"Incredible," whispered Nirmal, one of the Fae tasked with witnessing the unleashing of the princess’s powers. Her role was to docunt each manifestation, and she did so with barely contained excitent.
Nirmal stepped over to Violet, circling her with her quill in hand. Her keen eyes traced every detail of this new form of hers from the exact shade of black-blue hair down to her feet.
She stopped in front of Violet, then turned her head toward Annequin.
"There’s literally no difference," Nirmal said with an awe filled voice. "If I didn’t know better, I’d swear the Queen of Astaria was standing before . The princess could pass as you without raising a single suspicion."
Conversation arose amongst the Fae. They were more used to the idea of glamouring than shapeshifting. It must be her beast side, they reasoned.
"If only it wasn’t this body," Violet shifted uncomfortably, trying to adjust to the
unfamiliar presence layered over her own.
Of all the people to Shapeshift into, why the bitch?
"Well, not entirely," Annequin countered Nirmal’s words, "Your princess may be able to mimic my physical form, but power is another matter entirely. Or can she?" She lifted a brow, studying Violet.
Murmurs rippled through the space, Fae nodding at the question.
Though Annequin’s posture was relaxed, only soone watching closely would notice the tension coiled beneath her confidence. She was dying to know, can Violet copy her powers as her?
"That is a good observation," Nirmal said, her gaze lingering on Violet with open anticipation, as though she expected Annequin’s power to erupt from the princess at any mont.
Before Violet could so much as lift her hand, Asher cut in.
"A good observation," he said, "that should be explored in private, during the princess’s training." His gaze slid to Annequin, unmistakably hostile. "A princess’s strengths and weaknesses should not be exposed in a field full of strangers."
Annequin laughed lightly, masking the irritation beneath her smile. "You still think I intend to harm your princess?"
"It’s not about intent," Asher replied. "Where I co from, it’s called a national secret."
"Moreover," Alaric added, stepping in beside him, "this is the princess’s unveiling, not her examination. Her limits can be tested later, privately. And if you’re invited..." He clicked his tongue. "Good for you."
Annequin glanced around. Too many eyes were on her now and from the look of things, the Fae seem to agree with them.
Queen Seraphira intervened. "The Alphas are correct. We will move on. Violet’s powers will be studied in depth later."
"If you say so, Your Majesty," Annequin said pleasantly. But the mont she turned away, her smile vanished.
Her gaze caught Asher’s. For a heartbeat, the world narrowed to the two of them—his slitted, shadowed eyes boring into her icy blue with a pressure that could have cracked stone. Lesser beings might have flinched but Annequin did not.
If Asher Nightshade thought she would retreat with her tail between her legs, he was gravely mistaken. His darkness did not frighten her. Not when she was the abyss itself.
Darkness recognized darkness.
She winked at him.
Asher looked away, a deep frown carving itself into his face. He didn’t trust the Fae Queen one bit.
And Queen Seraphira was definitely playing with fire letting the snake into her kingdom.
At the sa ti, Violet was relieved to finally shed that skin from her body. She slamd her palm back onto the do without hesitation and waited for the change to occur.
Barely a minute passed before her knees buckled again. She dropped to them with a sharp groan as her body began to distort once more. Her muscles tightened and bones protested. She moaned through clenched teeth but refused to lift her hand from the do.
She didn’t know about anyone else, but she had no intention of using this ability often—only when it was absolutely necessary. In no ti, her form snapped back into place. She was herself again, panting hard, sweat slicking her skin.
At least it was her own body. No matter how much it hurt like hell.
But the relief barely lasted a heartbeat.
Another groan tore from her throat as sothing else stirred deep inside her. This power arrived with overwhelming force, far stronger than the others, slamming into her so hard it made nausea surge up her throat.
"Oh boy... here we go," Roman muttered grimly as he watched the grass around Violet wither, blacken, and crumble into fine dust.
The nullification spread outward in a widening circle, the ground dissolving as if reality itself was being erased. The Fae closest to her stumbled back instinctively, fear rippling through them.
"Goddess..." Nirmal gasped, her eyes wide with awe and terror. "She has the power to unmake."
The words sent murmurs racing through the crowd. Faces paled while so stepped farther away. Others froze where they stood, unable to look away.
"Uh—excuse ," Alaric said tightly, "I don’t think we should be anywhere near Violet right now. At all." He had seen this power once before and knew what it could do.
The do had turned completely black now, its surface swallowing light instead of reflecting it. Energy churned violently inside, and Violet, on the other hand, was clearly struggling. The veins along her temples bulged, her jaw clenched in agony.
Queen Seraphira noticed. "She’s sending too much—"
Lila stepped forward, her face ashen. "Your Majesty, I think you need to move."
"What? No," Seraphira refused at once.
"It’s not safe anymore," Lila insisted, panic breaking through her composure. "We don’t know what this power can do."
As if to prove her point, a sharp cracking sound split the air.
Everyone turned just in ti to see a fracture spiderweb across the surface of the do.
The queen sucked in a breath. "Foolish us," she whispered. "Her power cannot be asured—"
"Violet!" the cardinal alphas shouted together.
"Take your hand off the do!" Asher yelled, fear bleeding into his voice.
The darkness that had crept across the ground now lifted into the air itself, swallowing the space. Panic spread as Fae began to retreat in all directions.
"I can’t!" Violet cried, her voice breaking.
It was as if an invisible force had fused her palm to the do, dragging power out of her endlessly, and rcilessly.
"Your Majesty!" Lila scread.
And then, the do shattered.
Darkness exploded outward in a tidal wave, engulfing everything in its path.
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