Page 78 of The Prince's Curse

He knew that Scarlett wasn’t in love with him, but that didn’t ease the pang of jealousy as she darted for the cell. The other vampire’s expression softened as shereached through the bars to squeeze Kova’s shoulder. “I didn’t want to leave you here,” she said.

His eyes shone as he looked between them, then nodded. “Okay, but I can’t open it?—”

Julian pushed the witch against the bars, guiding her hand to the rune-marked metal. “Open it.”

“Fuck you,” she said in a pinched voice.

“If you don’t do it, I’m going to carve out your eyeballs and then try again,” he threatened. “I’m not going to kill you and risk one of your little curses, but I can certainly make you wish you were dead.”

He caught Scarlett staring at him, her nose wrinkled in disgust. But he shoved down his feelings and shook the witch enough to get her attention. “Your choice. Three. Two…”

“Okay!” she sobbed. “Take the fucking vampire. I don’t care.” She grabbed the bars and muttered an incantation. Dancing runes slithered up and down the bars, and the lock lifted on its own. Kova shoved the door open, and before they could question it, he shoved the witch inside. She threw her head back and shrieked. “Shea! To me! In the basement!”

Kova reached through the bars, then recoiled, clutching his temples. “Shut her up.”

Scarlett reached through and grabbed the woman’s throat, then pulled her closer to bang her head against the bars. The witch fell back in a daze, though her heart still beat quick and steady.

“I really don’t like her,” she said primly.

Kova let out a harsh laugh and said, “I appreciate you doing it on my behalf.”

“Where’s Rhys?” Julian asked, holding out one hand. “Vampire male, this tall, British accent and a baby face.”

Kova shook his head. “Haven’t seen him.”

“What about Jordan?” Scarlett asked. “He was?—”

The door of the basement flew open, and Julian looked up just in time to see the glinting marks on Shea’s arms as he dove at Julian. He tackled Julian to the ground, then drove something sharp into his chest. Fury and pain exploded from him in a shout as he wrestled the other man onto his back and punched him in the chest. As Shea grunted in pain, Julian shouted, “Kova, get her up to the workshop. I’ll occupy him.”

Kova nodded and grabbed Scarlett’s hand even as she protested, “Wait!”

A fist cocked into Julian’s face, snapping his head back as blood sprayed from his nose. He drew his enchanted blade and sliced at Shea, who shrugged off the bloody wound without missing a beat.

The other man feinted, then shoulder-checked Julian into the steel bars. A vicious fist slammed into his ribs, and then another sharp slashing sensation across his belly. Blood poured from the deep wound, hitting him with a rush of cold.

“Break the bindings on me and I’ll let you live,” Shea said. “Cut them and I’ll be free.”

“Are you fucking stupid?” Julian growled. He drove his knee up into Shea’s groin, sending him reeling.

But the other man was still squared up, grinning at him.“I’ll help you kill…” His eyes went red, the markings glowing angry red. “Kill. That. Bitch.” His back arched, and he spat a thick gob of blood, but he still wore a manic grin.

“You’ll help me kill Armina Voss?”

Shea’s teeth were bloody, and he nodded silently, his whole body lurching with the effort.

“And when we’re done, you go your own way and never set foot in my city again?” Julian asked, tightening his hand around his blade.

“Gladly,” Shea said. Beneath Armina’s magic, he smelled old and powerful. It had taken their entire court working together to get to him, and Paris had still come dangerously close to losing his head twice to kill the bastard. He would be a powerful ally, especially if he sought revenge against Armina Voss.

Julian nodded and offered his hand. A faint smile pulled at Shea’s bloody lips. He reached out to take Julian’s hand, giving it a firm squeeze. He was still smiling when Julian’s blade sliced into his throat so deep it scraped bone.

Blood sprayed across Julian’s face, and he savored the taste, even though it was his own kind and brought him no heat, no satisfaction. With a deft twist, he shoved the blade up through Shea’s lower jaw and into his skull.

His eyes went unfocused as he gurgled, still beating wildly at Julian. Julian yanked the blade free and kicked him across the room, then pounced, grabbing the other man’s dark hair. “After all that you did to my people, to my city, I would rot in the lowest levels of hell for a millennium before I made a deal with you,” he said. “However, I’ll spare you the indignity of serving the witch any longer, even if you had no such mercy for Kristina.”

There was a protest that might have been a mumbled no, but Julian yanked the blade through Shea’s neck. With his blood empowering the enchantment, it cut sharp and quick like a hot knife through butter. He slashed again, then finished it off with a final blow from the back, severing the self-proclaimed king’s head. He kicked it away and spat on his face.

“And that’s for putting your hands on my girl,” he growled, running for the stairs to find Scarlett.

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