Janie cried out and tried to duck, but Suri was too fast.
Kalin growled and jumped in front of her, his hands still bound. The star slashed through his neck, and he fell to the ground.
Janie dropped to her knees, reaching for him.
Shock covered his face. His eyes closed, and his head rolled into the fissure.
Chapter 30
Zane blinked, his gaze focusing on his pregnant mate. She sat on the floor, pale and trembling next to Kalin’s headless corpse.
The Kurjan had saved her.
Suri swore, and the world narrowed to the threat he posed.
Zane lunged across the schism and tackled his uncle, throwing them both into a series of boulders. Pain ripped down his spine, and rock splinters stabbed his neck. Blood still poured from his chest wounds, and his knees felt like rubber from transporting one last time.
But if this were his final moment, he’d take Suri with him.
He turned his head to capture Janie’s attention and get one more glimpse of the woman who held his soul. “Get to the lift and then run.”
Suri grappled him into a headlock, and Zane had to concentrate on living long enough to give Janie a chance at survival. A slim chance, but if anybody could live through this, it’d be Janie Belle Kayrs.
Just the thought of her name awakened something inside him. Deep and strong . . . and beyond his current limitations.
Using Suri’s chest as a fulcrum, Zane flipped his feet over them both, landing on his knees above Suri’s head and jerking free his neck. He clapped both hands into a solid fist and drove down into Suri’s nose.
Blood arced almost in slow motion across the cavern.
Suri punched up. Zane’s jaw cracked, and unbelievable pain threw him back into a solid sheet of rock. His head hit and then his shoulders, the impact ricocheting down his body.
The earth rumbled in absolute fury. The fissure widened, and several smaller branches broke from the main one.
Zane blinked and fought for consciousness. Across the cavern, Janie had risen to her feet, her hands settled protectively across her belly, a look of hard determination blanketing her delicate face. She leaped across the widening gap in the earth and dropped to scrabble through the rocks shifting and falling all around.
“Get out of here,” Zane yelled.
Suri turned and stood, his chin down, the promise of death glowing in his black eyes. He stood tall and formidable—an ancient demon with unimaginable power. “I gave you everything.”
Zane snarled and spat blood. The monster had beaten him, threatened him, and made most of his childhood hell. Even worse, he’d turned Zane into a killer. “I thank God every day my father had years with me before you stepped in.” God only knew what kind of beast Zane would be without his father’s guidance and his mother’s love. And Janie’s. “You’re never going to have the chance to harm any of my family.”
Suri’s fangs shot out. “I should’ve killed you on day one.”
Zane allowed his fangs to descend. “You really should have.” Drawing on a strength taught by his father, he crouched and then attacked. Fists flying, knees lifting, elbows swinging, he went at Suri with everything he’d ever had.
Suri countered, crushing Zane’s rib with one hard punch.
Zane dropped to one knee.
Suri chuckled and drew a Degoller Star from his back pocket. Silver glinted in the dim light, brighter than possible.
Janie cried out.
The Prophesies of Arias volume flew across the room and smashed into a wall. Pages whipped open. A shriek of unimaginable decibels roared from the pages.
Zane’s brain swelled against his skull.
Suri growled at the book and then advanced toward his nephew, lifting the deadly weapon.
