I follow the goddess’ gaze. People are dying, so many of them, but neither side is giving in. They are fighting for the fate of the world, though many will never realise it.
I glance at the goddess; she stares at the death with a hunger that is sick. Her bones crack, and the body stumbles to the left before she catches it with a grumbled curse.
Mordecai has cleared a massive swath of people. There is a pile of bodies in front of him, but he’s working his way towards us, his expression grim but focused.
Yes! I glance back at Cadel. His eyes are dull. I feel a flicker of fear like I’ve missed something I should understand.
“They’re coming,” I say to him, trying to get something out of him. “It will be okay!”
He doesn’t respond or even acknowledge that I’ve spoken. He just closes his eyes, and that scares me more than anything.
“Andrew! Get down there!” The Beta hisses with the first signs of unease. Her blond hair falls out in chunks, but she doesn’t look away from Mordecai. “Bring me the head of that alpha.”
My pulse races. I surge forward, but the sword holds me back.
The High King pulls twin sabers and whirls them in his hands. The flash of gold is blinding, but worse is the speed and sharpness of the blades.
He’s going to kill Mordecai.
No!
I surge forward and kick the beta with the sword who is holding me captive. He screams as he falls back into the fighters. I hear a shrill scream, but I don’t care. Seconds, I only have seconds, but I rush to intercept the High King, ready to use whatever means possible to stop him. I’m caught up short; a beta grabs my hair and swings me to my knees with a knife pressed against my throat.
“I’m getting tired of you all pressing knives to my throat,” I hiss in a warning that is ignored.
I kneel there, staring intently as the High King makes his way through his people. They part for him. Fear fills my chest, pushing out until I’m frozen, watching as he heads in the direction of my mate.
He cuts down alphas every time he finds one. Sending those spinning blades into his people with no consideration for beta or alpha. His skill is incredible, and I finally understand why she keeps him around. He is her last line of defense, her protection. She doesn’t think he will lose.
I look at Legion and find him staring at me. His face is white, leached of colour and hope. There is something that he knows that I don’t, and I can see it on his face.
“If you move, she dies!” the goddess snarls at Walker, who has climbed to his feet. I forget about Legion until she points at him. “Then he dies.”
Walker, Legion, anyone and everyone, she’ll sacrifice us in a heartbeat. Everyone is expendable to her.
Bear rears up, bigger and stronger than everyone around him. He’s not far from Jarek, who is struggling with his own group of betas. It’s the first time I’ve seen him in minutes, but he’s covered in blood, most of it not his. He growls as he cuts into them.
Mordecai roars, and I look back just in time to see him and the High King slam into each other. Their swords scream as they clash against each other, then break away. The world slows down as they collide again. The earth shakes, and the fighting around them turns to white noise.
The Goddess paces, watching intently.
“Familiar,” she murmurs. “He is so familiar. Kill him!” she shouts!
Mordecai!
I see a flash of gold out of the corner of my eye. I turn too slowly.
I feel a horrible pain in my chest. Like something is ripping me apart, like I’m burning up from the inside out. The bonds shred inside me, burning up and leaving me with a gaping wound.
I’ve felt thisway before.
I search for the red colour I should never have taken my eyes off. I find him instantly on the stage just feet from me. The newly appointed Beta’s Fang is standing with his gold mask, his sword raised, ready to bring it down on me. I didn’t even see him. Jarek spins him back and tears out his throat with his blade.
The world slows down, going almost silent.
Jarek stands there panting, but there’s something wrong with his face, with his body, with our bonds.
When the beta falls, I see the pledge in the black mask, smiling in triumph behind Jarek. I look down, trying to figure out what I’m seeing. A sword? Plunged through his chest, pointed at me?
