I waited until My Lady Moon was safe in her house before I let loose my rage. I gripped the nearest tree with both my hands and drove my head into the trunk, ripping open a chunk of skin just above my brow. Blood as hot as fire rose to the surface of my flesh and spilled down my face, melting skin in its path.
I saw her in my mind's eye, in my memories of her, struggling for breath, the Hylander holding her against the tree, drinking in her fear for him, and I drove my forehead into the tree again.
And again.
But this was not enough.
I spread my fingers into stiff claws and raked them down the length of the tree trunk, tearing off bark, ripping fingernails from the flesh of my fingertips. Barron had blackened her eyes, bloodied her mouth, broken her ribs, while all I could do was watch.
Viciously, I slashed my fingers down the tree, shredding away bark with razor-sharp ease, tearing away what was left of my fingernails.
And I did it again.
And again.
Still, this was not enough to placate my inner tumult.
These pictures, her pictures, never ceased replaying in my mind. Over and over and over again, I watched her suffer, while I could do nothing at all.
And here she was.
Within my grasp.
And I had yet to go to her, to succumb to this undying, pathetic desire I had to touch her flesh with my own bare hands and make myself be known to her!
I. Needed. To succumb.
I tore out of the trench coat, sprang from the ground and grabbed the sky with my wings. I thrust myself into flight. Just barely above the water, I flew back toward the bonfire.
She did not see me coming. It would not have mattered if she had. There would have been nothing, nothing, she could have done to stop me.
In my silent decent toward her, in the span of a blink of an eye, images crashed together in my mind, fueling my lust for death: Lady Luna's naked body in my arms, clothed by only my wings. The feel of her soft, warm flesh against mine. The weight of her in my arms. My longing to hurt her. My longing to embrace her. Her back to me in the forest. How I failed to end her life. How I failed to make her mine. The pains of her past, pounding through me.
Isis' disobedience.
I landed behind Isis and wrapped her in feathers. Hate hammered hot through my ancient blood. I stabbed my teeth into her throat, piercing a major artery with practiced precision. Piquant, bittersweet blood burst into my mouth, drowning my thirsty tongue. I bit down and locked my jaws.
Then I wagged my head, viciously, ripping a piece of meat from Isis' neck and tearing it away from tendon and bone.
While Isis' scream filled the black cocoon of my wings, I chanted. "As it is my birthright to command, Lady Luna love no other man."
And that was it. I could do no more than this, at the moment, and since I had to do something, uttering this enchantment just had to be enough for now. But something solidified inside my head, and I knew, no matter what my brother's voices tried coaxing me to do, I could not do their bidding. I would not do their bidding.
Even if it meant that I would have to stay away from My Lady Moon indefinitely.
****
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Luna