Page 183 of Red Ruin

My replacement bristles. “Call off your dogs!”

Instead of yanking their leashes, I open my palms. “I can’t. I’m not a proper Guide. Maybe you can show me how it’s done?”

CHAPTER44

VHEX

FuckingKyorgos.

I launch the skull-faced fuck vertical.

Away from Iris.

Shadows disappear his ass before he hits deep space. Between two thumps of my wife’s keyed-up heart, Kyorgos blasts back out like a rag-doll from a fucking rail-gun.

Shoom!

Trailing hellfire, he smashes into town.

His body-slam shakes the earth for miles.

I chase his mushroom cloud. My wings pop, and jet-engine flames shoot from my claws.

Acid hellfire burns hottest in my throat.

Kyorgos touchedher.

He fuckingusedher.

The skin cracks around my horn. My veins boil.

Everything melts to rage and fucking steam.

Pain is nothing.

I wasallpain until Iris.

Then my cool, blue baby whisper-soothed the flames.

Mine.

My only.

Azrid cheats and winks to the crater first.

I meteor-streak behind, cursing and casting off embers, shooting fireballs ahead to keep Kyorgos warm.

His creepy-ass magic pulses and clashes with the shadows that snuck ahead of me.

Azrid’s clammy bullshit ribbons are a fucking delight compared to what Kyorgos is packing.

I dart toward the undead flames that aren’t flames.

Fucking ugly color.

Blue should beblue, pure and sweet.

His shade looks and feels like shit, streaked with green and brown and gray worms. All decay. Just swooping into his range drills cavities in my silks.

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