Page 92 of Thorns of Deceit: The Beast Within

Vines lashed out, thorns digging deep into the Gryphon’s flesh. Its shriek of pain sent shivers down Skylar’s spine. More tendrils snaked around them, thorny bonds tightening.

Panic surged. They were trapped. The world tilted as they were yanked downward.

“Duke!” Captain Knox fought to reach her, but a wall of enemies blocked his path.

Skylar struggled against the vines, thorns tearing at her flesh. Blood trickled down her arms and legs. The monster’s sickly sweet ooze filled her nostrils, making her gag. She felt the Gryphon’s desperation, its ancient power straining against unnatural bonds.

Then, Princess Quince’s attention shifted.

Skylar’s heart nearly stopped. Across the ballroom, her mother stood trapped against the wall, Conley cradled in her arms. Terror etched the Dowager Duchess’s face.

Time slowed. Princess Quince began to move. Surging towards them.

Without thinking, Skylar wrenched free from the Gryphon’s back. Pain seared through her as thorns tore her flesh. She hit the ground hard, breath knocked from her lungs.

But she was up in an instant, sword clutched tight. Her gown hung in bloodied tatters as she sprinted across the ballroom. Bare feet slipped in blood and viscera.

Even as she ran, she knew. Sickening certainty. She wouldn’t make it in time. Princess Quince was too close, too fast.

“Mother!” Skylar screamed, voice raw. “Run!”

The Dowager Duchess stood frozen, clutching Conley. The infant’s wails pierced the air.

Skylar pushed harder. Muscles burned. Lungs heaved. Still too far.

The Gryphon’s panic and rage echoed her own. It screeched, struggling against its bonds. Trapped. Helpless.

Her mother’s eyes met hers across the chaos. A lifetime passed between them. Love. Sacrifice. Secrets. Skylar saw the resignation in her mother’s gaze. The silent apology. The fierce love.

Realization hit like a sledgehammer. Despair threatened to overwhelm her.

She couldn’t reach them.

She couldn’t save them.

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Blood roared in Skylar’s ears. Her bare soles slapped against gore-slicked marble, each step a crimson smear. Glass bit into flesh. Splintered wood tore skin. The pain was distant. Irrelevant.

Princess Quince’s monstrous form loomed ahead, mere feet from her mother and Conley. Skylar’s heart threatened to burst from her chest. The princess’s vine-covered body blocked her view, but Conley’s piercing wails cut through the chaos, each cry a dagger to her soul.

“No!” The scream tore from Skylar’s throat, raw and desperate.

She couldn’t lose them. Not now. Not like this.

The thought of being truly alone sent anguish crashing through her. Nearly brought her to her knees.

Keep moving. Faster. FASTER.

The Gryphon’s presence surged within her. Its panic mirrored her own. Amplified. Deafening.

It broke free. Tore through the air.

A soldier in its path. Fool.

Bones crunched. Blood sprayed. Viscera painted the floor.

Another. Crushed. Wet squelch.

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