Page 264 of What Lies Within Blood & Heirs

Thenher. Every-fucking-one of them.

Serpent darkness raged on that battlefield, but Garrik had managed to keephermagicsubdued long enough until it stabbed him in the back. To keep her from Alora and Thalon and his Dragons. To keep the attention on him long enough that they could escape.

But Alora’s scream in his mind … it haunted him even now. Knowing that if he had not waited those few seconds, doubting the life that Alora wanted for him … the life she said he deserved …

No.It did not matter now. He could not dawn to her—had been too late.

Malik’s face twisted as life drained from him. A short gasp ignited a spark of dark flames in his eyes as Garrik squeezed and squeezed and squeezed. “Little. Dragon,” Malik choked out as if it was a final insult.

Garrik could not be bothered to care.

Footsteps rushed along the stones. Garrik ignored them. He would deal with them soon enough.

As long as his mate was safe. As long as Magnelis could not get to her—thatshecould not get to her. What they could do to Alora would be far worse thananythingthey would do to him.

In any world where he would have to choose between himself or her …

He would choose Alora.

And knowing that she was safe. Knowing Thalon would reach the Wall and Alora would open the pathway through it, sealing them inside … that they would gather the allies of Elysian andreturn their realm to freedom. To live, to fight. To have that peace she deserved. They all deserved.

He felt peace. With Malik’s life draining from his hands… Pure peace.

That murderous grip tightened around Malik’s throat. He heard the distinctive crack.

The infernal male’s eyes widened, snuffing out the fire inside until only white orbs remained.

Dead. Malik wasfinallydead.

Those footsteps were running now. Crimson lightning flashed behind him, and a voice like demons given full reign hissed to them, “Do not touch him. He ismine.”

Garrik stood. Blood dripped to the stones from his back and abdomen as his demon emerged from the swirl.

That deceptively saccharine smile contorted. Venom sizzled from her tongue. “You killed my property,pet.”

“And you are next.” Garrik did not recognize his voice. Darkness. It was pure, endless… Darkness.

She hummed. Wicked delight contorted that beautifully evil face as she brushed her long black hair behind her shoulder. “I dosolove when you think you can threat?—”

Nearly sixty years of humiliation and pain and torture thrust his hand into the female’s neck. Pouring every ounce of bloodlust into his inkless eyes as he became a beast not of this world.

The ice of her skin was a contrast to the pits of Firekeeper’s realm, but like death all the same, as Garrik’s fist tightened. Fingertips sank deeper into her bone-white skin until streams of black blood dripped down his veins.

A wolfish smile crept up Garrik’s face, the satisfaction of watching her disgusting soul drain away drip by drip reamed through every murderous bone in his body. Silver as moonlight,his eyes speared the wickedness, the deepest black eyes he had ever seen.

The only thing to make this more pleasing would be if she begged.

Garrik’s eyes snapped to her lips, as they had countless times when he had her at his mercy in the Dawnspace, imagining the pathetic pleas she would make.

Perhaps he should loosen his grip and let the serpent cry out for her worthless life. But her freezing blood was too gratifying. He pressed his fingers in deeper, sinking into muscles and tendons.

But she only smiled.

Smiled because iron groaned across that platform. A door opened.

And they felt it.

Him—his unmatched, stolen power.

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