My gaze lifted over his shoulder to see Nox and Lia barreling towards us, an arrow nocked in her bow, aimed at Adler’s back.
One of the swords I held slipped from my hands, and I moved to block his blow with the other, but didn’t fully make it in time. His weapon collided with mine, but the force of his assault was stronger than what I was prepared for. The blade of his sword slid down my own, slipping over the edge of mine—what was aimed for my heart now steered in the direction of my shoulder.
The moment his sword pierced my flesh, agony overwhelmed me, but what I felt above all else was hers over my own as she sensed my pain.
“JACE!” Her voice flooded me, as if she were standing beside me.
My eyes locked with hers as she stood atop Nox’s back midair and released the arrow. She sent it spiraling towards Adler as he loomed over me, still pushing his blade into me, just above my heart.
Baring my teeth from the pain, I let out a roar of retribution—if I was going to die, I was bringing this fucker with me.
But then Lia’s arrow met its mark and shot through his back, protruding from his chest.
Blood splattered as it erupted through his flesh, and his nostrils flared before roaring out in pain and fury. Adler moved to strike his fatal blow, and he yanked his blade out of me, triggering a piercing howl of anguish to reverberate from deep within me—but he was slower, weaker.
With all my remaining strength, I raised the hand clutching my other sword and brought it down on his arm, completely severing it from his body. His eyes flared in shock as he watched it fall to the terrain, his sword still in its grasp. Blood poured from his missing limb as his gaze lifted back to mine in disbelief, right before I plunged my blade straight through his gut.
He fell to his knees with my sword still protruding from him, eyes bulging in horror while blood trickled from his lips.
As Nox landed amidst the chaos, the ground shook beneath his weight. Onlooking soldiers ceased in their attacks, clutching their blood-stained weapons as they watched in fear.
Lia dismounted by running and leaping off of Nox’s shoulder. The moment her boots touched the soil, she ripped her dagger from its sheath and tossed her bow aside.
My queen stormed toward us—nothing but pure vengeful wrath written into her features as I felt it pulsating down the bond.
It was the most ferociously beautiful sight I had ever laid my eyes on.
As I glanced down at my wound, terror surged through me, causing my vision to blur. However, I managed to catch the sight of the light slowly leaving Adler’s eyes while he watched me from where he remained on his knees.
My jaw locked. “It wouldn’t be fair to my wife if I took the entire claim of your life. For all that you have done to her and all you still planned to do.”
Appearing as if he was unable to speak, his body moved to fall completely forward. She appeared behind him then.
Lia reached out and grabbed him by the back of his blood-crusted hair, ripping his body back into her. Her gaze fell to him, boring into his as her lip curled back in disgust, revealing her canines.
She brought her lips to his ear, and he coughed out a whimper beneath her as I watched in awe. “You willnevertouchanythingthat is mine, ever again.”
In a swift movement, she released his hair and ripped the protruding arrow from his chest while simultaneously taking the dagger in her opposite hand and plunged it into his heart.
He let out a grunt as it pierced his chest, staring up at her face as if longing for her, and then his body sagged. Themoment she yanked her dagger from his flesh, he dropped to the ground at her feet, unmoving.
And then we were surrounded.
Chapter seventy-seven
Elianna
“Jace,” I breathed. Agut-wrenching sob escaped me as his name left my lips at the sight of him, blood drenching the front of his armor—hisblood, I realized.
But there was no time to react, for we each felt the enemy’s presence surrounding us on all sides.
Our eyes were locked on each other as we became encircled. My lip curled back as his nostrils flared, both of us ready to fight side by side out here until our very end.
We each let out triumphant screams as we leapt around, turning from one another as we pressed our backs together, guarding each other. Our blades were outstretched, breaths synchronized as our hearts pounded in unison, the two of us becoming a singular entity of fury and lethal grace.
Only, as my eyes adjusted through the smoky haze, they flared as they took in the sight of whattrulysurrounded us.
All fighting had ceased as nearby eyes were fixated on me and my mate. Soldiers were strewn across the disrupted ground, their exhaustion draining them from the brutality of the battle.
