Page 160 of Wolf Caged
If anyone could beat him in a fight, it might be the demon.
“Not helping.” Kaeleron scowled at me.
I shrugged.
Turned to tell the demon I was only joking as I saw how tense Kaeleron was now, as I realised that thiswouldcome down to a fight, and that he might just lose it, something that didn’t soundso appealing after all as my wolf side snarled and gnashed fangs at the demon.
And shrieked as I was sent flying.
Malachi exploded in a riot of wings, horns and fangs at Kaeleron, passing me in the blink of an eye and catching me hard with the trailing edge of his left wing. It wasn’t that blow that sent me shooting backwards into a chaise longue though, my ass hitting it so hard that I rolled backwards and had to fumble to grab the edge of the seat to stop myself rolling heels over head right off it.
It was a wall of shadows that blasted up from the floor to wrap around me.
Cocooning me.
“Kaeleron,” I breathed as he clashed hard with the demon, taking a fierce blow to the face as he reached for me, directing his shadows to shield me.
He had left himself wide open, placing protecting me above protecting himself.
The demon snarled, baring huge fangs, and whipped his head forwards, cracking his forehead off Kaeleron’s in a blow that drew blood and made me flinch, and unleashed an ear-splitting roar that sent pure terror shooting down my spine.
And then shadows whirled around them.
And they were both gone.
Chapter 42
SAPHIRA
Isat on the chaise longue, gripping the edge of it as everything whirled around me, struggling to catch up with what had just happened.
Malachi had discovered Kaeleron had bought me. Had attacked him for it. And rather than defending himself with his shadows, Kaeleron had protected me, taking a vicious blow to the head.
Oh my gods.
The demon was going to kill him.
I shot to my feet and was out of the door in a flash, unsure where they might have gone and praying it wasn’t far. My boots were loud on the marble floor as I thundered down the corridor, as I growled at the thought of Kaeleron fighting that demon—a demon I had stupidly provoked.
Everything passed me in a blur as I hit the circular vestibule at a dead sprint and ran down three flights of stairs before I leaped, clearing the balustrade and hurling myself into the centre of the room. I dropped hard, landing on the ground floor in a crouch with a grunt, and exploded forwards, heading for the exit to the garden as my ears pricked.
As the scent of blood hit me.
I bolted into the open, squinting as the sudden change in brightness blinded me for a heartbeat.
Someone grunted, the sound of flesh striking flesh sending fear shooting down my spine.
My head whipped to my left, towards the courtyard where people had gathered, forming a wall around it. Watching their king and Malachi fighting. Why wasn’t anyone stopping them? I hit the wall of bodies at a run and growled as I grabbed and shoved them, wriggling my way through. None of the males and females, a mixture of highborn and servants, looked inclined to leap into the makeshift ring to stop the fight.
As if this kind of thing happened often.
Or Kaeleron had ordered them not to intervene.
A swift glance at a few of the guards revealed that had to be the case. They stood on the side lines, fingers flexing around the shafts of their spears or the hilts of their swords, their gazes worried as they followed the two brawling males.
I looked there too, my knees almost buckling beneath me as Malachi slammed a meaty fist into Kaeleron’s face and he staggered, barely keeping his footing as he shook off the blow and wiped the back of his hand across his bloodied lips, smearing crimson across his cheek. The bigger male didn’t give him a chance to fully recover, caught him with both hands and brought his knee up, smashing it into Kaeleron’s stomach and forcing a grunt from his lips.
“Stop this,” I snapped and lunged forwards.
