Page 96 of Happily Ever Bitten (Underworld Royals 2)

But now it was my turn to laugh, a sound that echoed when he swung around with a knife in his hand. I dodged his attempt with a smile. However, I wasn’t cocky enough to let him try again.

Rather than draw out the moment of revenge, I enacted my power, hooking into his soul and shredding him apart from the inside.

He bellowed in alarm, his hand going to his chest as if that would be enough to stop me.

I almost felt sorry for him, that action of hope futile and crumbling before me as he fell to his knees on a sound of anguish.

Whatever pity the act stirred died in the next breath as his inky essence began to shatter against my aura.

There was no virtue inside him.

No innocence.

No true desire to reform.

He was vile and without remorse, his hope centered around a need to survive more than a need to change his ways.

This male would no doubt rape again.

He thrived on the blood of innocents, adored breaking weak human females, and lived to harm others.

Braun was the kind of soul Lucifer wanted me to destroy. I felt his approval radiating with each passing second, my harbinger duties satisfying his every whim.

My prey fell to the ground in a husk of his former self, his eyes rolling back into his head as the last slivers of his spirit fractured against my will.

I stared at him for a moment, emotion failing me. No elation. No real pride. No satisfaction at having crossed the final name off my list. And yet, I didn’t really expect to feel any of those things. I’d grown beyond my need for vengeance, becoming a new demon in the process.

Zaya.

Queen of Noxia.

Wife of Grigory.

Harbinger of the Underworld.

I’d found my own version of satisfaction by becoming a stronger woman—not by bathing in the blood of my enemies but by empowering my inner self through trials many would never have survived.

Strong arms wrapped around me from behind, Grigory kissing my neck. He couldn’t see, the sun too bright for his Noxia traits, but he’d found me through the links in our minds.

“Ready to go home?” he asked softly.

“I am,” I replied. “It’s finally d—”

A shimmer in the air cut off my comment, a green glow appearing a few paces away followed by a figure in a hood stepping into view. I frowned as he knocked the hood back, revealing the face of a male I’d only begun to know.

“Jeremiah?” I asked, confused by his attire. It wasn’t that of a guard. Maybe Narissa had changed his uniform since he’d transitioned to her court to assist with vetting her soldiers.

“Queen Zaya,” he replied before glancing over my shoulder. “King Grigory.”

“Nice upgrade,” Grigory said, using my sight to see him. “What can we do for you?”

Jeremiah cleared his throat. “Lucifer sent me.”

I nearly groaned. Of course he did.

“Why?” Grigory asked.

“Because Narissa and I need your help,” Jeremiah replied. “Neptune needs your help.”

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