CHAPTERTEN
Blades flashed, and living nightmares fell.
Cassander had arrived. Exactly as he promised.
He grinned from the doorway, his swords swinging in merry—deadly—fun. He shouted with glee, “I have arrived to save the day!”
Finn straightened from his crouched position next to Poppy, unsurprised, his eyes on his slash-happy friend. “You know, Cass, one day, it would be nice if you helpedpreventthe need for saving others instead of riding in on your white horse like a hero.”
Cassander sidestepped a flying hand full of lethal nails, his smile only widening on his face. “Aww, come on. You know you love this shit.”
Finn grunted, a smirk tugging at his wide lips. “My friend, you have me there. I’ve needed an outlet for a while. Killing a few golems will do just fine.”
I flinched back when the white tiger brandished his blades, cutting down two…golems…with expert ease.
Megan leaned toward me, muttering under her breath, “What the hell is a golem?”
I stood a bit straighter, ready to teach. “From my ancient studies of civilization, golems were once believed to be magical creatures created by clay and then animated to life.”
Megan stared in disbelief. She grumbled, “You’re talking about magic again. Crazy shit.”
I waved a hand at the golems before us, my own eyes staring at their bodies—not their glowing mouths—in incredulity. “I can’t believe I’m saying it, either. But how else would you explain this?”
She snorted. “A new form of machinery.”
My lips thinned. I didn’t say more on the matter.
Megan hadn’t witnessed men turning into beasts.
Magic would be farfetched for someone in the dark.
“You two need to get Poppy inside with you while Cass and I take care of the…,” he glanced at Megan, apparently offended by her tone with me, “golems—because that’s what they are.”
Her blue eyes rolled. “Mina can drag the fainting princess in here. I’ll fight with you.”
“No, you won’t. Poppy said you wanted to be in the CA, right?”
“Yeah. To get away from my dad.”
“Well, a good soldier knows when to protect the innocent.” He tipped his head in my direction, holding her narrowed gaze. “Mina can’t fight, and Poppy is down. You need to watch over them. If you can get out of the locked enclosure, then the golems can get in twice as easily with their numbers.”
Her lips thinned, properly scolded.
I grumbled, “How do you know I can’t fight?”
“I read your file on the way here. You graduated from New City University two years early—with honors—and you’re now a professor there. You’re a scholar, not a fighter.” His eyes heated as they ran down my curvy body, pausing on the most indecent parts. He purred, “And I like it, Mina. Don’t think I don’t.”
I shuddered, my legs weakening from his erotic expression and promising words. I wanted to rub my body all over this man. It was so very distasteful, but the idea grew with more merit every single second I was in this monster’s presence.
Swaying toward him, I sighed, “Okay.”
Another brilliant response.
Megan snorted and choked until she laughed.
She pointed a finger right at my face. “All that education and one man makes you lose your wits? You’re going to get fucked so good that you won’t be able to walk in a straight line to pee afterward.”
“Megan!” I admonished, my cheeks flaming.
