Thatmust be her son.
New emotions war inside me. On the one hand, giants are evil and dangerous. On the other… it’s a baby.
A baby I can’t watch die.
My gaze returns to his face. “I’ve come to free the humans.”
His red eyes search mine, unfeeling. “Humans will never be free.”
I remain silent, looking at Dahlia who merely watches, curious and threatening. I killed three of her sisters, where the other two are, I don’t know.
“You once offered me a measure of freedom,” I say slowly.
His grip tightens on the child, eliciting another sharp cry.
“Because I loved you. I have been far too kind—I spared you once. I spared Fektir’s daughter. Even my brother’s son… I thought it would be cruel to kill a babe, so I brought him here. He could grow and die as a man with a weapon in his hand, without knowing who he was.” He looks down at the child, and memories of Nandi’s screams fill my ears.
I thought he had taken the baby to kill it.
He takes a step forward.
“Even after you ran the first time, I loved you. But you ran again. You destroyed my chance at ruling.” He takes another step. “I made you a promise that I would kill all you love.”
Every muscle tightens.
“I don’t love that babe. Spare it, please,” I plead.
With almost robotic movements, he continues to approach me. “He was found out by Lord Fektir. Others will come soon to take him home and claim the throne. The time for weakness has passed. I must kill it.”
Dahlia looks at me with a curious expression, then says, “Give me the child, Rholker. Be with your love.”
My stomach twists as my gaze drops to the woman who tortured me. I don’t trust her any more than I trust Rholker.
“You told me I must kill him,” Rholker says mechanically.
Dahlia looks up at him. “I will handle it for you. Take the Light Weaver’s daughter and show her your gift.”
Rholker’s glossy gaze changes, softening into something more giant and less undead.
My mate continues to beat on the door behind me, and the ground rumbles again.
“Tell the troll to call off his magic. I have something to show you,” his voice rumbles.
I swallow.
“Do it now,” he demands.
Teo, stop.
No,his voice growls back. I could cry when I hear him clearly again.
Please, or they’ll kill the child.
From the deepest place in my soul, I cannot handle the death of something small and innocent. Not the giant baby, and not my own child. The feirce instinct guts me from the inside out. My breath holds, but the rumbling beneath my feet stops.
Rholker smiles and passes the baby onto Dahlia. It’s only then that I hear the slither behind me. Pain quickly blossoms from my thigh as it latches onto my flesh and poison leaks into me.
“Not again,” I groan as the familiar paralysis floods my body. I stagger and fold onto the ground, as Rholker’s boots walk up next to me.
