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Adrian’s eyes flared in delight.

“I would set her down if I were you.”

I whimpered at the familiar voice.

Leo.

Adrian’s smile was sinister. “I was wondering when you were going to show up,” he said to Leo, tossing me to the side like a rag doll.

My body hit the lava stone, hard, my head bouncing off it.

Searing pain shot across my forehead as I felt the skin separate like a snapped rubber band.

“Come to save your betrothed?” Adrian sneered at Leo. “Always acting like the fucking hero, aren’t you?”

“You’ve gone mad, Adrian. Look around you, look at what you’ve done.”

“What I’ve done . . .” Adrian bowed his head, shaking it back and forth, two daggers appearing in his hands. “Come on, then, friend, let’s put an end to the madness, shall we?”

Leo looked at me, his eyes narrowing on the trail of blood leaking down my forehead. His aura turning pitch black as two blades of his own appeared in his hands.

He lunged at Adrian.

Adrian laughed, crossing his daggers in front of his face, blocking Leo’s blow. “She makes you a sloppy fighter, King.”

Adrian pushed his arms forward, kicking Leo in the chest, knocking him back.

Leo barely faltered, bringing his blades down on Adrian repeatedly. Each strike skillfully blocked by Adrian.

Adrian’s expression was amused, as if this was a game to him.

I didn’t understand why Leo wasn’t using his powers. He could easily put an end to this fight.

On second thought, Adrian wasn’t using his firepower either.

This was a gentleman’s fight, I realized. Over me.

And Leo was losing.

Adrian had gained the upper hand, delivering harder blows than Leo had.

The commander was out of his mind with a rage I’d never seen. Each slice of his blades met Leo’s flesh when Leo was too slow to block him.

Leo was holding his ground. But barely.

Adrian roared, the sound grating against my bones.

Leo’s foot slipped from under him, giving Adrian the opening he needed to slam the butt of his dagger into Leo’s face, sending his second blade straight through Leo’s chest.

“No!” I screamed as Leo dropped to his knees, dropping his blades to clutch the one protruding from his chest.

Adrian loomed over him like the angel of death.

This was it.

He was going to kill his best friend.

But I refused to allow it.