A Touch of Rage by Nita Round

Author:Nita Round [Round, Nita]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pink Tea Books
Published: 2020-03-01T23:00:00+00:00

26

Magda stared at Lucinda as she took her place with the other eleven women. How could she save Lucinda from Prince Ruth now? It had all spiraled out of control, and Lucinda didn’t seem to have any idea how much. Worse, she encouraged him.

She wanted to yell, to call her back, make her see the danger they were in. Instead, Lucinda sat in one of those niches with the sweetest smile on her lips. If anything, she looked for all the world as though she belonged there. All calm and certain. She didn’t just belong, she looked as though she expected this, and Magda could do nothing but watch.

She glanced at Ascara, who stared at Lucinda with such concentration it looked as though she wished to inscribe every feature to memory. Magda reached out and gripped Ascara’s hand.

“We are one,” Magda whispered.

“For always,” Ascara replied.

Prince Ruth stamped his foot and interrupted her thoughts. “You two, stop mumbling to each other. This is done. And you,” he pointed at Lucinda. “Become one. I demand you complete my Hours.” Like a petulant child, he stamped his foot again.

Magda stepped forward, she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to kill the Prince and save Lucinda. Nothing seemed more important than saving Lucinda. As she moved, Ascara pulled on her hand and stopped her. She shook her head. “No, Magda, no.”

Then the women, the Hours, caught her attention.

Their eyes turned white like milk. Even Lucinda’s eyes had become white, and Magda didn’t know what to do about that either. She had seen eyes change before, but these white eyes all looked odd. Spooky did not even come close to describing them.

When they spoke, the eleven women spoke as one. “One begat two, begat more,” they said as one voice. “We were eleven.”

“And now we are joined, as was foreseen,” said Lucinda.

The Prince clapped his hands. His grin so broad at that moment, he looked like the happiest man alive. “Yes!”

“But we are not the twelve,” said eleven voices.

“Nor can we be the Hours,” Lucinda finished.

The Prince froze. “You cannot deny—”

One by one, the eyes of the women changed. White became grey, then like iron, and then black. Twelve pairs of black eyes stared at the Prince, at Magda, and at Ascara.

Black eyes. Raven eyes.

“Look at us,” Lucinda ordered. “These are not your women. They are not Hours for your pleasure and enjoyment.” Her voice grew stronger, louder. “They are mine now. Lost to you. Lost for all time.”

“No,” Prince Ruth cried. “I need them. I need you all to find my sister.”

“She’s dead,” Lucinda the Raven answered. “And you must not seek the spirits of the dead. This I refuse.”

“No! You can’t do that,” he said. “No!”

Lucinda focused her attention to him. “I can, and I do refuse. I also refuse to allow you to control any part of time.”

“You cannot refuse me. I am your prince and you…you are just women I own.”

“Own? You think you own anyone?” said Lucinda.

Anger, hard as steel, struck everyone in the room.

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