Before Plague can draw his blade, Knight explodes into motion. The decorative armor clatters as he crosses the room in two massive strides, his human hand closing around Plague's throat from behind.
"What the fuck—" Plague's words cut off as Knight lifts him clear off the ground.
But Plague didn't survive as one of the Ghosts by being easy prey. His blade flashes out, finding a gap in Knight's decorative armor where the plates meet. Knight roars, more in surprise than pain, and his grip loosens just enough for Plague to twist free.
The prince lands in a crouch, weapon already moving in a deadly arc. Knight's massive frame works against him in the confined space.
Fuck. He can't dodge properly in a room that's clearly not made for eight-foot mutant alphas wearing armor, cloak and all. I wasn't counting on this getting to the point of an actual fight.
Figures Plague couldn't make this easy.
HeisAzarel's brother.
Geo vaults through the window with more agility than a man his size should possess. "Need a hand, Tin Man?"
Plague's eyes snap to him, and despite the poison making his movements slightly sluggish, his voice drips with disgust. "I'd heard you've lost your mind, Geo, but you fuckingdruggedme?"
Geo jerks his thumb at me. "That was all her."
"Only a little," I add innocently, starting to climb through the window to help. And not a moment too soon as Plague launches a throwing knife in Geo's direction. "Watch out!"
The knife whistles through the air, embedding itself in the wall exactly where Geo's head had been a second before. He ducks and rolls, coming up with his gun drawn.
"Stay the fuck outside!" he barks at me. Not quite an alpha bark, but close enough to make my scalp tingle.
"How chivalrous. Worry about yourself, big guy." I settle for leaning through the window instead, careful to keep most of my body outside once I realize Knight is holding back in an attempt to avoid catching me in the crossfire. "And remember, we need him alive and capable of answering questions!"
Plague laughs, the sound sharp and bitter as he parries Knight's clawed strike with his blade. "You three broke into the fucking palace and you think you're walking out of here alive?"
Knight roars, the sound shaking the very walls, and I see realization dawn on Plague's face as the cloak tears away from his broad shoulders, revealing the metal arm beneath.
"It can't be..." Plague breathes, narrowly dodging as Knight's claws smash through his pristine desk, cleaving it in two like it's a slice of cake. Papers fly like confetti, providing just enough cover for Geo to get into a better position.
Plague grabs one of the swords from the wall display, and suddenly it's blade against bladed claws, the metallic clash ringing through the office. Knight's raw power sends Plague sliding back, but the prince uses the momentum to spin away, his fighting style one of quick reflexes and rapid strikes that keep him just out of Knight's reach.
The poison is definitely affecting him, though. I can see it in the slight tremor of his hands, the way he blinks too often as if trying to clear his vision. But he's still fighting with skill even I can't deny is impressive. Most people can't hold their own against Knight for more than a few seconds, even if the small space does give my alpha a considerable handicap.
Geo tries to flank him, but Plague anticipates the move, using Knight's bulk as a shield while he maneuvers around the destroyed furniture. In one fluid motion, he grabs the glass from his desk and flings the remaining liquid through the eyeholes in Knight's mask.
Knight staggers back with a pained snarl, clawing at his mask as his back hits the wall hard enough to shake the room, and my heart clenches. He's trying so hard not to destroy everything, not to risk hurting me with flying debris, and it's putting him at a disadvantage against an opponent who knows exactly how to exploit every weakness.
"Will you just black the fuck out already?" I hiss at Plague.
He shoots me a look like I'm the most insane person he's ever met, and maybe I am, but then he sends another throwing knife into Geo's thigh. Geo curses viciously but doesn't go down, instead rushing forward to drive into the prince like a freight train. They crash into the bookshelf, volumes tumbling around them as Geo uses his weight and strength to pin Plague against the wall.
But even drugged and outnumbered, Plague fights with a vicious intelligence. He drives his knee up, catches Geo in the ribs, then uses the larger alpha's momentary loosening of his grip to slip free and send him stumbling back.
Knight is still struggling, growling in distress as he tries to clear his vision without removing his mask. The sight of him so vulnerable and suffering makes me want to freaking kill Plague whether we need him alive or not.
My eyes land on the statue Plague adjusted earlier, a heavy bronze piece depicting the same ibis figure as the pendant Azarel wears around his neck at all times, even when he's sleeping. Without thinking, I slip fully into the room and grab it, the weight making my arms strain.
Plague turns just as I raise it above my head, his eyes widening as if he's having a particularly painful episode of deja vu.
I grin. "Remember this?"
The statue connects with his skull with a satisfying thunk and he crumples to the floor.
I drop the statue, panting and sweeping the damp silver hair out of my face as Geo hauls himself to his feet with a groan. "My fucking knee is gonna be out for a month," he growls.
