Page 385 of Primal Bonds

“Your sister for Rosana.”

Her head jerked back. “No!”

Neither man looked at her.

“And if I say yes,” Adric asked, “what would happen to Marjani?”

“That’s between me and her. But I swear, she’ll have a chance. More than she gave my son.”

What were they talking about? Rosana clenched the raven, her gaze darting between the two men.

Adric’s jaw clenched. “No fucking way. You get me, not my sister. And no matter what, Rosana goes free. That’s non-negotiable.”

Rosana had heard enough. She lunged, swinging the statue like a club at Langdon’s head, but he ducked and flowed sideways so the blow glanced off his shoulder instead. A long leg swept out, knocking her own legs from beneath her.

She landed on her ass, the raven clattering to the marble next to her. But she’d given Adric an opening, and he pounced, dagger aimed at Langdon’s throat.

The prince threw up an arm to block him, and with an agile twist of his body, used Adric’s own momentum to throw him into a bookcase. Rosana scuttled backward as books showered down around her.

Catlike, Adric turned in mid-air so that his shoulder hit the bookcase instead of his head and landed on his feet, still holding the dagger. He stalked back toward Langdon, and the two men started circling each other again.

Rosana scrambled back to her feet.

Adric jerked his head at her without taking his gaze from the prince. “Get out of here already.” To Langdon, he said, “You’re dead. Nobody touches my sister. Nobody.”

The prince went whiter, if that were possible for such a pale man. “Olivier!” he called.

Adric lunged, slashing the dagger through Langdon’s shirt, drawing the poisonous iron across his torso.

Langdon sucked in a breath and danced backward. His eyes narrowed. “Kill me, and you’ll never get out of here alive.”

“You think I fucking care?” Adric shook his head. “You fae just don’t get it, do you?”

The prince took another step back until he could reach his desk again. This time, he grabbed a handful of pens to fling at Adric. They turned into hornets and swarmed his head. Shoving the dagger into his pocket, Adric caught and crushed them with shifter-fast speed, one after another.

Meanwhile, Langdon had circled around Adric. He aimed a kick at Adric’s knee cap from the side, which Adric only just evaded. Catching the prince’s arm, he jerked him forward and down. His hand chopped down on the back of Langdon’s neck. The night fae rolled with it, coming smoothly back to his feet.

The two men turned in a tight circle. Langdon flicked his fingers at the dagger and it turned into another bat that dove for Adric’s head. He grabbed it in mid-air, flinging it to the hard floor where it lay, dead.

Adric let his claws and fangs slide out. With a guttural growl, he backed the prince into a corner.

Langdon’s eyes narrowed. Shadows gathered at the room’s edges.

Despair crawled over Rosana’s skin. Hopelessness descended on her in a suffocating cloud. You can’t escape. Why even try?

Adric gave a hard swallow.

Rosana clenched her fists. “Breathe,” she whispered, speaking for herself as much as Adric. “It’s him, not us. Don’t let him win.”

The shadows receded. She sidled along the bookcases, watching for a chance to help Adric. Her foot slipped and she looked down to find the hornets had changed back into pens.

Olivier rapped on the door. “My lord? Is everything okay?”

“Send for the guards!” Langdon called back.

“Pardon me?” The elderly butler opened the door, blinked.

“Send for my guards,” Langdon gritted.

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