Song of Blood and Reign

Chapter 63

Chapter 63

The scream that rang out from Lyv's mouth after she watched Bence drop to his knees was accompanied by a shockwave of power that echoed around them, aflood of magic in the form of white and black shadows that curled around her before shooting outward in all directions. She couldn't stop it, could barely take a breath between every crest of those waves that washed over everyone around her.

One by one, the oskurreia and khorzir vanished in either an explosion of ash or, for the lucky ones, who bolted into alleyways between buildings, trying to get away from her as soon as they could. She took out more than had escaped, though.

For Guinevere, her conduit power was no match for Lyv, who now had complete and utter control over her light and dark magic. The former queen's onyx eyes were wide with fear and rage. She absolutely loathed that Lyv was more powerful than her, even after her transformation.

Because she was.

And it was glorious to see her cowering.

Even Corliss, who stood strong against the violent assault, was staring at Lyv. Her eyes were wide, like she was having a difficult time understanding how she had mastered both her light and dark magic enough to control them both at the same time. Like she knew she vastly underestimated the niece she thought she had control over.

Just as quickly as it began, Lyv's scream came to an abrupt stop, though its echos continued throughout the city. The carts, tables, and chairs that had been left out were destroyed, scattered about in scraps. Cracks had formed in almost all of the shops and houses that surrounded them. Some were even pushed off their foundations and seemingly lopsided with roofs caving in on themselves.

Those of who were left were only her family and the two guardsmen, Corliss, and Guinevere. All of them, including the latter two, had blood dripping from their ears and had been pushed back against the crumbling buildings that surrounded them. Their eyes were all the same – wide with fright and wonder at the magic Lyv had just displayed, especially since no one had ever seen it before.

Lyv's shadows wrapped tightly around herself and she didn't have to see her reflection to know her eyes were glowing white embers in their sockets.

When she finally spoke, her voice was deathly quiet. "I asked this question to Guinevere the day she attacked Asturia and killed someone very dear to me," Lyv began as she stepped forward toward where Corliss and Guinevere were just pushing themselves up to their feet. "You have ruined everything you have ever touched, taken away anything you could from me, and what was it all for? Both of you want revenge against my mother, is that it? For taking away someone who would never be yours and for locking you up after killing thousands upon thousands of people?"

She didn't wait for an answer, though. She couldn't.

Couldn't stop herself from throwing shard of magic at the two of them made of shadows that could still do some significant damage should they hit their targets.

Corliss quickly dodged it and appeared just a foot to the left, but Guinevere, still coming in to the knowledge of all she could do, wasn't fast enough. The shadowed shard plunged into her stomach, pinning her to the building after the blow threw her back against it.

Just the smell of her blood, of the conduit magic within it, made the bloodlust Lyv had felt before under the darkness's control come back to her. It made her pause, fists clenching, trying to control that darkness that was singing now, crying out for her to take more, more, more.

But she was stronger, so much stronger than Corliss thought she was.

Another step and another two magic shards flew. Again, Corliss dodged, but Guinevere was impaled this time through the chest. The first of the shards disappeared and the hole it left was slowly stitched back together.