Page 3 of The Demon Crown

How the hell had a bandit gotten his hands on theBonescraper? That blade had been lost to the desert centuries ago, for the last time it had carved its way through Greed’s back. The damned knife deserved to be locked up in his castle, where no one would ever put their hands on it again.

Bonescraper. These bandits were lucky, and they didn’t even know how lucky they were.

Wincing, he leaned to the side to get a glimpse of the beautiful woman rifling through their bags. She had three of them around her knees now. Elbow deep in the third, she noticed him looking at her again.

Rolling her eyes, she widened them forcefully and then nodded at the bandits. As if telling him to keep his attention on the problem at hand.

But something in him said that she was the problem here. He knew how to handle bandits, and Bonescraper wouldn’t kill him. It would just hurt like a bitch until he lost all control and likely tore himself out of this cage. The wave of blood afterward would be so wondrous to see.

His eyes flicked to the blade before he bared his teeth in what he hoped resembled a smile. “That blade is familiar to me, yes.”

“Then you know it will make you scream.”

He knew nothing of the sort. Leaning back on his hand one last time, he noticed the little thief had tugged out a roll of parchment from one of the bags and stuffed it into her pants.

If it was that important, she shouldn’t shove it against skin and fabric. The damned woman would ruin whatever it was that she was risking her life for. And shewasrisking her life.

These men were ready to kill him. What did she think they’d do to her?

Greed had never once wondered about the repercussions of another person’s wellbeing. Clearly he had been affected by his time with Lust and that rather pretty sorceress his brother had captured. And he’d spent far too much time watching them go all moon-eyed for each other before he’d left.

He didn’t care if she got caught. He didn’t care if she stole that scroll that she’d risked her life for. None of it mattered to him because... because...

One of the bandits was turning around. He was going to see that woman, sitting at their fire like she belonged there, and he would have to show them how powerful he really was because he damn well wasn’t going to let her die.

Greed let out a snarl of rage that had everyone in the cave freezing. All the bandits watched him with wary eyes, but the woman bolted upright, immediately looking for her exit. Good girl. She knew how to run when she had to, and that’s all that mattered.

He launched himself at the bars, ensuring all the bandits saw him move. They would fear him. They would soon writhe underneath his claws while they begged for mercy.

The moment his hands touched the metal, his palms burned. He released the bars, hissing in anger and backing away from them. Not a metal he was used to, apparently.

“Did you think we haven’t spent time learning about you? Hm?” The bandit leader bent, tilting his head to the side and brandishing the blade. “We’ve been hunting you for a very long time, Greed. We will not waste all that effort on a single night where I just cut you up a little and then give you a chance to escape. You’re going to tell us everything you know, and I’m going to break you by the end of it.”

Unease bubbled in his stomach. “Who exactly are you?”

The man raised his arms from his sides, stretching them out wide. “We’re the Horde.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“No, I suppose it doesn’t. But it’s the only answer you’re going to get.”

One bandit tossed something into his cage. Smoke erupted between his feet and Greed wondered just how much trouble he was actually in. His guards didn’t know where he was. No one would come for him any time soon. The bars were untouchable, and the people here wanted him dead.

The mist hit his nose and rage went wild through his body. He hadn’t been in his battle form for centuries, and yet he could feel it writhing underneath his skin. Claws piercing through his nails, teeth lengthening into fangs while his tail whipped wildly behind him. He’d never lost control. Never...

His eyes sought the little thief. She’d used the distraction to scramble back on top of the rocks at the mouth of the cave, slipping into the shadows. All three bags were placed exactly where they had been before, not a single thread out of place.

As a roar built in his chest, he had a single moment of pride. She’d stolen it. She’d succumbed to her own greed, and that was... good.

The roar ripped out of his chest and Greed lost himself in the anger, rage, and torture that would soon come.

ChapterTwo

Varya wasn’t insane, she just had very little self preservation.

That was precisely why she’d taken this job, stealing from the fucking Horde, and getting a map that would lead them to more of the magical artifacts hidden throughout the sands in this kingdom. The map was important. She would use it for the betterment of others, rather than what the Horde was likely planning. It wasn’t like she was trying to find some mystical blade or an orb that could see the future. Yet.

She’d known it would be difficult. The Horde was notoriously hard to find unless they were attacking some poor settlement, and it had taken her three months following in their tracks before they made a big mistake.

---