Yuki sneered. “They’re not going to take kindly to you running your big mouth either.”
Aloysius looked confused. “Eh?”
Zizi’s T-shirt was turning redder by the second. Rui didn’t want to find out how much blood a human body contained. “Let him go,” she said.
“Don’t tell me what to do, little girl.” Aloysius dismissed the weapon in her hand, turning his attention back to Yuki instead. “Look at her, do you sense her qi levels, Yuki? She’s just an ordinary human, and you couldn’t even kill her first? You’re a waste of space.”
Yuki glared at Aloysius with deep hatred.
“Leave the two of them alone,” Zizi said, staring at Rui. She knew he’d come to the same conclusion as her: the target of this ambush washim. But it was clear the Hybrids wanted him alive, otherwise Aloysius would’ve finished him off.
Aloysius snickered. “Trying to play the hero?”
“I’m not the hero type.” Zizi’s grin was turning into a grimace. “I just enjoy being a know-it-all. That boy over there is Song Wei’s grandson. If he dies, you’ll have the Exorcist Guild devoting every resource they have to hunting you down. I’m guessing you don’t want that.”
“Let them come.” Aloysius snarled, driving his blade in deeper through Zizi.
Blood flowed from the curved end sticking out of Zizi’s chest, dripping down to his feet. He looked like he was about to faint, but he kept talking.
“You’re ruining my shoes,Aloysius. It’s going to be a pain to remove all that blood from leather.”
“Shut that mouth of yours.”
Aloysius rotated his blade.
Zizi blew out an agonizing breath. His eyes were glazing over. Rui couldn’t stand to watch this. She moved her arm by half an inch, ready to throw her sword over to Yiran.
A violet blade shot out from Aloysius.
Yiran gasped. The blade was pressed against his jugular.
Rui met Aloysius’s glare, cursing silently. His reflexes were too fast. They had to find another way.
He spat at her. “Sneaky brat! Try that again and your boyfriend dies. And you! I don’t care whose grandson you are. I suggest you stay down like a good dog before I put you down.”
“We’re supposed to be lying low,” Yuki said. He stole a glance at Yiran. Rui could’ve sworn there was a shadow of concern on the Hybrid’s face. “We have who we came for. Let’s go before their reinforcements arrive.”
Aloysius shot Yuki an irritated look, but he retracted his blades.
All of them.
The night trembled with Zizi’s scream.
The Revenant flicked his blade clean. Blood splattered everywhere. Zizi dropped to the ground, his body lying motionless in a growing pool of red.
Flashes of a different body, a different time, exploded in Rui’s mind.
Something inside her caught, like the teeth of a key latching. A snarl rose from the depths of her being. It grew louder, hungrier, bursting forth like a primal scream.
Fire erupted from her hands, pluming like a celestial halo.
She stared, shell-shocked. Blue and brilliant, the flames were neither hot nor cold. They crested over her arms, spreading to her body.
“Stop!” Aloysius shouted at her, dragging Zizi with him as he retreated. “Stop or I’ll kill him.”
But Rui’s feet continued to move. Her body had a mind of its own, held hostage by something she didn’t understand. She stared at the blue fire blazing from her hands. Fascinated. Horrified. At her next exhale, her spiritual weapon lit up with the same flames.
This wasn’t her magic. This wasn’ther. But did it matter? All she wanted was to save Zizi, and this, thisthing, this blue fire—it could work.
