Page 98 of King

The demon didn’t move fast enough. So Daniel helped.

Crack.

He slammed the bastard’s head into the bar. Again.

Crack.

And again.

Crack.

And again, until the fucker was nodding on his own.

“Good.” Daniel let him go, flipping back over the bar like he hadn’t just turned the demon’s skull into pulp. His eyes flicked across the room, making sure his message was clear before settling back on the bartender.

“If I come back here and find Sibyl anywhere near this shithole, I will kill you and burn this fucking place to the ground. Is that understood?”

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd. A few demons visibly shrank, except for one.

A shadow shifted in the back as someone stood. “I don’t think you understand, Demon Slayer.” The voice was deep. Cold.

King locked eyes on the newcomer—and what the fuck? The bastard was built like a war machine. Muscles thick. Posture cocky. But it was his head that had King tensing. A jackal’s head. Black eyes. Long snout. Sharp-ass teeth. Not human. Not demon. Something worse.

“What the fuck is that?” King muttered, glancing at Duncan, whose entire body had gone rigid.

“Anubis,” Duncan murmured, not looking away. “The eyes and ears of the Realm.”

Daniel took his time, looking up to meet the jackal-headed bastard’s gaze. Then, he smiled. “Ah. Do you need me to explain it slowly?”

The Anubis laughed. But his eyes didn’t. “Your time is coming to an end, Slayer.” The words dripped with prophecy and malice. “Or haven’t you heard?”

“Oh, I’ve heard,” Daniel said, voice lazy, like he didn’t have a single care in the world. He leaned against the bar, completely at ease.

King, however, could feel the tension vibrating beneath the surface. Daniel was coiled steel and ready to strike.

“And I don’t care. Unless it’s you that’s been infused with Golden Blood.” He tilted his head. “But it’s not. Is it? The Anubis too low on the priority list?”

“Fuck you!” the jackal-headed bastard spat, glaring with murderous rage.

Daniel didn’t flinch. “I’ll pass,” he said casually as he straightened. Then, his voice sharpened like a blade. “But I’m busy. So, unless you’re the one to take me out, get the fuck out of here.”

The Anubis bristled. Started to say something, but didn’t get the chance.

Daniel flicked his wrist fast as hell. Before King could even track the movement, the jackal fucker was suddenly launched through the door, the wood splintering as it slammed shut behind him.

Just then, a young woman appeared at the top of the stairs. She was thin, dirty, and bruised.

King watched her closely as she hesitated, then slowly descended. Head bowed. Shoulders slumped. When she reached Daniel, she stopped. Daniel didn’t say a word as he tilted her chin up, inspecting the bruises marring her face.

His voice, when he finally spoke, was low and dangerous. The kind of voice that promised death. “Who did this to you?”

The girl, Sibyl, flinched. Her gaze darted away. “I fell.”

“Don’t lie to me, Sibyl,” Daniel warned, his eyes narrowing.

She swallowed hard and finally met Daniel’s stare, pleading with her eyes. “I fell, Daniel.”

King clenched his fists, his patience wearing paper-thin as he looked at this frail woman. This was no place for a woman. Every second wasted was another second Amara could be suffering. But he forced himself to shut his mouth and let Daniel do his thing.

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