Roots Of Rage (Transfusion Saga #9) - Stephanie Hudson Page 0,3

my lips, I opened up my wings and launched myself into the air. My demon roared as I felt every muscle in my body tense and crack with untapped power coursing through my veins. My rage had to be contained before I lost all control, but this was easier said than done when I knew that the fucking army in the forest had all been a ruse.

It had all been a plan to take what belonged to me! Meaning that army of smoke may not have been able to bleed but the ones that made it most certainly would, and they would do so the second I got my fucking hands on them!

And well, let’s just say that I had a pretty good idea whose blood I would soon find coating my hands…

“Fucking Witch!”

Chapter Two

Ice Cold Fate

I landed outside the castle gates with a thundering crack. It was one which travelled the length of the path that led all the way to the colossal doors, splitting the wood. I knew before I even entered my domain that she had been taken, for her presence was gone. But little did whoever took her know of my means of finding her. Especially when it was so soon after feeding from her. In fact, I could still taste her blood on my tongue, something that turned bitter the second I saw my brother barking out orders in the throne room.

“Šeš! The girl, she is—” I cut him off the second I had his throat in my hands, demanding with a roar of rage,

“WHERE IS SHE!?” He closed his eyes for a moment and allowed my anger to wash over him before absorbing it and using it to stoke the embers of his own power. When his eyes opened again they flashed a deeper green before black, and with great calm and restraint, as was needed for those still around us, he replied,

“I don’t know.” I snarled before letting him go, wishing I could cast blame his way, when deep down I knew it was my own doing. After all that had happened my first priority should have been to get Amelia to my tower and seal her there knowing she would be safe, for no one would be granted access. But in my haste and my anger I had foolishly thought that being within the walls of my castle would be enough. Feeling confident in this to meet the army head on and eliminate all threat before it could reach my castle doors.

Fuck!

At this rate I would end up chaining the girl to me, just so the madness wouldn’t consume me, for each time this happened I was losing my fucking cool. I was losing the ability to keep my shit together and make decisions. Gods, but how any King functioned enough to rule when they had found the Queen they loved, was beyond me because right now, well I was making a piss poor fucking job of it!

“Explain!” I snapped on a growl.

“I took her to the office like you ordered and had my personal guard take post outside the fucking door, little good it did, seeing as not one survived and my office was fucking ripped apart!” Dariush growled angrily with fisted hands that no doubt wanted to punch me bloody from my rough treatment of him. I would have welcomed the fight had I not had more important shit to do, like finding my woman!

“Show me!” I barked the demand, one that became an oxymoron considering I was taking long, angry strides towards my brother’s office, leaving him to catch up. I rounded a corner and the smell of death wafted up my nostrils and for once, it wasn’t the welcome scent of my realm. No, all it meant this time, was that my greatest loss came with a smell, one named failure.

“Do you believe this was the work of the witch?” my brother asked, making my lip curl at the mention of the bitch, one that should have died by my hands long ago. But then, looking around the broken hallway, and I wasn’t so sure. The pale stone walls were marred by a lightning bolt of cracks that were still crumbling due to our heavy footsteps coming closer. The bodies of the guards were long gone due to their vessels turning to ash upon their deaths, but seeing their remains now floating on pools of water was surprising.

I bent down on one knee and took a closer look,