Page 215 of Red Ruin

I curl my fingers. “Do we though?”

It’s a fuckingcrimeto stop here.

“Yes. It’s my mess to fix.”

What the fuck?“Fix what? You can’t do anything wrong.”

Her silks droop. “People died today.Shit.” She pats down her hair with unsteady fingers. “We have to go back out.”

Her distress is wired into my soul. It’s sour like nothing I’ve ever felt.

I hate it.

Have to make it stop.

Her hand hits my chest, stopping me before I can scoop her up.

“Sorry. I’m fine. I just…” Her nails hook into my shirt. Emotions I’ve never felt swirl from her soul. Her lips start to form a word, then she stops, pausing until the swirl settles to cool, fake-as-fuck calm. Iris pats my chest. “If we fail, don’t let the lich take my body. I don’t want to be a puppet anymore.”

Her bittersweet smile cracks my ribcage.

I grip my heart. “You won’t die.”

“Not possible,” Azrid agrees, solemn as hell. That ice block face doesn’t match the venom-laced snarl in his mental voice.

My hellfire is ready to make the pain fuckinglast.

Yeah.

I’m a throwback to the devil king, but this ancient motherfucker is anoriginalmonarch. His power sizzles in my blood.

My heart gives the weirdest flutter.

“Don’t be afraid.” Iris cups my jaw, and her smile softens into arealone that makes me want to roll over and trick her into petting my stomach. “You’re crazy strong, and your power’s never flowed smoother.”

I blink.

Was I afraid?

Just now?

I glance at Azrid.

So weird.I shake out my arms, trying to get rid of the feeling.

Even when I was a little shit, and my brothers could still stomp my ass, I’ve never worried about losing a fight. I can’t lose, no matter how much I want fucking someone,anyoneto stop me from rampaging.

Hell, Azrid and I have been going at it for years, both of us praying the other wins with a fatal knockout.

But now if I lose, I can loseher.

Iris reties her hair. She swings on that little backpack, pushes back her shoulders, and takes up her glaive, all brave and sexy. “Let’s go.”

My heart does the thing.

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