He’s fast.Reallyfast.
Del flashes past me onto the steps, and I spin, snow flying around me, daggers in each hand, and slice forward, catching Balor’s wrist, but nothing else.
He laughs at me, and my anger spikes as Del swings his sword with strength and dexterity for Balor’s neck.
Balor ducks with a smile aimed at me. “You’re so damn slow. I can take you all night at this pace, Queen.” He winks at me, tongue threading his fangs through his insinuation.
I slash for Balor, and he snaps away, spinning from Del’s sword again.
Balor’s boot slips in the snow as he catches himself.
“Watch your fucking mouth, Balor,” Del growls.
Balor’s eyes blaze red, his breath billowing in the cold as his lip curls at Del. “Did you have fun with her in that cell, Deleos? Quite the beauty, huh? Thosethighs.”
This motherfucker.
Del’s eyes flash, crimson burning through amethyst. “You’re a dead man.”
The general chuckles. “Been dead for centuries.”
Del unleashes a fierce snarl, snow crunching under his boot as he lunges for Balor.
Balor snaps behind me.
But I’m already turning, flitting to his right, forcing him to shift his balance. I drag a boot through the snow-covered stone and shove my daggers forward, catching him in the gut.
Balor’s hand grabs my throat, squeezing my airway so I can’t breathe, while his other wields his sword, clashing with Del’s.
I’m tossed down the unforgiving stairs, face scraping on impact.
Shit.
I snap behind Balor, one dagger and one stake in hand now as the males fight each other.
Balor shoves Del, and he flies back, slamming against the giant open iron door, its hinges groaning under the force of his body.
The general takes the opening, snapping for me, and I don’t hesitate before jamming my dagger into his maw, right where it belongs, before he’s even fully formed.
His shocked eyes search mine for mercy he can’t beg for.
“We told you to watch your fucking mouth,” I spit, yanking my dagger out of flesh and staking his heart before he can speak another word.
Del takes off Balor’s head with his sword, and the general’s body collapses between us, his blood painting the snow red.
“That was my kill, right?” Del clarifies through the blood spatter across his face, plum eyes vibrant and alive.
I shake my head at him, my stake stabbing out to my side to run through a guard snapping next to me. “It was mine.”
Del narrows his gaze, swinging his broadsword to take off another head. “Agree to disagree.”
I wink at him and snap back through the entrance and down the hallway to Second. “Balor’s dead.”
“Good fucking riddance,” Second growls as we stab through the next layer of guards, clearing the way further down the hall toward the doorway to the cellar. My eyes find Del as an opening emerges for my escape, and his focus is already on me. “Go! I’ll meet you there,” he yells, slashing a head off a guard while his eyes remain locked on mine.
I nod, whipping away from him, and Second follows as I race down the stairwell, snapping around the curves. We breach the cellar door—and freeze in our tracks.
Samantha cries out to us, naked and beaten.
