In seconds, their target was clear.
Me.
And to reach me, they began slaughtering every student from Ravencrux House in their path.
The gods had rigged the game.
No student could stand against these creatures. These weren’t opponents. They were executioners.
Our ranks broke into panic. Students from other houses scattered to the edges, realizing only I was being hunted, and other students were collateral damage.
A female student went down under a chimera’s claws. A boy was snatched by a harpy and lifted into the air before being dropped. The crack of his spine echoed across the sand.
“Triangular formation!” I roared, but fear was a live wire through our ranks. “Behind me, now!”
Our group reshaped, instinct taking over. They trusted me.
I had to show this card to protect them.
I pushed out a weaving shield—threads of ink and gold, visible only to those who knew how to look—and draped it overmy house like a second skin. Claws and fangs and spells glanced off its shimmer.
At the same time, my blade carved through two monsters in one swing: a chimera’s throat, then the neck of a harpy.
But more terrible beings kept coming.
I glanced up at the center balcony. Zeus lounged with his new glass of wine.
Then both Hades and Demeter shot to their feet, though they stood as far apart as the balcony allowed.
Hade roared in rage, shadows erupting from his hands.
Chapter
Twenty-Five
Ravencrux
Caged King
My mate was magnificent in the arena.
Vicious. Deadly. Wrath incarnate
She led the members of our House like a warrior queen, cutting through Kingsley’s ranks as if they were parchment. Her power was awakening. I could see it in every movement, every kill, every command.
Given more time, she would fully awaken and finally shatter the curse that had plagued us for an eon. And I’d buy her time.
Watching my glorious queen made my blood burn with savage pride. My desire rose hotter, until I had to adjust the front of my armor to relieve the aching pressure.
Then my treacherous brothers unleashed the hunters. Centaurs and monster sentinels flooded through the north gate, every one focused on a single target.
Persephone.
They had seen that no one from the despicable Kingsley House could touch her, so they changed the rules in the middle of the game. They brought in the most lethal killers, determined to end my mate once and for all.
As the killing rampage started, soon there would be no one left standing with her. No students could hold back monsters of that caliber. Bloom could not fight the most powerful centaurs and a horde of creatures alone.
“This is a fucking setup!” I roared. “You fuckers cheated again!”
