The Witch's Tool (The Witch's Tool #1)

Alert: DANGER!

JACE

Dying had never been a thought to cross my mind. Not when I had watched as my mother's life was taken before my eyes. Not when my father choose me to come to this world in search of one girl who I had expected to be powerful, dangerous and wicked.
Not when I had faced and fought for the first time, a skin-shifter.

None of those times had the thought or fear of me dying, crossed my mind.

Not until now.

Because for the first time ever, I truly felt that it was my only option. Yes there was still fight left in me but the strength to power it was all but depleted. I could barely keep my eyes opened and each breath surely felt like the last.

And worse, the thing walking towards me; it knew.

It knew I was too weak to fight it. It knew I was alone and no help would come.

The only help I had was lying on the ground; unconscious, chest barely rising. Lyris.
After using so much of her strength and not having a single minute to rest, I knew she would probably open her eyes when I was already dead and Zee gone. And that's if they wouldn't kill her too.
It was likely they would.

As the skin-shifter closed in on its already dead prey, I managed to open both my eyes which caused my head to protest greatly. But I kept them opened.

I wouldn't be a coward in my last moments. I had already failed my people, and more importantly Zee.

My tired eyes found hers; dull and glazed. I just stared. They didn't blink or move, no part of her did. Not even a rise and fall of her chest. It was as if she was truly gone.

A string pulled at my chest and I grounded my teeth. Apart of me knew death was better than what she the ordeal she was about to face but another part, the section connected to my heart didn't agree.

It wanted her to live. And this part, it sounded louder than every single cell in my brain. And I for one agreed, no matter how selfish. I wanted it for her. She deserved so much more.

Coming to my senses I noticed that the shape-shifter had stopped and was looking between me and Zee. A curious look on its face that I knew would materialize into trouble.

"You're in love with the young one." It sounded like a question but it was said like a fact.

When he didn't get a respond from me, he smiled like he'd just figured out the biggest mystery in the universe.

But as he turned around and started back towards Zee, realization set in as it became clear what its intentions were.

"No!" I shouted from the pit of my lungs and tried standing up but my whole limbs trembled and something wet ran from my nose as another painful headache ripped across my forehead.

Groaning, I closed my eyes and waited as the pain dulled. When I reopened them, the skin-shifter was already at Zee. Kneeling beside her, regarding her curiously.

"She is the splitting image of Our Queen, much much much weaker but just as beautiful."

It ran the back of its hands down her face and the fear inside of me tripled.

Sensing it, its eyes turned to me and the look on its face showed great pleasure.

I watched with disgust as its claws retracted and it placed both of its hands on her and lifted her in its arms. Her head dropped to the side and her head of curls fell downward.

"So fragile. Has the most power of any of us and yet still so weak." It moved towards me, all the while his eyes on her face. At least her eyes were now closed and she wouldn't have to stare up close into the eyes of such a monster.