Page 96 of House of Mages and Raven

His eyes roamed over me. Blood and gore and bits from the Shriekers were all over my body. I refused his hand and jumped up, fury pulsing in my every cell. I surveyed the battlefield, and to my satisfaction, half a dozen Shriekers still thrashed on the ground like they were in seizures from the chaos prince’s lightning strike. It meant his power could keep them at bay.

My back stiffened as I swept my gaze around and noticed my father peeking out through his commander’s eyes, studying Killian with intense interest. Anxiety and fear rushed to my middle, followed by fierce protectiveness. It was too late to divert Ruin’s attention from the chaos prince now, but he’d have to get to Killian over my dead body.

Barbie!Pucker called. My familiar in his phantom form materialized by my side, shifting his ghost weight foot to foot. He hadn’t abandoned me. He’d gone to fetch Killian to save the day.

I’m fine,I said.Don’t worry.

You aren’t fine!Sy countered.

My ribcage had caved in. I’d need to feed soon to stop my inner bleeding and mend the torn tissue. Thankfully, Sy had taken most of the pain into her. She was rolling and panting in a corner, sacrificing herself to give me a fighting chance. Guilt twisted my belly and gratitude warmed my chest.

I stretched a hand, summoning Deathsong, and the dark blade flew toward me. I snatched it in the air, curling my fingers around its icy hilt, then I was on the move again, though I was wounded and covered by the Shriekers’ blood and mine.

“Die! Die!” I roared, raised Deathsong high, and charged toward the regrouped Shriekers.

“Princess!” they shrieked.

Shit, I hoped that Killian hadn’t heard that and made a connection. All the more reason to kill them ASAP and silence them for good.

But an arm sneaked around my middle and yanked me back against a hard chest. I sucked in a pained breath. Every movement was agony and every breath sent cutting pain into my lungs, which must’ve been crushed when the Shriekers piled on me.

“Not so fast, little scorpion,” Killian growled. “You’re hurt.”

“I’ll hurt them more!” I spat. “I must kill them all.”

I was still riding on adrenaline, and when it ran out, I’d collapse. But I’d worry about that later.

“I’ll do the killing,” he said. “Return to the House of Chaos.”

I turned my head and gave him a furious look, our faces so close that our breath mingled. His scent comforted me even on the battlefield. For a second, my mind went blank, desire and need for him rising from the mist and ash.

“No way,” I said. “You aren’t the boss of me. You aren’t my prince, and your house isn’t my house anymore. I’ll stay right here and see those abominations slain before I return to my rightful mage house.”

The Shriekers rallied behind their commander. My father stared at us through his vessel, inky smoke and shadows twirling in its eyes. Even after we killed the commander and all the Shriekers, my father still had the knowledge of Killian, knowingthat the chaos prince’s lightning and death power could burn his creatures—knowing that Killian stood with me.

The commander’s grotesque lips tugged up tightly as Ruin marked Killian as his target. Chills crawled up my spine. Despite the difference between Killian and me, despite the fact he’d betrayed me, I would never let my father lay his evil claws on him.

Killian’s arrival had saved my ace secret—my darkest flame, which I’d unleash on my father when we had our final showdown face to face.

I stared at the rest of the horde, my knuckles going white on Deathsong. I wouldn’t let Killian fight over one hundred and fifty Shriekers alone. Not while I had a breath in me. I might be badly wounded, but I was still lethal. With Killian fighting by my side, we stood a chance against the horde.

“Get to the other side of the Veil, Barbie. Now!” Killian ordered me. “My men will be here soon. We’ll slay those foul creatures.”

“They won’t know how to kill the Shriekers,” I insisted.

The chaos prince was bad news to the Shriekers, but other supernaturals’ magic, including the other heirs’, hadn’t proven to have an effect on them. The last time, the heirs could put down the Shrieker scouts because I’d secretly aided them and tweaked their combined power to hit the abominations.

The horde shrieked and prowled toward us as one. Killian pushed me behind him, drawling his sword.

“Your blade won’t kill them, Killian,” I shouted, and stepped by his side. “Keep using your death power and lightning.”

He arched an eyebrow. Just then, clamor broke out from the Veil. Silas, Louis, Rowan, and Cade stepped through the shimmer, followed by their warriors.

We now had around fifty supernaturals against over one hundred fifty Shriekers.

The heirs darted their gazes between me, Killian, and the intruders, rage scorching their eyes.

I didn’t look so hot, I knew. In fact, I looked terrible, especially with my golden curls marred with black blood and gores. I could see shock and concern in the heirs’ eyes, but I didn’t need any sentimentality right now. All I needed was killing machines.

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