Page 83 of Rapunzel Unchained

Everyone moved at once in a blur. Izzy snarled and went straight for the snakes slithering across the ground before they reached me. Even with five mages attacking, it seemed our opponents only cared about one thing.

My death.

Gage sliced. Jetta dodged, quicker than I expected for someone like him. I saw him as the studious type, and that did not work well with the way he was moving.

Shadows billowed out of Jetta’s hands, twisted and turning into several shadowy figures. They immediately went on the offensive, attacking Gage and throwing Luke across the room.

I tried to help. I really did. But every time I had a clear shot at one of them, one of my men stepped in the way. All I could do was stand on the sidelines and watch as the ones I loved fought for me.

Blake and Izzy killed Carisa’s summons as soon as they appeared. Adam finally got his hands on the conjurer, his electricity coursing into her while she hissed and snapped her unnaturally long canines at him.

The scent of burning flesh filled the air, and Carisa gasped, clutching at her chest. Then she was down.

Gage sliced at the shadows, growling when they would just slip through them and reappear.

Zane appeared at Gage’s side. “I’ve got this. Go for Jetta.”

Luke got back to his feet, coming at Jetta from the back.

“You and your human whore will pay for this,” Jetta snarled at them. “You think the other regions will just go along with your changes? You’re all dead.”

“No,” Gage snapped, grabbing him by the throat, his knife poised in the air. “You are.”

Gage shoved the blade deep into Jetta’s stomach, while Luke’s light knives sliced and carved up the conjurer’s back. The sounds the mage made as they cut and bled him would echo in my dreams for weeks to come.

Eventually, Gage dropped Jetta to his feet and, with one smooth movement, sliced him across the throat. Jetta collapsed on the ground, his eyes wide forever frozen in fear.

Blood splatter covered anyone who was close by, which was basically all of them but me. I thought I would have felt useless, helpless in that moment. And yet, watching them fight for me – for us – made me feel more powerful than I’d ever felt in my life.

Blood and carnage decorated the ground and across each of the men. The sight should have disgusted me. If anything, it only made me want them more.

They had spilled blood... for me. Something I never thought or expected to happen. At least, not so directly. After all, they’d planned to kill them. Gage’s knives being out proved that.

However, seeing how viciously and mercilessly they had absolutely destroyed our enemies had my body heating in the most inappropriate way.

Adam lifted me up and walked us out of the reach of the blood.

“Wouldn’t want to ruin that pretty dress,” Adam murmured, brushing my hair from my face before lowering me to the ground. “And that’s what I want too, Eva. I want you. Whatever you want. However you want me. I love you, Eva.”

His mouth pressed against mine, sucking and nipping my lips before drawing my tongue into his mouth. I sank into his embrace, giving into every emotion that had warred inside of me the last few weeks.

Standing here with my enemies’ blood and bodies littering the floor at my feet, kissing one of the men I loved, I couldn’t imagine a better ending to such a long and tiring journey.

Pulling away from Adam, I smiled coyly as I stroked his cheek. “Then maybe we get rid of the dress.”

I reached a hand behind my back and tugged the strings free. My dress pooled at my feet, leaving me bare in only my heels.

A low groan came from Adam, his eyes feasting on every exposed inch of me. The others were still there, watching but not moving in to touch me.

My eyes focused on Adam. This was our moment. Right here in front of all of them, with the still cooling bodies of our enemies at our feet.

“Eva,” Adam groaned, palming himself through his pants. “You have no idea how much I want you right now. But maybe we should...” He gestured to the council members’ bodies with a frown.

“No, now.” I stepped close enough to slide my hands up his chest, pressing fully against him. His hands slid down my sides, tracing my curves before brushing the underside of my breasts. “Make love to me right here.”

“Do you want us to leave?” Luke said from off to the side, always the one to speak what the others were thinking.

Letting my gaze slide toward them, a wicked grin crept up my face. “Do you want to leave?”

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