Broken glass and sharp bits of wood cracked underneath my boots as I moved around demolished market stalls and colorful banners. Both were now stained with black and splatters of scarlet, the sight curdling in my stomach like spoiled milk.
“I would rather die than be your whore,” she spat, her mouth contorting into a vicious snarl.
The sound of Renai’s hateful words had me pausing mid-step. I turned to see Lachlan making what seemed like a snide comment, and then Kalen was yelling, but I could no longer discern the words coming out of their mouths. It was obvious Lachlan was forcing Kalen to choose which of the women lived and which died. I never thought I’d be thankful of Renai’s relationship with him until this very moment. She would live, and that was all that mattered to me.
But my relief was short-lived as I noticed the agony in Kalen’s eyes as he looked back to Arabella. Terror consumed me, the thought of losing Renai sending my mind into a black abyss where my demons lived. His body shook, not from the weight of his of decision, but the consequence his it would have. And the way his face was contorted into pain told me all I needed to know.
He wasn’t going to choose her.
I glanced at Arabella, noticing she had closed her eyes. Her lips were moving nearly imperceptibly, reciting a prayer or perhaps an incantation. When she opened her eyes, she called Kalen’s name and drew everyone’s attention. There was a whispered promise, and Kalen’s face dropped before everything went to fucking hell.
An explosion bloomed from within her chest, blue light spilling onto the ground. The force of the blast knocked everyone back, stealing the breath from my lungs. My ears rang, the sound deafening as I tried to gather my bearings.
Renai and her captor landed only a few feet away from me. The man rolled away from her, mumbling words I couldn’t discern. Not that I gave a fuck about him, other than ensuring his miserable life ended today. Renai’s head knocked against the cobblestone street, and I cried out.
The man pushed off the ground, searching the area for her with a dagger in his hand. I rushed toward him, tackling him to the ground. There was no time for him to distinguish what happened before I plunged my blade into the side of his neck twice. He groaned as he reached for his throat, crimson pouring out of the wound.
Just one more red stain I would always remember.
I turned toward Renai, scrambling to her motionless form and pulling her head into my lap. My hand brushed the hair from her face, my thumb swiping dirt from under her eyes. “Come on, siren… Wake up and tell me you hate me. Tell me you never want to see me again. Tell me anything at all, as long as you wake up.”
Seconds ticked by, and my fear grew. If she died, I would never forgive myself. I dug deep within myself, pushing my body near the point of death to giver her what little of my healing magic remained. I didn’t even care about my well-being, as long as she made it out of here alive. Without her, I had nothing to live for. But Renai? Renai had a future, she had a purpose. All I needed to do was–
“I hate you,” she moaned, eyes softly fluttering open. It was the sweetest fucking sound I’d ever heard, only heightened by the moments of panic I’d experienced. My body relaxed, and I fought against my blackening vision. Her light hair turned dark due to the blood leaking from her temple. There was a small nick along her throat where the blade must have connected with her skin during the blast, but it was insignificant, given the injury to her head.
“Oh, thank the gods,” I whispered, kissing her forehead softly. She was alive, she was okay, and she was—
“REN! BELLA!”
Even the ringing in my ears was not enough to cover Kalen’s screams, his eyes wide and frantic as he crawled forward. The blast had thrown him into the side of a stone wall, his back bowed on impact. Blood trailed from his mouth as he fought to stand, but each attempt was futile. His injuries were far too great, and his body too weak. Arabella was suspended in the air behind him by Lachlan’s shadows, the man in question pushing off the ground.
“Don’t fucking touch them,” Kalen bellowed, reaching out for his sword, but Lachlan limped over and kicked it away.
“I will kill them both, and then I will killyouafter you watch them bleed out before you,” he hissed. There was nothing but pure venom laced behind each word, a promise of death that would come too slowly.
His hand twisted, and Arabella cried out as a tendril of shadows forced their way down her throat. She convulsed wildly in the air, Kalen begging Lachlan to stop. But, instead, he drove them further, a murderous glint shining in his dead eyes. Using the little strength he had left, Kalen used the debris around him to push himself off the ground, and stumbled slowly toward where Lachlan stood.
The shadows pressed forward, but whatever magic she was emitting was attempting to shield her from his attacks. Her screams of pain and determination filled the air. Even though I’d barely known her, the sound nearly made me weep.
Renai shook her head, trying to clear her vision as she attempted to force herself off the ground. I reached out, intertwining my fingers with hers and wrapping my other arm around her shoulders to help steady her, but she pushed me off and limped toward Kalen.
“You can’t fight like this, siren. You won’t win,” I said, grabbing her arm gently. I felt the extent of her injuries, the way her body was barely clinging to consciousness. She jerked against my hold but was too weak to break it completely.
“Lemme go,” she said, her words slurring together. I needed to heal her, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t produce anything further. I was an empty, useless pit.
“No, I can’t do that.” I leaned in, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her back to my chest. “I need to get you somewhere safe, somewhere you can heal. You’re hurt, and badly, from the looks of it.” The wound to her head worried me, especially given the blood she’d lost.
“I’m not leaving him!” she cried, kicking her legs weakly as I used every ounce of strength to pick her up. “I won’t! You can’t make me!”
“Siren, please,” I begged. “I will return for them, but you’re my priority.”
She didn’t listen, continuing to fight me and cry in my arms. “No, no, no, no, no,” she chanted over and over again until it was all I could hear. Her voice was frail, cracking after each syllable. Her cries had managed to capture Kalen’s attention, his blue eyes filled with sorrow as he looked toward us. Blood leaked from his nose, and there was only the barest hint of relief brimming his gaze.
“Run!” he bellowed at us, pushing off the ground with a strangled cry. One of his arms hung at an awkward angle, a shard of bone peeking out from his skin.
“Please—” I began, trying to drag Renai away, but as the blue aura around Arabella grew, our path was blocked. It swirled in different directions, casting out and spilling throughout the wreckage surrounding us. Arabella spread her hands in different directions. Her mouth was open in a silent scream as darkness worked through her body. Her light took the form of vines, similar to Lachlan’s shadows, and wrapped themselves around any members of The Horde nearby. Their muffled shouts lasted a moment before their bodies thumped to the ground, blood leaking from their mouths.
Lachlan growled and stalked forward, killing any of his men left alive as he passed them. Kalen yelled for Renai to run, but she shook her head furiously. He glanced at Arabella’s suspended body, his jaw set and fist clenching at his side. I knew he’d made his decision, and I knew it would break her. With one last look at Renai, he mouthed two words.
