I’d never seen him in this impressive armor, but it made no difference to me. My heart soared. The grins on my enemies’ faces only widened.
“Sitri!”
Our three voices cried out in unison, announcing the Prince’s arrival, whipping the conflict into a frenzy. He stood triumphant, fangs bared, dagger already dripping blood. He leveled his gaze at the demons. Then, Sitri laughed.
“It’s me you’re after, not her,” he shouted, inclining his head. “Let us fight to the end. You want my crown so badly?Come and fucking take it!”
Vapula’s legates accepted the invitation, murder in their eyes. The first lunged, only to stop dead in his tracks as a bullet struck his shoulder—a bullet Sitri hadn’t fired. His body armor dampened the impact, but when he turned, his back was bloodied.
“What the hell are you doing?” Vapula’s demon cried. “Iwas to inherit the Prince’s kingdom! Have you forgotten your orders?”
In the swirling storm of desire, I glimpsed what Sitri had done. The bait was never meant for him, but for the subservient demoness who supported him. She wanted Sitri’s post as much as her ally. His powers stoked that want, transformed her greed into a liability. They turned on one another, oblivious to Sitri as he faded into the battle, crept in at the fringes of their clash.
Before the demoness realized what was coming, the Prince’s dagger pierced her throat. Sitri twisted it, tore it free. A strangled, bubbling cryescaped her as she plummeted to the ground. She clawed at the wound. Failed to plug it with her hand. Sitri’s boot snapped her fingers—and her spine—with a crunch that made me flinch.
“I’m yours, eh?” Sitri’s smile deepened, and he laughed. “That’s an awful lot of confidence. Here’s your chance, Zephyr. I expect you’ll do better than Tempest.”
Zephyr clenched his teeth and lunged at Sitri, daggers readied. The Prince moved to meet him, and the two demons became a blur. Trying to involve myself was pointless. If I caught Sitri in the crossfire, I’d only hurt his odds.
While I paused and collected myself, the first chainmail-clad infantry pushed through the allied line of soldiers, seeking to interfere with Sitri and Zephyr’s duel. I stumbled forward on unsteady feet and slammed my morning star into its chest. Shouts, blood, and scraps of shredded armor flew from the tangle of demons behind me. I didn’t know whose they were.
This wasn’t the time to worry about it. More enemies pressed in, flooding the battlefield until our allies struggled to hold Vapula’s forces at bay. I had to keep fighting, sinking my morning star into demon flesh and filling the air with the crack of breaking bones. My leg burned with every move I made, and fatigue dulled my mind, but I didn’t dare stop moving—not until a shout from behind drew my attention.
“The girl!” Zephyr cried. He whistled to the sky and broke away from Sitri. “Get the girl out of herenow!”
I glanced up at the sound of beating wings overhead. One of the amalgamate beasts had locked its eyes on me. Its talons stretched out to attack. A bullet from Sitri’s revolver connected with its wing, and though a second shot followed, I was unsure if he hit his mark.
The beast reeled back as it landed, opening itself up and lunging for the Prince. I rushed it on unsteady feet, slamming my morning star into its flank and lodging barbed iron spikes in its scaled, emerald hide. It shrieked, shaking the air. Gritting my teeth against the sound, I used thelast of my strength to tear my weapon from its side. Mud slipped beneath my boots, and I fell.
“Lillia, get away from it! Go find cover!” Sitri shouted.
A third bullet struck the monster’s head. It whipped around, fangs bared, and I knew all he’d done was enrage it. I struggled to my feet. Metal clanged behind me, and I hesitated.
“Don’t forget about me now, Prince.”
I turned to see Zephyr’s blades against Sitri’s. The Prince had dropped his gun, drawing his second dagger to hold him off.
Both demons were injured. The leather on one of Sitri’s legs had been gouged, and the flesh beneath it shredded. His opponent looked better, but barely. Several scales had been torn from his mail. Puncture wounds marked the weak points in his armor, and Sitri had bloodied Zephyr’s cheek beyond recognition.
Every instinct I had told me to leave—to get out in one piece and never look back. Despite the pain and fear thrumming in my bones, I couldn’t bear to abandon Sitri, who struggled within inches of his own demise. Even if I tried, I had nowhere left to run. I wasn’t scaling the wall on my own, and if Sitri fell, the battle would end here and now.
Seeing my only option, I threw my morning star as hard as I could. It hurtled through the air and met its mark. The porcelain-skinned devil howled; his bones gave way as my weapon mangled his legs. It lent the leverage Sitri needed to shake off his attacker. He had his blades ready, prepared to strike. He lunged. The demon beneath him rolled, and Sitri’s dagger sank into the mud.
Before I could react, stabbing pain pierced my shoulders, and I screamed.
Bestial claws embedded in my back, seizing me. I ripped at the monster’s talons, fingers digging into its flesh, every muscle firing to tear me free from its grasp. The beast didn’t even notice. Wings beat, and a storm of crimson droplets flew into the air.
I lurched a few feet off the ground. My shoulders screamed in agony, now bearing my full weight. Muscles tore. Bones strained, and I lost my hold on its talons. The beast’s injuries were catching up with it—between the tears in its wings and its proximity to the manor’s walls, it gained altitude slowly.
“Lillia!” Sitri cried, moving to disengage, stumbling over himself as the bloodied wreckage of his legs gave out.
He fell to the ground. Zephyr thrust his daggers toward the prone Prince’s throat, and Sitri barely deflected them. I had to get to him, had to help him somehow—but I’d disarmed myself, wound up in the talons of a beast, and there was no one to come to my aid.
With a roar and a leap, the amalgamate beast cleared the walls. Suddenly, we were airborne, rising high above the battlefield. From my vantage point, I could only watch the chaos unfold.
Sitri and Zephyr rolled and clashed on the ground. My stomach sank. Sitri didn’t stand a chance. Blood and sweat dripped from his armor, and his breathing grew ragged. Zephyr climbed over his hips. Their blades locked and unlocked as they struggled. More soldiers rushed in on all sides, and among them, one stood out; a hulking form, armed with a sword and a heater shield, clad in battle garb that matched Sitri’s.
Apollo.
