The Clash Of Drakkon: Book Four Of The Drakkon Series

Chapter Twenty-Six

Alessandra Drakkon

Queen of the Drakkon Empire

I was in a daze, the venom and blood clashing through my system, one trying to heal me, the other trying to change me, I knew which one would win, I had not drunk enough blood to stave off the venom, I could already feel my body weakening as the blood began to wear off under the force of the venom.

I had hoped that almost two bodies full of blood would help me overcome it, but it seemed I would have to drink an entire lake of blood to stop the venom from influencing me. I was still hungry, my thirst seeming endless, I would like nothing more than to kill Nasir, to drain his blood or not, his death would give me a certain type of happiness I wasn't sure the blood in his body could beat. I hadn't moved on him yet, I knew I wouldn't get close, he had noticed my hungry stares and unsheathed the stick-like weapon on his hip, only now did I realize it was a type of electric shock stick, him slightly pressing the button to warm it up anytime I looked his way or took a step closer warned me of that.

If he had only had a blade, I would not be so afraid, I could heal any cut he caused to me easily enough, not that he would manage to get a blow in before I disarmed him, but electricity liked to travel. I knew if I got hit even a little bit with the electricity my muscles would seize up and I would be stunned for a moment, but a moment would be all they would need. A moment would be all it would take for the other guards waiting just outside the throne room to come charging in and attack me.

The venom was overwhelming me enough that it made me second guess attacking Nasir, I knew that Cyrian would probably not be pleased if I killed his steward and a part of me did not want to disappoint him, as much as another part of me hated myself for even thinking about Cyrian's emotions for a second.

I was thinking all this while Cyrian talked to someone, I wasn't truly paying attention to who, or his words, but my senses were still sharp, they registered what he was saying even if I wasn't actively listening, which was why when he mentioned Kalo, my mind broke through the haze of venom clouding my thoughts with a surprising amount of strength. "King Kalo, I hope you fight against me, I will so enjoy watching my darling Alessandra rip your head off and give it to me as a wedding gift. I hope to receive your responses soon." My hands were trembling with rage, so they had lied to me, Kalo hadn't died when I had been kidnapped from Morgane. He was still alive, the thought made me overjoyed, though that was quickly overshadowed by the anger that Cyrian thought I would kill any one I knew for him, these strangers were unfortunate collateral damage, ones I had not been able to spare because my thirst was so strong.

I knew that this was the true me, somehow breaking through the haze the venom caused in my mind, I also knew it wouldn't last long, either the venom would overtake my thoughts again or Cyrian would just bite me, I had to do something quick. I remember Numa's words earlier, whether I had imagined our meetings these past few weeks or not, even the one that happened too long ago, I simply didn't know if it was the venom trying to placate me, but I had to try, nonetheless.

Like I was guided by instinct or rather my memory, my shadows leaked from my hands and formed a blade, it felt right in my grip, perfectly proportioned, and I knew it would be deathly sharp. With a snarl I lunge at Cyrian but he moves faster than I expected, managing to catch both my hands and hold me in place, even as I snarled and tried to lunge forward to rip his throat out. "My, my, my. I guess you weren't truly broken yet, merely subdued, I will have to fix that. Now, what is this blade, how did you get one? Though that doesn't look like one of ours, drop it." I snarl at him, but he merely stares at me with an amused smirk, as if he thought I truly posed no true threat to him.

He forces my hand to open but the second the blade falls from my grasp, it dissipates into a puff of black smoke, but was truly shadows going back to their natural form. "Now that is a cute trick, I wasn't aware you could control shadows like that, too bad you weren't successful in your attack, that was your one to chance to catch me off guard with your little trick. But do you want to see real power?" His smirk twists into a darker amusement as he shoves me away from him.