Page 66 of Blood and Reign

As if Kai summoned them, a horde of demons appear on the other side of the arena with four larger ones between them.

My basilisk slithers under my skin, ready and waiting to fight. I glance over at Kai, his eyes red-rimmed as he stares down the demons waiting for them to come to him.

They move at a running pace, straight for us.

No longer able to hold back, I shift as scales slide up my arms and legs before my body expands, making way for my basilisk.

Still in his human form, Kai slashes through the hordes of demons as I turn my focus to the larger ones.

Moving straight for the one closest to me, my tail lashes out, taking out a few from the horde as I make my way to them.

The large demon raises its meaty claw, aiming for my head, but I bare my teeth, hissing before striking, ripping its arm off. I do it again and again until all that’s left are pieces. I move to the next one and coil my long body around it, squeezing tight before striking again and again, shredding its top in half.

The ground beneath me shakes once more, making me pause. I glance over and see the other two large demons trying to throw Kai off by splitting the ground beneath him. He moves fast, avoiding the large cracks they create in the ground and instead use it to his advantage to throw some of the horde down into it.

Focusing back on the second demon, I release my hold. What’s left of the body drops to the ground with a thump.

By the time we’re finished, there’s only two of the four larger demons left, with the entire horde completely destroyed.

The two larger demons spread out, their attention divided between me and Kai. Both suddenly pause, taking a slow step back as they stare in Kai’s direction. I look over at him to find he’s already shifted into his hounds.

Glancing back at the demons, I watch their behavior quickly change. It’s as if they fear him.

I use this to my advantage and take out the one closest to me, quickly coiling around it, tightening my hold, and squeezing the life from it.

By the time it’s nothing but ash, Kai has destroyed the last one, leaving only a blackened stain on the ground.

I feel a pull, like something has zapped my energy all at once. I quickly shift back, swaying a little as I move over to Kai. He’s already shifted back and is making his way over to the spot where the demons first showed up.

Kai glances around. “They obviously came in from somewhere around here. Look around and see if you can find a break or glitch in the illusion.”

I nod, moving further out to the cave wall. There has to be an entrance, or maybe they used a portal.

Neither reveals itself to me, and the longer I look, reaching out with my senses to find the glitch, the weaker I grow.

“Rion!” Kai’s panicked tone makes me whip around. My eyes widen on a large black swarm from where the beasts were killed as it spreads and heads straight for me.

I’m surrounded with no way out.

I open my mouth to tell Kai to stay where he is, but he’s already moving toward me, jumping and tumbling over the black mass before he’s right next to me. “I can’t shift. My beads are dead.”

I want to shake the foolish idiot but know it’s too late to do anything about it now. “Mine too.”

His eyes find the black mass as it moves closer. “Maybe it’s another illusion…”

I shake my head. “There’s real energy coming from it. Whatever that thing is, it’s as real as you or me.”

“Damn it.” Kai turns to me, a fierce look in his eyes. He grabs my shoulder. “Whatever happens next will not be the end of us. I will find you, brother. No matter what it takes.”

“And I you.”

The shadows envelop us whole, pulling me and Kai apart until I slowly drift into the darkness.

CHAPTER 15

KIARRA

Darkness surroundsme as I look around for a way out of its vast blackness. I know I’m alone this time, the hollow cold etched into my skin like a sharp breeze.

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