Page 62 of A Reign of Malice
Aurora doesn’t flinch. “Oh, darling, I expect nothing,” she purrs, inspecting her nails. “Though, I was hoping you’d show up.”
But he wasn’t talking to the goddess. His punishment doesn’t seem to be meant for her. At least not right now.
He wantswolfblood.
I barely have time to take a breath as the mayhem presses in on us.
One of the gods lunges toward Isla, his hand outstretched, fingers elongating into piercing tendrils of darkness. Isla dodges, her movements swift, her wolf flashing in her eyes as she rips free from Asher’s grasp and slashes upward with her claws. The god snarls, staggering back.
Julian shoves me behind him, his body coiling like a predator ready to strike. But I don’t stay put.
I can’t.
This is what I was born for.
With a growl, I leap and shift in midair, my wolf exploding to the surface in a blur of sleek fur and snapping teeth. My claws sink into the nearest god’s chest, tearing through celestial flesh that shimmers unnaturally beneath my touch.
Theo and Estee fight as one. Two figures weaving together, a sword he must have taken from one of the othergods slashing through our opponents while Estee shifts, her inner beast keeping Theo’s back safe from further attacks.
Even with all of us pushing forward, throwing everything we have into the battle, we are outnumbered.Severely.
The gods we’ve just enhanced are nowhere to be seen, and these newcomers fight with an efficiency that tells me this isn’t just a battle—it’s an execution. Our deaths are their sole mission.
A god grabs me from behind, his grip like stone, heat searing through my fur. I whip my head around, sinking my teeth into his wrist, tasting the acrid burn of divine blood. He shrieks, throwing me in the opposite direction. I skid across the earth, my ribs protesting the impact as I collide with the twisted trunk of a tree.
“Sloane!” Julian’s voice roars through the battlefield, and then he’s there, his claws slicing through the god’s throat in a single brutal strike. The body vanishes before it can even hit the ground.
As I stagger back up, I notice Isla and Asher taking down several more of the gods, each vanishing just like the last. Julian stands protectively near me, his gaze already seeking the next target. For the first time, hope sparks.We might be winning.
But then Estee screams.
My head snaps toward her. She’s no longer in her wolf form. Her knees buckle, a dagger protruding from her side, its blade pulsing with fire that licks up the hilt and sears through her flesh. She gasps, her hands trembling as she tries to grasp the weapon buried deep inside her.
Theo is already moving, but he’s too late.
The god responsible steps forward, his presencewrongin every possible way. His skin is almost translucent beneath the shadows that flicker around him, and his eyes are endlessvoids swirling with disgust as they remain fixed on Estee with nothing but detachment.
He grips the dagger and twists.
Estee’s body jerks. A choked sound escapes her lips as the fire spreads outward, crawling across her skin in glowing embers. The moment he rips the blade free, she collapses.
A shrill cry pierces the battlefield—Theo.
But he doesn’t attack. He stumbles forward, his hands shaking as he reaches for her, as if his touch alone might be enough to pull her back.
The god watches, head inclining. Then, with cold precision, he lifts the dagger and drives it straight into Theo’s chest.
Theo doesn’t cry out. He doesn’t fight. He just falls.
Gone. Both of them.
The world narrows.
No, no, no.
A strangled sound rips from my throat, a cry of denial, of fury, of helplessness so raw it nearly shatters me.
Aurora’s voice cuts through the madness, fierce and unwavering. “Enough.”
