Page 85 of Secrets of Ruin

Across the room, the warlocks’ fingers moved faster; Brokk suspected they’d destroy Cole if they could. But the shadows had fueled his brother’s strength, and his muscles bulged as he held off the crushing air.

Swaying back and forth against the wall of air imprisoning him, Brokk gritted his teeth as he sought to tear free of its grip. The warlocks had shifted most of their attention to Cole, and Brokk sensed a weakening in the spell holding him in place.

His teeth scraped together as Brokk succeeded in ripping one hand off the wall. He pushed further against the barrier, using his ability to control air to move it further away from him.

He’d been imprisoned once and would not allow it to happen again. These bastards would not cage him as the ophidians once did.

Brokk glanced at where Kaylia lay on the floor; her face strained as she sought to break free. He had to get to her.

As Cole managed to sit up, Orin and Varo partially lifted themselves, and Fabian leapt up from the table and raced across the room. Shadows pursued him but could only go so far before darkness cut them off. They hissed as they bobbed and weaved at the edge of the light.

Orin grabbed for Fabian’s ankle but missed as the warlock jumped over him and landed beside Kaylia. Brokk yanked harder against his prison as Fabian scooped Kaylia up and clasped her against his chest.

A second later, the warlock placed the gleaming tip of a knife against her throat. Red exploded across Brokk’s vision as his fangs lengthened and a primitive sound issued from him.

Kaylia sucked in a breath as the blade pricked her skin. Disgust and something more washed over her face as Fabian slipped his arm around her waist and pressed his cheek to hers.

Her skin paled before taking on a greenish hue. She looked about to vomit as she tried to move away from the man who had abused her so horrifically, but she couldn’t avoid the knife.

Brokk would give anything to get his hands on Fabian. He’d tear him apart, strangle him with his intestines, and let him heal to do it all over again. What Fabian did to Kaylia was unforgivable, and Brokk would make him pay for it, but first, he had to get free.

Most of the shadows remained concentrated within Cole as they sought to help his brother get free, but the others continued stalking Fabian. He edged a little further into the dark before focusing on Brokk.

Brokk’s upper lip curled into a sneer that revealed his fangs when Fabian smiled at him. Oh yes, he was going to enjoy destroying this monster.

“We’ve all heard about the witch who returned from Doomed Valley in love with a vampire.” Fabian shifted his attention to Kaylia as he nuzzled her cheek with his nose. “I must say, I’m a little disappointed you moved on so quickly from me. How heartless of you, my love.”

Kaylia’s face flushed as her jaw clenched.

“Look at how far you have fallen from me to a vampire. I truly did ruin you, didn’t I?”

Kaylia’s nostrils flared, and a muscle twitched in her cheek as her chin rose. “He’s a hundred times the man you ever were and a far better lover, you limp-dicked asshole.”

As Fabian’s eyes narrowed, a titter of laughter came from some of the remaining occupants. Kaylia rose onto her toes when he dug the blade further into her skin, but she didn’t issue a sound as a trickle of blood ran down the blade.

Brokk jerked against his prison, tearing his other hand free as he got closer to breaking away.

“Stop!” Fabian commanded.

It wasn’t the word that stopped him, but the small whimper Kaylia issued. Brokk froze as he met the warlock’s gaze again.

CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR

Fabian took a deep breath before speaking again. “We won’t kill the arach queen, but this bitch means nothing to us. Tell your brother to back down, or I will kill the witch, and then, I’ll cut through the other witch.”

Orin growled when Fabian flicked a pointed glance at Sahira. Kaylia’s chin rose a little higher as Fabian pressed the blade deeper.

Rivulets of blood ran down the blade and dripped off Fabian’s hand. Kaylia kept her gaze on the ceiling and her jaw locked as she sought to elude Fabian’s torment.

Brokk looked at Lexi, who struggled against the warlocks trying to subdue her. He didn’t know what they planned for Lexi, but they couldn’t let them take her from here.

Fabian claimed they wouldn’t kill her, but the man was a liar. He was the lowest form of life, and his words meant nothing.

However, if the warlocks intended to kill Lexi, they could have done so by now. They likely planned to use her to get past the dragons and to the throne; then, they would kill her.

And they’d slaughter the rest of them before leaving this place. Right now, they were only still alive because they could be used to keep Lexi subdued.

When the shadows hissed, some of their enemies glanced uneasily at each other. More shadows crept out of Cole to slither over the walls and dangle from the ceiling.