The rhythmic clanging of metal grows louder, and more soldiers continue to pour into the room. Sin is surrounded.
All thoughts of loyalties, wars, and rebellions fade to nothing when I see their blades pointed at the man I love. None of it matters if he doesn’t live.
Guests panic and try to flee, but the guards stand firm, blocking every exit. We’re all locked in.
I hiss as Leon jerks me upright, keeping a death-grip in my hair. He forces me to watch as guards approach Sin.
One is holding a set of black cuffs. They’re the same ones Arianna was wearing when I found her – the kind that nullifies magic.
No, please no.
Another soldier swings an axe at Sin’s head, but he ducks out of the way. In a flash, Sin grabs the guard and throws him into two others approaching. He moves with ease, reminding me that even without power or weapons, he’s lethal.
But the tide of soldiers looks endless.
Five guards charge him at once, and I forget how to breathe. One gets a chain around Sin’s neck, causing him to stumble back. The world seems to stop as another guard lifts his sword, ready to impale Sin in the gut.
An ear-splitting roar fills the room.
The floor trembles as a silver wolf the size of a freaking horse launches into the fray. The silver beast aims for the soldier behind Sin, clamping its teeth around the guard’s head. In another second, there’s asickening rip as the soldier’s body is thrown across the room, and the head falls to the ground, rolling until it hits Sin’s feet.
A new wave of chaos erupts, as dozens of soldiers charge. Sin and the wolf fight perfectly in sync, bathing the floors in red. All around the room, terrified guests scramble, pressing themselves against the walls.
“Traitorous bitch,” Leon spits, and he turns on his heel, dragging me to the grand staircase. He only stops once we’re halfway up the steps, well away from the danger.
Still, he doesn’t release me. Instead, he twists me until my back is crushed against his chest. He uses his hold on my hair to force my chin up, ensuring he can watch my expression as the fight unfolds.
“Watch, Vivian. Watch him die because of your selfishness,” he whispers, clearly excited.
A whimper escapes my lips, despite my efforts to hold it in, and something firm twitches against my back. But not even Leon’s touch can stop the spark of hope that ignites inside of me when I refocus on the fight.
They’ve managed to clear a path to the doors. The wolf lets out a menacing growl and looks at Sin before flicking its muzzle in that direction. It’s a clear order to ‘get your ass out of here.’ Then, the beast returns to turning soldiers into chew toys.
The brief pause is all it takes for me to recognize the beast’s yellow eyes.
Ragna.
The queen of the Beast Realm is fighting with us. We have an ally.
The hope is short-lived, though, when Sin turns, easily spotting me. He takes in Leon’s rough hold on me, and his easy confidence is replaced by lethal fury.
He doesn’t move for the doors.
I try to shake my head, pleading with him not to do this as he continues to cut down soldiers, coming back for me. Leon’s punishing grip doesn’t let me move a muscle.
Ragna looks annoyed by his change in direction, but doesn’t falter. They move like a two-person army, spilling the blood of countless soldiers.
With each fallen soldier, more unease builds in my gut. Something is wrong. These soldiers are hardly putting up a fight, and they seem unorganized. They don’t move with the deadly calm that I’ve come to recognize in the Elite soldiers.
But why?
Just as I ask myself the question, I catch a flash of purple on the floor above us. Sin and Ragna freeze, mid-attack.
“That’s quite enough,” Need calls out. Her voice is coming from above us, and Leon turns us to face her. Dread washes over me as I take in the dozen men in purple robes on either side of her.
Council mages.
Their arms are extended toward the fight, and their lips move in a soundless chant. No light leaves their palms, but I know they’re using magic to hold Sin and Ragna.
