Do I even bother to fight this mountain of a man?
He reached a bloody hand toward me. “You’re not going to need that.”
I slashed at the air. “Stay away! I mean it!”
“Easy,” he cooed, raising his palms.
I didn’t know Dommik well, or at all really, but he was the devil I knew versus the devil I didn’t. And what little I did know was his task to deliver me to the Hive, and if he didn’t deliver, it could put my family in danger.
I should have gone to the fucking axe.
Death in the Illica courtyard would have been clean, quick, simple. But had I agreed to meet my end that day, it might be Cova, or Lydia sitting here in the brush with an arrow sticking through their arm and an assailant threatening abduction.
My heart thundered, encouraging the heated rage through my veins.
No. I couldn’t be taken. Iwouldn’tbe taken. I slashed again, baring my teeth and crying out as the blade struck flesh.
“Shit!” The assailant backed away, assessing the paltry cut on their palm. “You’re a vicious little thing.”
Not really.I thought, having surprised myself with my strength and aim. But I was backed into a corner and couldn’t risk abduction. I just had to fight him off long enough for Dommik to return.
Shock ricocheted through me as I realized I genuinely hoped Dommik—the deadly vampire—would come back for me, and soon.
“Stay back!” I snarled.
“Enough,” he barked, lunging toward me.
If he got his arms around me, there would be no way I could break free. I held out the blade again, every muscle clenched, ready for the inevitable. He inched closer and closer until he was a pace away. As he took the final step, a black mass slammed into my attacker, throwing him to the ground.
The devil I knew.
Dommik glanced at me in a quick assessment with charged, murderous eyes. His chest rose and fell gracefully beneath the tight leather as if he were barely exerting any effort at all.
“Fucking leech,” the Veilbreaker groaned from the forest floor.
“Fucking false martyr,” Dommik retorted, stalking toward his prey.
The man’s panic-laced pupils darted as he gasped, “You have to get away from him. Don’t help them—” The whites of his wild eyes flared as Dommik drove his sword into his sternum.
I gasped as the light left his stare and my body convulsed as the raider’s went limp. A gentle owl hoot rolled through the forest, quiet once more.
Dommik pulled his sword from the body. “Are you hurt?” He winced, placing a hand on his side.
“No more than before,” I whispered, my eyes still fixed on the warm corpse. “You just—he’s—” My vision blurred as the truth of what I’d witnessed settled in.Dead,I mouthed but no sound accompanied the word.
“Dead. Yes.” Dommik turned to me. He lifted his hand away from his leathers revealing a sizable wound. His pointed nose scrunched and he hissed as he twisted, trying to get a better look at the gash. Blood, black as ink, spilled from his waist.
“Fuck.” Dommik groaned to the canopy as I pushed myself to stand.
Silence blanketed the night. No swords. No voices. No movement.
I wiped my tears with my cloak and looked through the trees toward the road. “Where is everyone?” There was complete silence. My hair stood on end with the only possibility. “Iseveryonedead?”
Dommik ignored my question. “We have to get out of these woods. Fast.”
My features were twisted into horrified disbelief. “Dommik. They’redead!”
He surveyed the scene with an unwavering expression before flatly responding, “Yes, Reyva. I killed them.”
