Change of Darkness (The Change Series Book 3) by Jacinta Jade (best new books to read txt) 📕

legs, her claws all fully extended. Up and up her body sailed, and just when she thought she wasn’t going to make it, her shoulders came even with the beam that she had been positioned under.

Her strong forelegs shot forwards and wrapped around the strut, her sharp claws digging deep into the wood, as her body began to fall back down towards the sand. With a jerk, her full considerable weight was taken up by the groaning wooden support, and her lower legs curled up instinctively, scrabbling to help push her entire body length up onto the beam.

In a quick moment, she was up and running along the rafter, a full three body lengths above the ground. It had only bought her a brief respite, though, for as soon as she had begun running, the two attackers below had set off in pursuit below, the third just beginning to take to his feet again.

Her original plan had been to either climb to safety or to get ahead of her enemies and escape through the main door.

But then Siraay spotted Drosni, still with that wide smile on his face as he calmly watched her and the others.

Abruptly, she turned on the beam and leapt out into the open air … and landed on the next support, two body lengths away. Then she leapt again. And again.

Soon she was ahead of the three assailants and was making a final growling spring … onto Drosni.

Surprisingly, he didn’t move, even though there was an instant in which he could have leapt for safety. Just like before with the other male, her substantial weight bore him to the ground, the momentum from her leap downwards slamming his back into the sand.

She Changed, ramming a hand against his throat and gripping tightly while her knees pinned his legs to the ground. ‘Call them off,’ she growled to him. ‘Call them off before I rip your throat out.’

Drosni’s smile grew wider. ‘Of course, my lady.’ He whistled sharply.

Disbelievingly, Siraay twisted her head slightly. And frowned.

The blirrus had Changed back into a female, and the two other males were now walking away towards the edge of the training area.

Siraay wheeled back to Drosni, about to start seeking answers, painfully, if she had to, when she heard the sound of clapping from the other side of the area.

Still distrustful of the whole situation, Siraay leapt up onto her feet and spun away from Drosni’s body, backing away slightly so that she could see each figure—the four elite guards, and a fifth form, just emerging from the shadows.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw who it was.

Pyron.

***

‘Well, well, quite the show. Tell me, were you always so slow?’ Pyron’s mouth twisted into a sneer that Siraay could just make out through the shadow that covered his face, although his voice conveyed a polite, mocking concern.

It had all been a test, she realised, from the moment she had walked in. ‘You knew?’ Her voice was low, barely containing the anger growing within her once more.

‘Yes.’ A smug smile replaced the sneer. ‘It is a custom of the elite to test those who are joining them or those they will work with.’

‘It is the only way to really know how someone thinks,’ Drosni added. ‘To know what they might do.’ His voice was chirpy, and Siraay didn’t need to turn around to know that his annoying smile would still be in place.

‘Talking to a person, or simply asking them a couple of questions, can usually get you a similar result,’ she ground out from between her teeth. She wanted badly to wipe that smug look from Pyron’s face. Preferably with both fists.

‘Not at all,’ chirruped Drosni. ‘In fact—’

‘I’m done here.’ Siraay spun on her heel and began striding towards the doors.

‘Same time tomorrow, lady?’

She ignored Drosni’s question and marched out through the doors to begin climbing the long staircase.

The sound of boots on the steps behind her finally registered when Siraay was a short way from the top, and she turned sharply, one foot on a step above the other.

Pyron was following close behind her.

Siraay’s anger surged, and she thought how good it would feel to just shove the masked male off the steps. She did have the high ground, after all. Instead, she just snapped, ‘What do you want?’

‘Great Mother, but you’re in a rage. Better calm down before Lord Chezran thinks you’re unfit to lead.’

She glared down at the amusement evident in those blue eyes. ‘You should have told me what was going to happen.’

‘And I would have, had you been patient and waited for me to collect you from the room Lord Chezran deposited you in. But no, you’re far too important to wait for anyone.’ The amusement had left his face, and he was now scowling up at her. ‘I’ve got better things to do than walk you around the palace.’

Siraay folded her arms, her anger sharpening at his words. ‘Well, apparently His Lordship doesn’t think so. And it’s only a matter of time before he realises just how useless you are and ceases letting you do even these simple tasks,’ she spat out at him. ‘After all, my former self managed to evade you a number of times … maybe you wear that silver mask to hide what a pathetic, cowardly—’

His fist shot out so quickly Siraay didn’t have time to unfold her arms and block him as a strong hand wrapped around her throat and thrust her to the very edge of the steps.

A cold sweat broke out across her body as first one foot, then the other, left the ground as the chief archon dangled her over the deadly drop to the rocks far below.

‘I should just kill you now,’ Pyron ground out from between his clenched teeth in an icy voice. ‘His Lordship is making a mistake with you. And if you’re gone, then he’ll just have to find another to replace you.’ His grip on Siraay’s throat tightened.

Think, she had to think.