Page 20 of Victoria's Embrace

Had she snuck in through the breach in the wall before it had been repaired? Or, more worrying, had someone let her in?

Victoria had already been stressed out imagining what kind of villainy Catty was up to in their absence, but the realization that she was the corrupt, power-hungry, coldblooded princess Rellik had told her about?

Real fear sent ice slithering through her veins.

Rukeel made a throaty sound. “Happenstance, I believe, or she would’ve asked for triple what I gave her. I am going to relish turning you into one of my creations, R’aithe.”

Vi’kail—or R’aithe? She was ignoring the dull ache in her chest that she apparently didn’t know his real name—said something in response, but she didn’t catch whatever it was.

Every bit of her attention zeroed on the flash of red eyes in the darkness behind Rukeel and his monsters. That flash of red was quickly followed by glowing turquoise eyes, then pink, orange, yellow, blue, until there had to be a dozen sets of eyes getting closer and closer.

The lupka. They found us.

Her heart leapt, and she had to fight to keep an elated smile from breaking free. Maybe they weren’t going to die that night after all.

On a breath of sound, she whispered, “Those are friends. Get ready.”

Nearly soundless grunts and murmurs of agreement answered her. They’d seen those eyes in the darkness, as well. Most of them had no idea what they were about to witness. They simply trusted her when she said they belonged to friends.

Luna’eva emerged from the shadows first, leading the pack, followed closely by Tesha and—a knot immediately swelled in Victoria’s throat—that was Snitch perched on Tesha’s head, his little face twisted in an expression of pure fury.

They ran in silence, teeth bared, murder in their eyes.

The second she saw Luna’eva push off the ground, Victoria yelled, “Now!”

She shot the monster to Rukeel’s left, hitting it in one of its oversized, bulging eyes, then took aim at the next while Thegan and Vi’kail opened fire. The lupka attacked en masse, tearing flesh with their claws and ripping the beings nearly in two with their massive jaws.

Victoria caught sight of Snitch transforming into his big form, his body covered in spikes and thick, plated scales. He launched himself at Rukeel with a hair-raising howl, taking him to the ground and laying into him with claws and fangs.

Her heart nearly stopped in her chest when she saw Rukeel raise his gun. A scream of denial tore its way out of her throat when he fired at Snitch’s belly.

Shoving between the giants’ bodies, she tried to run to him, even knowing there was no way she was going to make it in time. Something snagged her cloak before she made it two steps. Fighting mindlessly against it, she aimed her gun, trying to find a clear shot that wouldn’t hit Snitch.

Vi’kail appeared in front of her and grabbed her face, forcing her to look at him. “He’s fine! He’s armored! Get back behind Thorn!”

He was gone before his words sank in, running across the sand toward the fight, firing as he went. Victoria zeroed back in on Snitch even as Thorn dragged her backward. She searched every inch of him she could see, heart in her throat. Dark blood dripped thickly from his muzzle. It covered his forearms and chest, but he hadn’t paused in his attack. It took a long second to realize that blood was from Rukeel who was limp now, his body looking like raw meat.

“He’s okay, he’s okay,” she whispered over and over as she forced herself to look away, scanning the fight, searching for a target.

It wasn’t until then that she realized the freed slaves had waded into the fight with Vi’kail, stabbing and slicing right alongside the lupka.

Within seconds, the fight was over, all of Rukeel’s creations either dead or dying.

Thorn kept her pinned against his back until Vi’kail gave him a signal that it was safe, and even then kept her at his side, blocking her with his body as they ran.

Victoria swept her gaze over everyone, searching for injuries. Seeing that no one looked gravely injured, she checked the lupka. Tesha and Luna’eva appeared fine, but two of the others were limping, one had a vicious gash along its flank, and another looked like it had been shot. It was alive, but even from ten feet away she could see its breaths were labored.

She glanced at Snitch, still snarling and tearing at Rukeel, wanting to go to him, but grit her teeth and changed direction. Pulling the RegenBand off her finger, she expanded it as far as it would go, then knelt at the shot lupka’s side.

With Thorn and Thegan’s help, they got the animal on its feet, then braced its sides to keep it upright while she walked the ring over its head, down its body, then back up. Finished, she met the animal’s eyes and gently stroked a hand over the top of its snout.

It made a low whuffing sound and bumped its nose up against her hand. Relieved, she and her giants moved quickly to the next and the next, using the band on anyone with injuries, both people and animals, until everybody was healed.

Finally, she made it to Snitch’s side. He was panting, his scaly lip curled back in a snarl, body rigid, and his big, black eyes still glued to the mangled, shredded body of Rukeel as if expecting him to come back to life at any moment.

Keeping her voice soft, she slowly approached him. “Hey, little buddy. You okay?”

Glancing at Vi’kail when he didn’t even look at her, she found him staring at Snitch with an expression somewhere between mournful and fiercely proud.

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