She choked back the sob that rose to her throat.
How had he found her?
He must’ve been so mad she ran off on her own but words couldn’t express how happy she was to see him.
“Akadian,” she managed between bloody gasps as her tears soaked with blood.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to find you.” He glanced at her softly before returning his murderous gaze to the man in his grasp.
“You came,” she cried between sobs.
“Of course I did,” he assured her as he pulled one of the metal mage’s blades from his hip and dragged it down the man’s chest. The mage buckled and shrieked but Akadian held strong, never relenting his grip for a second. “I’m going to make you feel everything she felt and so much worse. For every mark on her body I’ll cut you so deep no one will be able to recognize you when I’m done.”
Akadian spoke with a cold calm that didn’t reflect the pure power lapping off of him, singeing the forest around them. Ambrose had never felt this much of the prince’s power before and she was left in awe knowing it was only a fraction of what she could feel he was capable of. She could only imagine the devastation if he released it.
He pulled another dagger from the mage’s hip and sank it slowly, inch by inch into his abdomen. The mage thrashed and screamed but it had about as much use as a juvenile fighting off a full-grown bear. Blood trickled down his chin as he coughed, splattering Akadian’s face who simply threw his head back and laughed.
“You don’t get to die yet,” he told the mage. “I’m not even close to done with you.” Akadian pulled the dagger in his hand down the man’s face whotwisted against his grip, screaming as crimson soaked his dragon leathers. He released his grip on the man’s throat just enough to be able to hear the full force of his screams as he flailed and cursed. “I’m going to watch you die.” He pointed a dagger at Ambrose before slamming it into the man’s thigh. “She is going to watch you die. And I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”
As much as Ambrose wanted to see him suffer, she could feel consciousness denying her as her wounds seeped too much of her blood into the ground.
Where were the rest of them?
Were they all dead?
Did he know Felius was dead?
Holding her head up any longer became an impossible task and she let her cheek fall to the ground. Cold washed over her and she wished so much that she could just sleep…
“Akadian…” She wasn’t sure if she actually said it or if he even heard her, her voice so weak in her throat.
The last image she saw was Akadian glancing towards her with a look in his eyes—Was that fear?—before he turned back to the metal mage and said, “it’s your lucky day.” Then, he placed the blade against the mage’s throat and sliced it from ear to ear.
Unable to fight it any longer, Ambrose let the exhaustion finally take her.
“You did well, young mage…”
Chapter 28
Akadian tore through the forest, swatting tree branches away with so much force he split them from their trunks.
He’d find her.
He couldn’t remember the last time he felt such fear. He hated himself for it as it clawed at his chest with the flames he kept at bay. How he longed to let them go and burn the entire forest down if that was the only way to find her. To save her. Even with all the strength she had, there was no way she could survive an encounter with the Alkijin.
What in the gods’ names was she thinking?
A frustrated growl rumbled in his chest as he scanned the darkness for any sign of where she’d run, but was met with silence.
Where is she?He wrapped his hands in his hair and let out a furious roar.
He’d had one job. Watch her. Keep hersafe.
There was no way she could survive this.
He’d find her.
He told himself the pounding in his veins was because he’d failed in his mission, but that was a lie and he knew it.
