it as it slapped across my entire face and I staggered backwards in disgust and outrage.
I wiped it from my eyes, the substance already beginning to burn and itch as I set my enemies in my sights with a roar of fury.
“All hail the king of the turds!” she cried.
“Seize them!” I bellowed as the FIB hurried to get themselves in order, but the girl was already throwing stardust over herself and the Griffin she was riding, disappearing into the ether as a roar tore from my lungs.
I turned to the press, finding a hundred cameras going off in my face as I tried to wipe the shit from my eyes, the burn intensifying.
I hurried towards my car, barking at Vard to keep up as my driver opened the door for me and I leapt onto the backseat, ripping my coat off of my back and wiping at my eyes.
“Oh Daddy, how embarrassing,” Lavinia said from somewhere beside me and I snapped around to find her as smoke billowed from my nose. “What if she’d tried to kill you, you’d be deader than dead and I would be a lonely queen.” She laughed and I locked her hand around her throat, silencing her.
“Do not mock me.” I snarled in warning. “No one can cast within a hundred yards of the FIB headquarters. She couldn’t have fucking touched me with anything lethal.”
I felt my shadow hand rising, latching around my own throat and tightening hard enough to cut off all of my air. Panic rose in me as I fought to regain control of the hand she had gifted me, trying to force my own will into it and finding it unresponsive as it continued to work against me, following her command instead of mine. No.
“Do not speak to me in that tone,” she hissed, a crazed look entering her gaze that spoke of the power she held.
Shadows spilled out all around the car and I fought to blast them away from me with the Element of air, but her power was too great. She bound me in shadow, forcing me down onto the seat and climbing on top of me as she smiled like a demon.
I struggled for air, anger flaring hotter and hotter inside me. How dare she wield her power against me? She was nothing without me. Nothing!
“Poor angry little Daddy,” she purred, gripping my shirt and ripping it open with a sharp pull that sent the buttons scattering everywhere. She let me breathe again and I growled, thrashing against her hold.
“How dare you?” I snarled. “Release me this instant and grovel to your king!”
She laughed wildly, scratching my chest hard enough to tear open the skin as she wielded my shadow hand against me once more, making me slap my own face hard enough to bruise, bringing the taste of blood to my tongue.