I stopped myself from reaching up to the crown of blue flowers on my head—one of Riyan’s last gifts to me. How dare that monster insult it?
The golden blood bond twisted in my chest.Push harder. Save Riyan.
I whirled the dagger to point at his throat. “The Queen of the Giants took my husband. Youwillhelp me get him back, or else.”
Daigen crossed his arms. “No.” A smile spread across his face. “What a silly little threat—you can’t kill me. No one can.”
I stepped closer until my dagger was inches from his crimson neck. “Then we will see if immortals can feel pain.”
A flash of metal pulled my eyes away from his face—a curved knife was in his claws. The notches in the metal that formed faded runes must have been ancient, but the blade’s edge was as sharp as a new day.
“You should never assume you’re the only one with a knife,” Daigen said. “How about this—let’s drop our weapons at the same time and then we talk like civilized monsters.”
Moonlit snowflakes fell around us. I channeled my magic, trying to force the red monster’s blood to ignite like I had with a giant, but nothing responded.
Why was my magic failing? Was he just that much stronger than me?
Though questions made my heart race, my blood bond pumped courage through my veins.
I could not be afraid. I had to save Riyan.
Daigen shifted his weight. “Ipromisenot to hurt you. On the count of three, we drop the blades. Ready?”
A curt nod was all I gave him.
He held the knife out to the side. “One.”
I did the same. “Two.”
Daigen smiled. “Three.”
Just as Daigen dropped his knife, I plunged my dagger into his exposed side. The dagger tore his ragged wool tunic as I wedged the blade between his ribs.
His fangs gleamed in the moonlight as he hissed in pain. I yanked the dagger out with a grunt and his blood dripped off the blade like rubies.
“Litlnadr!” Daigen shouted as he clutched his wound.
No time to figure out what he had just said. I sprinted forward, ready to stab him into submission, when the icy air wrapped around my wrist and held me back.
My magic pushed against Daigen’s enchantment but was too weak to throw him off.
Daigen’s claws splayed out toward me and the air around my wrist trembled under the force of his enchantment. No more blood dripped from his shirt—his magic blood had already healed him.
His fangs gleamed as he smiled. “You really think I am going to help you if you keep stabbing me? You’re not thinking this through, how unlike you.”
My bond blazed golden fire in my chest. All I could think of was getting Riyan back, no matter the cost.
My furious breath puffed out in a swirl of mist as I tugged on Daigen’s invisible hold. “I will not take ‘no’ for an answer. We are going to rescue Riyan, make him the size of a normal man, and then he and I will finally seal our damn blood bond!”
“Why should I care about you sealing that putrid blood bond?” He barely blinked as I struggled against his enchantment with all my might. “Who told you to seek out the scary red monster of the mountain?”
I pulled back, my feet dragging in the snow but my arm staying firmly in place. “Rosaline.” I hissed. “She said—”
“Is that who Fraleigh’s servant is these days?” He clicked his tongue. “Hownaughtyof her to mention me. The Great Sorceress of Nordingaard doesn’t want me anywhere near mortals.”
I yanked my arm back so hard I might have dislocated it. “I do not care what Fraleigh wants!” Fraleigh had refused to help us. She could burn in the high halls of hell. “We are going to Ganora and—”
The snow suddenly swallowed my feet. I only had enough time to look down before it shoved me backward.
