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“Gion could kick your ass without even wrinkling his cape.” Isaacs said with the exact mix of glee and scorn guaranteed to produce an explosive reaction. It was a chemical certainty.

Saxon gave him a furious shake. “Gion can’t stand against the Dark King. No one can. He’s stronger than Parald was. Smarter. And I’ll be right beside him when he rises.”

“The Dark King is rising? Did you really just say that? Are we living in a Batman movie?”

“He’s not a joke! You don’t know what he’s already accomplished, thanks to me. He’s going to rule over every realm imaginable.”

“Yeah? What’s his name? Maybe I can get an autograph.”

Randa scrambled to her feet, intent on rescuing her dumbass friend. Isaacs sure wasn’t doing much to rescue himself. If anything, he looked amused by the unfolding disaster, and weirdly confident. Idiot.

Did she have enough power to freeze someone as big as Sax? Probably not, but she had to try. It was considered dishonorable for Phases to use their powers on each other during a fight, but she’d do it anyway. Sax certainly wasn’t worried about cheating to win. She needed to get closer to him and touch his skin. It might be enough to buy Isaacs a few seconds to escape.

“You’re not worthy to know the Dark King’s name. You haven’t been chosen. Not like I was.” He spat at Isaacs.

“So, you have no idea who he is either.” Isaacs translated. “How about Ben Foster? You know him?”

“That human’s long dead. …Just like you’re about to be.”

Randa blinked. Ben was dead?

Sax’s expression promised never-ending wrath. “If you have any last words, I’ll hear them now.” He hissed, vainly trying to instill fear into his sardonic victim.

“Two words, actually: I win.”

Blades flashed. In unison, Saxon’s henchmen collapsed. Their heads rolled free of their bodies, their necks sliced clean through. Mannus and Daven stood beside their corpses, each one of them holding a bloody sword.

“Hey, Randa.”

“Hi, Randa.”

Randa blinked in astonishment.

Saxon let out a roar of fury. It was impossible to tell if it was because of his deceased comrades or Isaacs’ maniacal laughter. Either way, he didn’t have time to draw his own sword.

Isaacs slammed a knife into Saxon’s gut, twisting his wrist to maximize pain.

It wasn’t enough to kill the bigger man, but it did make him bellow in agony. He staggered back a step, dropping Isaacs and looking down at his wound.

“You really shouldn’t have touched Randa.” Isaacs demonically grinned. Blood stained his hands and clothes. Rain poured down his cruel face. “I didn’t like that. …And her Match looks really pissed.”

Randa cringed as Saxon was split in two.

Stalking up from behind, Kahn slammed his sword down through the neon-colored mohawk with enough force to shatter bone. The entire top half of Sax’s body peeled apart. His left side sagged left. His right side sagged right. All the blood in the middle sloshed out onto the ground. Not even a Phase could survive a blow like that.

Kahn had cleaved the man in half.

“Well, that was fun.” Isaacs mused, using a handkerchief to clean off his knife.

“Miserable fuck, you died too quick.” Kahn savagely kicked the mangled body parts aside. “Rot in hell, where you belong.” His eyes found Randa and his relentless expression turned soft. “Sweetheart, did he hurt you?”

She shook her head, staring at Saxon’s corpse.

“Randa?” Kahn reached out to run a hand over her hair, only to reconsider at the last second and pull his palm back. “Look at me and tell me you’re alright.” He moved his head into her line of sight, so she was staring at him and not Saxon. “Only focus on me. I’ve got you.”

She gazed into the endless black of his beautiful eyes. Instantly, she felt more grounded.

“I’ve got you.” The intensity of his pledge made it a vow. In the rain, he looked more like a barbarian than ever. Nothing in the world could hurt her with Kahn there. She had never felt so protected.