Page 186 of Red Ruin

“He’s healed enough,” Azrid says, then switches to his inside voice.

Suppressing the fire burns worse than letting it flame out.

“What’s one more?” I mutter as Kyorgos scrapes himself off the ground.

He spits a mouthful of blood. It disappears into the earth like it’s being sucked through a straw.

The lich’s aura cranks again. This time, he keeps his magic close to his skin—shielding instead of lashing out. “There’s no need to fight.”

“There’s a need. You just don’t know how.”

Chickenshit lich can’t battle without his horde.

That’swhat pisses me off, churning hellfire through my veins.

Every Trezzoran venoms their own army of mindless thralls.

If I’d been born like every other inbred asshole rotting off the family tree?

I would’ve ended up so much like this fucking lich.

Iris might’ve been engaged to me.

I sneer. “She deserves better.”

The lich huffs. “She put you up to this? Why bother when Iris can’t?—”

A shadow whips between his teeth.

“Silence,” Azrid spits. Silver melts from his scalp, bleaching his hair. His veins flush black, and his nails morph into bat talons.

I don’t want my wife’s name in that pasty mouth.

Hellfire pools from the ground, melting what’s left of the town.

I can’t kill him now.

But Sentinels heal fast enough to have some fun.

The flames rise.

His boot soles smoke.

Kyorgos shoots a bolt of shitty power and tries to leap into the air.

I ash his magic. Azrid drags him down.

That same old pain smokes through my meridians.

I’ll need Iris soon.

I’llalwaysneed her.

But for now?

I lean into the pain, letting those sweet, hot toxins tangle in my blood.

A fire-cloud blooms above the town. It rolls sideways, stretching the limits of Azrid’s shield.

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