Page 184 of Barbi and the Villain

“You are not a demon,” the man states, his eyes boring into me. “What are you?”

“None of your business, you cretin!” I point my finger at him. “How dare you try to hurt my dogs? You chose the wrong person to anger today, buddy,” I say as I cross my arms over my chest. Leaning into Nykander, I whisper, “Make him pay, Nyk. He can’t get away after threatening our little ones.”

A small smile pulls at Nykander’s lips.

“Your wish is my command, sweet thing.” He winks at me.

Depositing me aside with one tentacle, he remains in the middle of the clearing, facing the newcomer. With my express approval, he is now more at ease. His expression changes too, and I can tell he enjoys the challenge.

Since the other man is using a sword, Nykander mirrors him, creating his own weapon from his energy.

“You go, Nyk!” I jump up and down, cheering for him. “Kick his ass!”

He rolls his eyes, but I don’t miss the small smile pulling at his lips.

The other man is not amused. He glances between the two of us, debating his next move.

“Aethon was following Mideros when he went missing,” the man speaks in a low voice. “Tell me where Mideros is and I might let your female live.”

“That is the wrong thing to say.” Nykander laughs darkly. “Do. Not. Threaten. Her,” he utters slowly. “Do not even look at her.”

“I see. So she is your weakness,” the man muses. “Tell me where Mideros is.”

“Mideros is in Tartareia, which is sealed, but you already know that.”

“No. He is not. He has been sighted outside of Tartareia.”

“Impossible! No one can leave Tartareia.” Nyk frowns.

The man tilts his head to the side.

“And yet here you are.” He smirks. “Nice try.”

“He’s different,” I quip from the sidelines. “He wasn’t there when Tartareia was sealed.”

“I did not ask for your opinion, female,” he states in a deadpan voice, his gaze devoid of any emotion.

“What did I tell you? Do not look at her,” Nykander grits out, flashing himself out of sight before appearing in front of the man and striking. The man dodges the blow, a slow, deadly smile pulling at his lips.

“Killing demons is fun. Killing a Son of Tenebreis will be even more entertaining,” he mutters under his breath.

So far, he has not summoned his energy to the surface. I still can’t detect his energy signature. Despite that, he’s able to dodge every attack Nyk sends his way.

He’s strong. That much is clear.

He smiles and he rushes toward Nykander.

Their swords clash. They glare at each other, the metal of their blades trembling with tension as they apply more force.

But it seems they are evenly matched.

Specks of energy crackle around them. One moment they’re in front of me, sword against sword, the next they’re two dots on the horizon, moving at the speed of light. Branches fall, leaves rustle, and trees collapse. They destroy everything in their path as the clash of steel against steel echoes in the stillness of the forest.

The fight stretches for moments on end, and without using their spiritual abilities, they are both becoming exhausted from the back and forth.

The few times I get a better look at them, I note that Nykander’s clothes have been slashed, blood staining the material. But the wound has already healed, so his flesh is smooth. The same goes for his opponent. The areas not covered by his brass armor have been cut and shredded, the material hanging loosely on his body. But he, too, does not have any visible injuries.

So he can heal, too.

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