The Revivium Empire had fallen, the Allura Empire was falling, and the Lethium Empire was the only one untouched by Matthieu’s monstrous form—yet not untouched by monsters.
Monster attacks were increasing more and more just like they had been, and it seemed there was no level of aggression with these monsters. They were all running on what seemed like rage potions, senseless and violent.
The thought that Matthieu was communicating with them sent chills down my spine, and I glanced around to find myself alone.
This was the first time I had truly been alone in months. I wasn’t even sure if I could technically classify it asalonesince the guys were right outside the bathroom.
But I loved that Silas had come to check on me even when I hadn't wanted him to at first. I needed him more than I thought I did, and I had fallen in love with him too.
I didn't completely understand his hesitation with falling in love, but at the same time, I respected it.
Unique experiences caused different reactions in people, and I understood that.
A faint noise caught my attention, and my instincts rang alarm bells in my mind. It was clear that I was no longer alone, and a quick check down the bond told me that whoever it was, wasnotone of my bonded mages in the bathroom with me.
My eyes quickly flitted across the room through the veil of steam, and two shadowy figures appeared. My heart pounded in my chest as I took in the spirits of these assassins.
Both spirits were darker and far more sinister than the assassins that were sent before.
They had to be from Matthieu, but I didn’t understand why he bothered sending them when he knew firsthand that I was immortal.
Without letting another moment pass, I leaped out of the bath, water dripping down my body and splashing all over the bathroom. My control of water helped me not slip or fall as I allowed my magic and reflexes to take over.
The assassins stood before me, clad in masks and dark garments, and their eyes fixated on me.
Nobody said a word.
The assassin on the right lunged forward with a concealed ivory dagger that reminded me of bone in his grip.
I sidestepped the attack, but the dagger grazed my side, causing a sharp pain that radiated all the way down my body. I hissed in pain before I countered with a powerful blast of water that sent him stumbling backward and slipping on the stone.
Before he could recover, I used wind magic to disarm him and pin him against the ground, but as I did that, the second assassin closed in with a pair of daggers made of glinting silver.
I cast a torrent of fire magic at the assassin with the other hand, but it didn't seem to phase him as he moved around it with precision.
He feigned a low attack, causing me to use my wind magic to instinctively move my body upward, but he saw an opportunity and drove the dagger upward with deadly accuracy.
My breath caught as the dagger sliced through my side once more, opening the first cut further, but I pivoted away, minimizing the damage that I could. I pushed past the pain and drew on my earth magic to cast a spell to create an impenetrable wall between me and the assassin.
I needed a healing potion, but I had to finish them off before I did that.
Blood oozed from the wound, and my spirit seemed to throb against my vessel, but I refused to let the pain overwhelm me.
I ignored the searing agony and focused on the assassin before me.
Sucking in a rattled breath, I sent a relentless series of magical water blasts after taking down the earth wall, forcing the assassin next to his friend that I was still holding with wind magic.
“Kill us,” the one assassin croaked from the ground. “We’re dead, anyway.”
Reaching out my hand, I switched to my spirit vision and shoved their spirits from their vessel before allowing them to weasel back to wherever Hexarium placed them.
I left their vessels cold and dead on the bathroom floor.
The door burst open, and Jasper rushed into the room with darkness clinging to his body, and his eyes scanned through the room. “What the fuckwasthat?”
“What are you talking about?” I heaved a breath, throwing my arm toward the assassins’ vessels strung out on the floor. “You mean the two assassins that broke in?”
“Strong barrier magic,” Casper growled, anger throbbing through the bond from all five of them. “We couldn’t feel you in the bond or break through the door.”
