Page 43 of Claimed By the Fae Lord

Her gaze locked onto mine, and for a brief moment, I saw a flicker of shock in her eyes.

"Come on, Saxon! We need to get her out of here," I said, my voice laced with urgency.

"Right behind you!"

"Damn it!" I cursed as a sudden, sharp pain erupted in my chest.

Glancing down, I saw a small dagger buried just below my collarbone. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to make me stumble for a moment.

An ax-baring brute charged me from the side, his eyes wild with battle lust. Had he been more skilled, I might have thought him part berserker.

I ripped the dagger from my flesh and hurled it at him with all the force I could muster. The weapon found its mark, embedding itself in his throat. He crumpled to the ground, clutching at the hilt.

Just then, a lean, thin-lipped male reached for another blade, preparing to throw it straight at me. Before he could release it, Raina snatched it from his grasp.

In one fluid motion, she plunged the blade into his throat, curling her lip and shouting obscenities at him. She stabbed him again and again until he lay there, unmoving in a pool of blood.

"Fucking bitch!" the bigger burgundy-haired fae roared, his voice hoarse with rage.

Before I could react, he swung at Raina, striking her so hard her feet left the ground as she flew backwards.

"NO!" The word tore itself from my throat as I felt my heart seize in terror.

Saxon's eyes widened as he saw the state she was in, and he redoubled his efforts to keep our enemies at bay.

The world seemed to pause for a moment as I stared down the giant fae who'd struck Raina, wondering what other horrors he'd inflicted upon her.

I couldn’t let my mind go there. The berserker was already itching to come out to play.

The air around me crackled with tension, and I knew that there was only one thing left to do.

"You will never touch her again," I snarled through clenched teeth.

With a swift movement, I lunged forward, driving my sword into his chest and straight through his heart. He gasped, his eyes widening in shock and pain, but I felt no remorse.

"Raina," I whispered urgently, scooping her listless body into my arms.

Her small frame felt fragile and weak, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt that I probably could have done more to prevent this ordeal.

Fermac, sensing our urgency, howled loudly, calling Saxon's attention to us.

"Let's go!" Saxon barked, his eyes blazing with resolve as he took the lead, clearing a path for us out of the auction house and into the alley where we'd secured two horses prior to our arrival.

"Hand her over, Liam," the demigod ordered once we reached our mounts, holding out his arms to take Raina from me.

I hesitated, feeling an irrational need to keep her close, but Fermac nipped at my thigh, forcing me to relent.

I handed Raina's limp form to Saxon, and quickly mounted my horse. As soon as I was secure in the saddle, he handed her back to me, clearly understanding my reluctance to let her go.

I situated Raina on the saddle in front of me, loosely securing a rope to keep her torso tied to mine. My arms wrapped protectively around her and I reached for the reins.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Saxon said with a grim smile, and we spurred our horses into motion.

We sped away from the auction house, keeping to the outer streets with less foot traffic, with Fermac leading the way. Shouts and thundering hooves filled the air as we raced through the city.

"Keep up, Liam!" Saxon called out.

I glanced over, a wry smile spreading across his face despite the dire circumstances. He was a picture of lethal grace, expertly firing arrows from horseback, hitting where he aimed.

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