I know Tiernan would prefer we step aside to protect Rev and I, but… this is who I am. Scratch that, this is who we are now that we’re mated. I will not let rich fuckwads abandon all the possibly innocent people in this room while they save themselves, nor am I going to mimic their cowardice.
Fiadh Morgenstern doesnotback down from a fight—ever.
Khol and I maneuver through the pandemonium, trying to guide the stampeding guests. “To the sides!” I yell, my voice booming with a magical boost that cuts through the cacophony. The Prince, a beacon of calm in the chaos, follows our lead, weaving magical trails for people to follow to the exits.
“Everyone out!” Tiernan bellows, his bulk allowing him to shepherd the terrified Fae towards exits.
I glance back at Revelin, ensuring he’s clear from the grasping hands of the panic-stricken elite. He’s still making things glow and shimmer to attract attention, but no one is grabbing him. I move towards one of the doors, shouting over the din with urgency. “This way… all of you, get over here!”
Pivoting on my heel, I catch sight of the destruction leading into one of the mansion’s halls—a path marked by shattered artifacts and walls gouged with deep furrows. Dezi, ever the silent defender, gets to me first, his eyes glowing faintly as he looks at the scene.
He’s a predator on the loose, and that’s exactly what we need.
Once the others reach us, we follow the fucked up trail until it includes blood. That’s when we know we’re getting close and all the weapons emerge. I grip my daggers tightly, magic flowing from my hands to the blades as we enter the room where our hunt ends.
We’ve cornered it within the gilded confines of a large solarium bathed in moonlight. The creature is hunched over its latest victim, a snarl ripping from its throat. It’s a grotesque mockery of nature, twisted limbs and matted fur, eyes burning with malevolent intelligence through the skull head. Dark energy rolls off it in waves, a stench of decay filling the air.
What in the absoluteshitis this thing?
“By the gods,” I breathe, recognizing an abomination when I see it. This is a creature borne of nightmares and dark magic. Its gaze locks onto ours, and the room temperature drops, breaths turning to mist.
“Dezi,” I whisper, my fingers twitching as magic brushes mine, “I think it’s been called here.”
“Only a high-level demon could have done this,” Dezi replies, voice cold as death. “Creatures like this are made from live sacrifices… look at it.”
Before I can reply, the damn thing leaps at us, and a battle erupts without warning.
My spells fly first, streaks of light that strike the beast, causing it to howl in rage. Khol launches forward, a blur of motion, engaging the creature in his basilisk form with ferocity. Dezi joins him, vampire speed allowing him to dart around to distract the slow-witted monster. Revelin conjures barriers of light, deflecting the beast’s attacks, while Khol strikes with precision.
We’re a dance of violence and power, each move choreographed by instinct and skills.
“Watch out!” Khol warns, tackling me out of the path of a deadly claw.
“Keep hitting it!” I shout, ducking under a swipe that would decapitate a lesser being.
We fight with desperation, knowing the cost of failure. My incantations grow more intense, forcing me to concentrate hard on that rather than physical fighting. With a final, concerted effort, we drive the beast back, exploiting every weakness, until it collapses, defeated, dissolving into nothingness.
Silence falls, broken only by our heavy breathing. Pain registers—a cut on my arm from claws. Khol shifts back, limping a little as he pants. Revelin’s face is etched with concern, but his presence remains unyielding as he assists Dezi with a gash across his cheek. It’s a flesh wound, so he’s able to magically close it with little effort.
Not that vampire even flinches for a second.
“Is everyone alright?” Revelin’s voice cuts through the haze of adrenaline. He looks over to Tiernan, noting he’s looking fairly banged up, and frowns. “We’ll definitely get the tour doc to the bus. You could have a concussion, man.”
“I’ve been better,” Khol grunts, trying to grin through the pain. “But it will heal.”
“That’s better than dead for sure,” I reply, assessing the damage. Around us, the solarium is in ruins, evidence of our battle impossible to hide. The damn roof is completely shattered and everything is burnt, slashed, smashed, or flattened.
Mayor Knobbleton bursts in, face red with fury. “What is the meaning of this mess in my?—”
Is he shitting me right now?
“Silence,” Revelin commands, the authority of his station resonant in his tone. “Your home was the hunting ground for a beast that should not even exist. How did that happen?”
Knobbleton’s mouth snaps shut, the gravity of the situation sinking in. He knows we’re going to ask where the fuck he was and why heleft his damn guests to their own devices. For that, he has no excuse and it will definitely make him look even worse than normal.
Dezi steps forward, his voice low but carrying weight. “We’ve learned that your council has been dabbling in dark magic, Mayor. This... appears to result from their corruption.”
The idiot puffs up, babbling protests as Revelin puts on his ‘Prince,’ face. “You cannot lie, Mayor. None of us can. So even if you had no idea what horrible shit your peons were doing, you definitely benefited from looking the other way. There will be an inquiry.”
