Page 129 of A Fate so Cruel

Gods, had they—

Rion roared again and his magic surrounded Selina, going in to gently tear the bindings from her hands and feet. Her eyelids fluttered and her body tilted, but Rion caught her with his magic, urging that small bit of it to remain gentle. To care for her. He paused to listen to her labored breathing and hated the Fae that had caused it.

A group standing on the opposite side of the meadow drew arrows, some aimed at him, others aimed for Selina. Rion ran for her, ran as if his own life depended on it.

The strings snapped. The arrows flew.

Rion’s magic engulfed her completely, forming a thick wall that stopped everything in its tracks.

He missed one aimed for him and it cut across his upper arm. Another whizzed past his leg, barely leaving a scrape. But a third embedded itself in his left forearm, just barely missing the bone. Rion growled at those nocking their second arrows. The earth at their feet bent to his will. It crawled up their legs and their panicked screams filled the air as they tried to jump away and failed.

He crushed their lower limbs, then slid to his knees at Selina’s side.

Panic coursed through him as his gaze flickered over her wounds and he wondered where he could touch her. He gently took her swollen face between his hands and tilted it up so that he could look into her eyes. She stared at him, blinking as if she couldn’t process the world around her.

“Tell me you’re okay,” he pleaded. Rion didn’t know why he said it. She most certainlywasn’tokay. Not with her eye swollen shut or the deep cut in her lip. Not with the lacerations along her arms or the bruising he could already see forming along one side of her exposed ribs. They’d beaten her. Bludgeoned the side of her head until blood crusted in her scalp.

Rion’s eyes slowly lifted to those daring to circle the pair. Daring to draw close to the monster in their midst. They’d done this to her. They’d taken an unarmed female from a party and tortured her. To what end? To discover how much information she’d collected on the rebels?

He was the one with that information, not her. He was the one who’d gone in and—bait. She was the bait to lure him here. The documents had been too easily placed because they’d wanted him to find them. They’d wanted the two to separate.

Foley had been planning this from the beginning. Ever since the day he’d given Selina that wicked smile.

Rion’s fists clenched and a familiar burn went through his arm where the arrow was embedded. He recognized it now, but it would do them little good.

He snarled and two backed away, their gazes flitting between their companions. Their plan had gone awry. Rion snapped the arrow in his arm and wrenched the shaft free. They merely stared in horror.

Then he stood, anger coursing through his veins in a way he’d never felt before.

More Fae emerged from the shadows with weapons drawn and magic poised. They studied him, studied the female at his feet.

Rion let his magic crawl up and surround her, completely encasing her in its embrace. Her heart rate didn’t change. Either she wasn’t afraid or wasn’t aware enough to be. He stepped away from the hardened mound and the Fae before him stepped back.

Then Rion unleashed hell upon the world.

He was a frenzy of movement. Bones cracked, blood sprayed, Fae howled in pain as they begged for mercy. He didn’t give it.

Rion used their weapons against them. Threw knives and blades and shattered any bits of magic they tried to use.

He wasn’t here to fight. He was here to conquer. After what they’d done to Selina, he wouldn’t give them an edge. Wouldn’t give them a chance to fight back.

The bodies fell. More came. Rion lost count.

Cuts appeared along his skin, but he barely felt them.

Vines wrapped around his feet only to disintegrate seconds later.

Warriors fell as if they were novices.

The night darkened.

Then the world went silent.

Rion’s ragged breaths filled the space as he waited, poised.

Someone cried out and Rion’s gaze turned to them. He snapped the male’s neck.

Another crawled, keeping low to the ground and the very earth he hoped might hide him, swallowed him whole.

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