“You are the Prophesied One.” His chuckle turned into a cough for air. It’d be a miracle if he lived past the day. He leaned down and grabbed a bunch of dirt to rub in his hair. Mixed with the blood, it’d hide the gray.
“What are you doing?” Janie asked.
He finished by patting some dirt onto his face. “Taking years off my life. Push the button, Belle.”
She frowned, hit the button, and the lift sprang up through rock. Then she hissed. “I can’t believe I lost the book.”
“Forget the book.” As far as he was concerned, the damn thing was cursed.
Janie peered over the edge but didn’t stop the lift.
“Stand behind me when we get to the top.” Zane tried to find strength, but only pain filled his mind. This was a long shot, but it was all they had.
The lift reached the top, and he forced himself to stand. Stepping out of it, he counted the number of demon guards flanking the exit. At least twenty. Shit.
He staggered to the opening, very conscious of the woman covering his back. Wind and rain pummeled the area, and trees swayed as if furious. The earth continued to quake. Several helicopters rested at the far tree line; there was no way to get to them without fighting.
One by one, the demon soldiers turned their focus on him. They were the elite of the elite, all wearing flashing medals across their chests. All close followers of Suri.
Zane blinked blood and rain from his eyes and lifted Suri’s head high in the air. “Follow me or die.”
He sensed a wave of pain behind him. From Janie. “Are you okay?” he muttered.
“Peachy,” she said, stepping to his side. “I’ll take out the right side of soldiers and you take the left?”
“Funny.” He kept his gaze hard as Suri’s blood dripped onto the earth. “Decide. Now.” The demon in him came out full force in the harsh command.
A couple of the soldiers eyed each other.
Dread dropped into Zane’s gut. He could barely stand, much less take them on.
A whir of sound echoed through the sky. He lifted his gaze. One by one, several helicopters dropped Realm soldiers onto the ground. A chopper landed, and the king stepped out, followed by Sam and Logan.
Zane’s brothers ran toward him.
The demon soldiers slowly dropped their weapons. “Looks like you’re the new leader,” a well-decorated soldier said, respect filling his eyes.
Relief buzzed through Zane.
He threw Suri’s head back into the earth and grabbed Janie, starting for the nearest transport. “We still need to get out of here.”
She cried out and doubled over.
“What?” he asked, holding her upright.
Her eyes widened, pain turning her face pale. “I don’t know.”
He stilled. The entire world stopped spinning. “How bad is the pain?”
“Shit. Bad. Something’s wrong.” She bit her lip, tears filling her eyes.
Sam shot him a worried look and slipped an arm under Janie’s shoulder. Between the two of them, they got her to the helicopter, where the king quickly put everybody in seats, and Janie sat next to a worried looking Talen.
As if choreographed, the Realm helicopters and the demon helicopters all rose into the air and then split into two different directions. Zane held Janie close, his body bleeding, his heart breaking. It was way too early for the baby, so she must’ve been injured somehow in the jumps. Pain racked his mate, and he tried to draw it into his body. But between the fight, the virus, and teleporting, he was done.
He’d see Suri soon in death.
Zane looked up to see the king, worn and wan, and so damn ill, staring at him with regret in his silver eyes. “How did you get transport?” Zane coughed.
