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Do you believe you can stop me? You are nothing before my power.
It slinked towards him, a monstrous nightmare, and Ajali gave her no quarter. Without hesitation, he called on his Phoenyx and eclipsed the darkness as he rushed at her.
His eardrums shattered at the scream that tore from her as he buried his blades to the hilts in her chest. He held her pitiless, obsidian gaze. No heated laughter lurked there, no shyness, no soft invitation, no love, only cruelty looked back at him. He held her pinned on his swords with the shackles of his chain wrapped around her neck in a chokehold. His light ate at her darkness, burning it away.
You have betrayed me.
He frowned at the pain that radiated from the statement. Then he felt it, the knife-like agony. He had not escaped unscathed. Claws were buried in his sides, while another four pierced deep in his neck. Blood poured from him freely.
The darkness splintered, and he distantly saw his blades flashing to surround them.
“Bind her,” he rasped.
Chains of valnetium iron whooshed through the air as he flung her from him, the unbreakable shackles encasing her, binding her. They did not hold her for long. Great power washed from Tehdra and scales rippled over her, coating her like a second skin. The roar that erupt
ed from her shook the earth as the manacles crumpled…as if they were made from silk instead of pure valnetium iron.
Clawed hands slammed into Quinn’s chest, splitting him open in a show of stunning brutality. In a blur of speed all his blades littered the ground, blood pouring from them. She flung her hair back and a battle cry punched into his frame. Ajali did not hesitate; he inhaled the icy fury dominating his mind as his Phoenyx power surged to life, frightening in its intensity.
The strength in which he slammed her into the earth created fissures and deep cracks. The laughter that raked from her taunted the tempest he had buried deep. Fire danced around him as his rage climbed higher, moving from heat to pure coldness, unbridled by rational thought.
Yes, feed me. Your rage is so delicious. I can never have enough…mate.
The scream that erupted from her did little to leash the light that rose inside of Ajali. Before his eyes her skin melted, turned to ash as she struggled to free herself from the flames of his Phoenyx. She slammed into his chest, shattering his ribs, as she spun on her feet and faced him. They came together with such violence it conflagrated around them. She grew more and more powerful, feeding off his furor, and his rage fueled what was buried inside of him.
Indomitable heat speared from Ajali—more than what the barrier could hold. Chains of flames whistled from his hands as he fought her. A clawed hand swiped, cracking his clavicle. He staggered, but he forced himself to remain on his feet.
Do not fight me, mate! I wish not your death. Voices overlaid with menace screamed inside of his mind. Ajali fought for control as her skin started to melt. He felt and heard the pain in the snarls that echoed from her. More scales rippled over her skin trying to form a protective barrier against his flames. He gave her no quarter as he rushed in, slamming into her and propelling her more than a hundred feet into the air. He launched after her and swung his sword, impaling it in her shoulders then yanked it downward, throwing her into the ground. Ajali was distantly aware that she held back on fighting him, just as he restrained the pure power of his Phoenyx. He did not want all in the coliseum to ash, yet he sensed somehow through their linked she reined in her demon out of not wanting to hurt him. A sentiment he returned. The idea of being forced to kill Tehdra was unendurable, but she was a power he struggled to comprehend, and she promised to raze his kingdom.
Knowing what it would cost him, he allowed more of his Phoenyx out. Power rushed through his veins and the earth beneath his feet scorched and blackened.
Ahhhhhhhh.
He flinched from the scream of torment that blasted inside of his head. She writhed on the ground as unrelenting flames ate at her, piercing through the hardened scales covering her entire body. She struggled against his hold.
His heart was a war drum in his chest. Ajali released her and flashed away. He was hurting Tehdra. Remember she is the enemy, he ruthlessly reminded himself, pushing aside all thoughts of the pleasure he’d found in her arms, the comfort in her smiles and the temptation in her eyes. Nothing must come before his people.
“Acheron,” he rasped.
“I am here.”
“I cannot approach her any closer. She will cease to exist under the flames of my Phoenyx. Is Tehdra still inside?”
“Yes.”
Relief almost felled Ajali to his knee, and he recalled some of his flames. “Can you incant her sprit to the forefront?”
“I will try.”
“How is your barrier holding up?”
“You cannot release any more, even with my powers I will turn to ash.”
“Forgive me, Tehdra,” he said and Acheron threw him a puzzled frown.
Ajali leashed his flames, and in the same breath, moved with speed to appear in front of Tehdra. With hesitation he plunged his fist into her chest, pushing her into the ground, breaking bones and rupturing muscles. He drew her to him, plunging his sword deep as he met her obsidian gaze.
Why betray me?
