“Why?” Sin snarled for the fourth time, relentless in his irritation. Badgering the king until he got an answer that wasn’t a surly grunt. “Whywouldn’t you tell us? Giaus—we could have prepared!”
At this, the king roared and whirled with claws and bristling mane, reeking of musk that warned of his temper. “There is no preparation that will stop the Primus!” His pupils tiny pricks of terrified rage he’d only dared to show Sin, he huffed out a pale attempt at a laugh. “No fortification strong enough. No wall the Legion can’t scale with sheer numbers. All we can do is build a den and keep her locked away, hidden from the wind, because if the Primus catches her scent… if he even suspects a creature like her exists? The Legion will march on the Queen’s Landing before we have the chance to build an army. Before any of you are strong enough to do more than die honorably. An endless line of infected more gruesome than you can possibly imagine will march through that wall. Over their dead. Obliterating any pitiful defense we can possibly erect. They will not stop, Sin. If it takes years and more bodies than exist in the Silver City, they will never stop coming.”
Thunder rolled overhead. Brought by heavy dark clouds that obscured the glaring heat of the noon sun.
Breath that had been frozen in his chest thawed at that sound, as if given permission. Releasing a slow exhale, Sin blinked. Nodded. Mind racing to find a solution. A strategy.Anythingto refute the king’s words, to see the way through, as his queen had commanded him to do.
“Okay,” he said. “Then we—”
“Quiet.” Giaus snapped his fingers, going still in a way that sent ice spiking through Sin’s nape. His mane standing on end. “This is a trap.”
From the far side of the clearing, a soft click whispered through the trees.
And the shadows came alive.
Glaring.
Five pairs of eyes watched from the dark.
They were surrounded.
“Shit,” Sin spat, and pressed his right side to Giaus’ left. Silently demanding the king guard his blind side, for there was no denying the nature of the beasts who hunted them with unblinking alien stares.
Predators.
Filtering the wind through his teeth, Giaus didn’t respond until a thrumming, dual-toned growl spattered through the dark. Until the living shadows tightened their perimeter.
“Fuck,” the king snarled. “Lava-kin. A yearling matriarch and her thralls.”
Under his breath, the general asked, “How do you know?” without daring to tear his eye from the impromptu battle field.
“Young matriarchs don’t have lava until they lay their first clutch,” he murmured, terse. Brisk. “Instead, they scream.”
“Well that doesn’t sound—”
“It’s worse.” Giaus snarled. “It’s much worse.”
It was Sin’s turn to choke on his words, and in so doing, bloodied his palms with the points of his claws. Renegade had beenall overthis clearing. He could see her tracks as if she’d only just laid them. The foolish creature must have stumbled onto a fresh kill and—
“I’m going to need you to be a target,” Giaus said. Voice low and tight with urgency, sinking to his haunches in a bid to appear smaller than the general. Less than. “When the matriarch reveals herself, make sure she seesyou. Look for red and do whatever you can to keep her distracted. It’s going to hurt,” he added, and Sin could feel the challenging smirk. “A lot.”
“As my fucking king commands,” he drawled, and cracked his neck. Shaking out his hands, claws extending and retracting as he tested their sheaths and prepared for bloodshed.
Giaus flicked a sly grin at him. “Might shit your pants.”
“Try not to sound too excited,” Sin returned. “Know how much you love butt stuff, my Liege.”
The king chuffed, a laugh clipped short as it burst over his lips and eased the tension winding them too tight. Pushed too close to brittle. And then, “Ready?”
Sin gave a tight nod…
… and was met with applause.
Clapping followed by the high-pitched coo of amused laughter.
“Veryclever, my king,” she sang, and strolled into the clearing. “But to sacrifice your general so early? Seems a touch rash. Should have brought the rest of your men.”
Mouths agape, the Anhur stared at the creature who stepped into the clearing, for this was not the female they’d kept pampered and tame.
