Page 124 of Death of a Mortal

All three of them took a step back from me. Drayce’s eyes were determined, though, as he held his ground.

“When you got angry in the ballroom, you exploded in flames and shadows, and in case you weren’t aware, ships are made of wood. Fire burns wood. It wasn’t safe for any of us. Plus, the crew and I like our hands attached to our arms and not shadowy tendrils.”

I knew deep down he had a point, but I was blinded by rage. But point or not. He’d lied.

Just when I thought we were getting somewhere, just when it seemed we had started over…he lied.

“Dray, I’m not sure now is a good time to take those off.”

“Shut up, Bramick. Drayce, take these cuffs offnow.” My voice got dangerously low.

“Naci…” Drayce warned.

“Take. Them.Off.” I thrust my wrists out to him and threw daggers with my stare as I tried my damnedest to keep it together. Furious didn’t even cover it. I hated this male. He was just another oppressor. Just another liar.

“Naci, just breathe and try to keep control.” It was Aerie, her voice gentle and soothing.

I had no idea how to control the angry beast in my heart, let alone my newfound magic. But I needed these off.

Drayce took a deep breath and reached for one cuff, unlocking it with a click and freeing my calloused wrist.

I hated him, but he had balls. I’d give him that. Knowing I was raging at him, he was still willing to take the cuffs off.

He glanced up at me before moving to the other one. When the key slid into the lock, I felt the beast stretch its wings, as if it were preparing for an attack, my blood singing. My heart racing.

The moment the two metal halves separated, fire surged through my veins, the pain and the heat sending my arms out wide and throwing my head back with a bloodcurdling scream.

I wasn’t on fire…Iwasfire, and I could hear the beast in my heart roaring alongside my screams.

Bright orange flames erupted across my skin, heating but not burning. Smoke and shadow billowed off me, evaporating in some places as they rose, where others became the same wicked tendrils that killed and maimed that night in Ashthorn, like wispy limbs sprouting from my chest and hands. My eyes, ears, and nose itched and tingled as overpowering sensations washed over me.

Fae senses.

I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling as though the pain might consume me. I felt like I was losing control of the beast in my chest, like it was taking the helm and steering the ship that was me. Black, burning rage replaced the physical pain.

I opened my eyes to seek someone to hurt, somewhere to aim my shadows, someone to placate this festering anger. To find Drayce and punish him.

But where the left half of the world had been dark to me since Aemilia’s attack, there was now sight.

I could see.

But gods, it wasn’t normal.

Chapter 30

Fireball

For a moment,the burning rage took a back seat as I looked down at my arms to find I could see pulsing, glowing black flowing through my veins—like the new dark vision of my left eye was mixing with normal vision, two different sights layered on top of each other.

I looked over at Aerie to find her eyes wide and her tattoos glowing blue on her arm. I glanced at Bramick to find a necklace I hadn’t noticed before around his neck, glowing green. I tilted my head up and saw the shimmering white dome surrounding the base—the wards.

Was I seeing magic? I closed my right eye to find I wasn’t seeing colors from the left, except for the glow. The grass was gray, my skin gray. Buildings, dirt, clothing, all gray and black. Like the world was black and white, except where magic was present.

I looked at Drayce and found a faint golden glow at his chest, where his heart would be. Maybe he was such a strong fae that I could see the magic in his heart.

He eyed the open cuff on the ground near my feet, and my angerflared once more after the shock, hot and fast. I had been so stunned by my new sense of sight that the beast in my chest had faltered.

But now it was ready for a fight. I barely recognized my voice when I said, “Don’t you dare even think about shackling me ever again. I am free, and I won’t hesitate to kill anyone who tries to take that away from me.”