by L. A. Boruff
I shake my head. “No, you’ll unlock my powers, give me your word not to hurt any of the people I care about, and I’ll give you your throne.”
He lifts a dark brow. “Deal.”
The king closes his eyes and points at the ground. I inch backwards as the earth begins to shake, and bite back a cry of alarm when the walls around us shake. Rocks fall from above us, and I leap even further back, my heart racing.
Is this supposed to happen? Or is this a trap?
After a long moment, a dark gem lifts from the mud. A gem no bigger than a dime. But even I can feel the power radiating off of it in waves that take my breath away.
“Do.. you… have a spell?” he asks, panting slightly.
I nod, unwilling to speak the words to my grandmother’s spell in front of him.
He wipes sweat from his brow and smirks again. “Take the gem, speak the words of the spell, and swallow it. And your powers will be unlocked.”
“That’s all?” I ask, eyeing the floating gem.
He spreads his hands wide. “We had a deal. And, my niece, contrary to what the others say about me, I’m a fair man. My word is my word.”
Taking a few careful steps forward, I snatch the gem out of the air, gasping at the heat that burns into my palm. It isn’t quite painful, but it is surprising. Still, I tighten my fist around it and try to keep my expression neutral as I move backwards away from him.
But when I turn to walk away, his voice stops me. “But don’t betray me, Callie. Your mother betrayed me once.”
I look back at him, a chill rolling down my spine. “And you don’t betray me.”
Hurrying away, I rush for my car, get inside, and gun it back to my house. But when I pull into the garage, I don’t go in. Instead, I sit in the darkness of the car, repeat the words to the spell, and swallow the gem.
If I’m going to fail, it won’t be in front of the others.
And if I’m going to succeed, it needs to be now.
Because my uncle may have thought I was a fool, but I knew better. A man who stinks of evil is hardly one who will keep his word. If I can’t learn how to use my powers, and fast, then the people I love will be in danger.
I feel the gem within me heat. Hotter and hotter. I gasp, grasping my stomach, and then the gem explodes. And I scream.
And scream.
Epilogue
King Robert
From the shadows my trusted ally steps into the light. A smile stretches my lips, and I reach for her. She comes into my arms, even though I know she hates my touch. I kiss her forehead, then her cheek, and at last her neck.
“It worked,” she whispers, tension in her voice.
I nip her shoulder. “Like a charm.”
She’s breathing, but not in pleasure, in disgust. “So now it’s done.”
I smile as I lick her collar bone. “Hardly.”
She stiffens. “What do you mean? You unlocked her powers. She gave up the throne. You both have what you always wanted.”
My hands move before I can process my actions, shoving her onto the ground. “Have you lost your mind?”
She flinches as I step closer, expecting a blow, so I hold back. “I’m sorry. I won’t hurt you.” I straighten my tie and explain to the ignorant woman why I did what I did. “I didn’t unlock her powers to make a deal. I unlocked her powers because I couldn’t steal them otherwise. And doing it this way, with her willing, is far easier.” My fists slowly ease open. “What’s more, now she won’t expect my next move.”
“Which is?” she asks so softly I know she fears my response.
I shrug. “Which is to take what’s mine and destroy all else.”
In truth, nothing had changed at all.
Except that never again would my niece be able to hide herself from me. The gem, containing all the powers of every person we’d killed, was a costly price to pay, but nothing was too costly if it guaranteed me and my son the throne.
And with her powers as my own, her dead, and her loyal followers destroyed, there was nothing to stop me.
The throne would be mine. The world would be mine.
Our kind would rule at last.
And all the others? Well, they’d be dead.
***
Thank you for reading Feline The Flames! We hope you enjoyed the second book of Callie’s story! You can find book 3, Feline The Burn, here: http://books2read.com/felinetheburn
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About the Authors
Lacey Carter Andersen
Lacey loves reading, writing, and drinking excessive amounts of coffee. She spends her days taking care of her husband, three kids, and three cats. But at night, everything changes! Her imagination runs wild with strong-willed characters, unique worlds, and exciting plots that she en
thusiastically puts into stories.
Lacey has dozens of tales: science fiction romances, paranormal romances, short romances, reverse harem romances, and more. So, please feel free to dive into any of her worlds; she loves to have the company!
And you’re welcome to reach out to her; she really enjoys hearing from her readers.
You can find her at:
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***
Laura Greenwood
Laura is a USA Today Bestselling Author of paranormal and fantasy romance. When she's not writing, she can be found drinking ridiculous amounts of tea, trying to resist French Macaroons, and watching the Pitch Perfect trilogy for the hundredth time (at least!)
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