Page 92 of Kiss of a Hellish Prince

Kylie stepped out of the shadows. I wasn’t sure how long she had been there. Had she watched Sif and I fight and not done anything to help either of us?

“That was quite remarkable for a novice fighter. Using your opponent’s emotions against her like that,” she said, sounding impressed.

“Did you know about this?” I asked, gripping Sif’s knife.

“No,” she answered. “I would have never approved of this. And Sif knew it. She never had the patience for the long game. I was hoping in time she would mature and learn. Sadly, coming into your powers makes you emotional and rash. All those fucking hormones and your body getting new abilities, it wreaks havoc on your mind. You probably already started feeling some of that yourself. Acting on emotions and hormones more than normal. Things could’ve been so much better if she had learned to control it, to play the long game.”

“Long game?” I asked. “What are you talking about?”

Kylie sauntered down the steps to my level, dressed in all black leather except for her dark crimson jacket and sky-high heels. Add the dagger strapped to her hip, and she looked like a badass from a biker drama.

She ignored my question and walked right by me to check on Sif. “She is going to have a bitch of a headache when she wakes. And she deserves it. This is such a waste!”

“What is a waste?” I asked, backing away from Kylie. My skin was crawling, and that cold sweat was back, making my stomach twist in knots.

“You!I had plans for you. Fuck! We could have done such amazing things together. I would have trained you, groomed you to be what I needed. The daughter of a powerful incubus! Not only did you have your father's powers, but you ensnared the future king without even trying, and you are a fucking weapon master! You have such potential. I could have controlled the entire kingdom through you!” Her cheeks flushed, her eyes bright and wild-looking.

I needed to get out of here. Sif was angry, but her mother was something much worse. Every fiber in my being told me to run, but I still didn’t have Vivi.

“Then Sif goes and fucks it all up because her feelings were hurt. Now, you have to die. Such a waste.”

24

Don’t Play With Your Food

Kylie pulled her dagger from its sheath. It was the same style as Sif’s long sharp blade with some intricate, decorative scrollwork along the edge of the spine that caught the light. Kylie’s blade was a lot longer than Sif’s though.

I had no idea that murder weapons came in mother-daughter sets.

Facing Sif was one thing, but facing down Kylie was something else. Betrayal burned in my chest.

I’d only known her for a few days, but I felt as though Kylie could’ve ended up being the mentor I needed to be the person I wanted to become. I’d wanted her to be the one to show me how to stand on my own, face my insecurities and the people trying to hold me down. She could’ve taught me how to do that in style. Kylie hadn’t even let her daughter’s hatred of me influence how she’d treated me. She’d made excuses for Sif and implored me to be patient with her, saying how once she wasn’t hurt, Sif would come around.

She had been the one to make me feel like maybe I had a place as a demon, somewhere I could call home. She even started training me how to fight, saying more women were needed in the field.

The only things I had learned about fighting were from Kylie. I didn’t even have the benefit of years of training before facing off against my teacher. I had one trial where I got a lucky shot and one sparring session against Murmur. Kylie had critiqued my every move to strengthen me.

I knew in my gut there was no way I was going to beat her in hand-to-hand. I had to think of something else.

“Before you get cocky about your situation, you should know your hit on Sif there was nothing more than a lucky shot.” Kylie took a few steps towards me, gripping the blade’s handle in her right hand. “Don’t misunderstand me. Using her emotions against her was inspired. The hit to the back of her head was pure luck. If she hadn’t landed on that brick, you wouldn’t be my problem anymore. But it won’t work again. I am far too disciplined to fall for a trick so pitiful.”

Kylie was confident, but I didn’t think it was cockiness. The experience she had, the way she moved… She had the skills to back up her claims.

I was well and truly fucked.

I resumed the fighting position she taught me, ignoring the pain searing through the cuts in my arms and the bruise that had no doubt formed on my stomach.

There was a brief glimmer in her eye of something like pride. Had she thought I’d run from her? Should I have run? Would it have mattered?

Probably not. I could run and die in seconds, or I could stay and fight. I would probably die in seconds anyway, but I had to try. Vivi was still in danger.

Kylie lunged at me, her blade held ready to strike. I blocked with Sif’s knife. Gripping the flat side of my blade, I pushed Kylie back and off to the side.

I rounded on her, my heart thundering in my ears, my knees feeling unsteady. Kylie attacked again, over and over, her blade coming closer and closer each time I blocked or evaded it. I tried to keep dancing out of her reach, but all the junk on the concrete floor made it increasingly difficult to not trip over something.

I was tired before this started, and now I was exhausted. My body had burned through adrenaline when I fought Sif. Now I just ached, and my reactions were slowing. My arms felt heavier with each movement. I needed that second wind, and I needed it now.

Kylie’s blade cut into my shoulder; she sliced deep under my clavicle, wrenching a yell from my throat. It hurt like a motherfucker, but the pain woke me up. I could hardly move my left arm without the pain blurring my vision, but I was alert again.

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