Nerian laughs around his tongue flicking outward, licking blood from Aurelia’s arm. “No, she won’t. We aren’t wasting a drop of this. Would you like a taste before I drain her?”
Aurelia cries at the king’s damning words and tries to reach for Del.
The king chuckles. “As I suspected:nota coincidence,” he sneers, and sinks his fangs back into Aurelia, red eyes gleaming. She whimpers, fierce plum eyes fighting for strength as the king brutally feeds on her life force.
Del screams, a guttural rage that slices my heart open and sets my insides on fire, and he loses it, snapping across the lair to them. The king doesn’t even flinch; his palm juts out, connecting with Del’s chest. His body crunches under the impact and flies across the room, landing with a thud against the wall.
“You defeated my noblemen, Deleos. But there is nothing you can do to me.”
Del’s blood-red gaze centers on Nerian as he rights himself. “I disagree,” he snarls.
Nerian snorts. “You disagree constantly. It’s nothing new.”
Del draws his daggers from his hips. “Release her, or die.”
“Ah! A heroic fight to the death. It’s soyou, Deleos.” The king’s eyes become crazed. “I love it.” Nerian flings a half-conscious Aurelia at the wall. “I’ll finish her later. A littlevictorydrink.”
Second snaps to Aurelia, but Nerian is already there before we see him move, grabbing Second by the throat and throwing him into Del as he snaps into existence beside them.
“No one touches my Violet!” Nerian screams as she crawls away from him, and the males stumble backward.
I palm my blades.
Nerian won’t let us walk out of here. I just pray Charlotte and Emmanuel get out if we don’t.
The thought of my people fuels me. Just like they always have. I am aHunter, and I always will be. No matter what this king made me become. I’ll never give up on my promises, and I’ll always be willing to die protecting human life.
I can hear Kade’s voice in my head, like he’s right here with me.
Be bold. Be brave.
The three of us attack, blades swiping as Nerian snaps around us in a blur, his laughter enveloping us and ratcheting my anger as my target keeps moving.
Second nicks Nerian with his blade, and the king slaps him across the face.
Second’s cheek splits open, bone exposed. “Fuck you,” he snarls, his massive form shaking with fury.
“Rude,” Nerian spits as Del and I lunge for him.
The king sighs, flitting out of our reach. “Why don’t you take a break while I play with your new friends?” Nerian drawls and flashes past me, wrapping his hand around Del’s neck and snapping it between his fingers before flinging Goreon’s second into the corner.
I stare dumbfounded at Del’s unconscious form, our odds of success plummeting.
Nerian rushes me in a blur, the strength of his ancient force blowing me back against the wall, and it crumbles around me as my spine breaks over the stone.
“Veya!” Second bellows, snapping to Nerian, but the king slams Second’s enormous body into the ground with a force that rattles the room.
Second tries to get up, groaning, but Nerian stomps on his leg. The snap of his bone echoes alongside his screams.
Del is motionless in the corner, and Aurelia is shaking him.
Wake up, Del. We need your help.
Nerian hovers over Second, producing a stake from his coat pocket, but I can’t fucking move.
“No!” I scream, tears running. My breath heaves out of my chest, my boot skidding forward as I attempt to right myself with a broken spine supported by the curse of eternal life. The pain is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced as I cough blood, and I’m held in the balance between life and death.
I curse my immobility, my heart crying. I can’t lose another person in my life. And Second doesn’t deserve this end.
