Page 128 of Blood and Reign

As soon as it hits my skin, I absorb it making it my own. The energy slams into me making me feel like I just took a double espresso shot.

I shake off the slight disorientated feeling, gathering every piece of energy I have and pushing it straight at King.

It slams into him, throwing him backward. He catches himself, but the calm and collected facade is gone. He narrows his eyes on me before disappearing once more.

I glance around the dark space, but something inside me tells me he’s gone back to Manhattan. I quickly focus on my guys and within seconds, I step through the shadows and back into the chaos and destruction.

Rion spots me, his eyes widening on something behind me. I whip around as one of Rion’s blades hit a demon square in the eye.

Rion hurries over to me. “Are you okay? Where were you?”

I glance around, looking for King, but apart from the demons and my mates, he’s not here. “A story for another time. Did you see King?”

“No. Not since he disappeared with you.” Rion gives me a look, letting me know that I’ll be sharing what happened as soon as this is over.

A loud thud sounds out, shaking the ground beneath us. It gets louder, growing closer as a rumble follows it.

We look over in the direction of the sound and spot four large demons with hundreds of smaller ones close by. The sky shrieks as more demons show up, all flying toward us.

Without a second thought, Axel shoots forward, meeting them head-on. The other dragons quickly joining him.

I look up as Rion curses and catch the exhaustion on his face. My mates are holding their own, but for how much longer?

Jax and Luka rush forward, meeting the new demons halfway while Kai stays where he is getting rid of the last of the demons here.

“Don’t go too far.” Rion bends down and kisses my head before heading for Kai. I glance back around at my mates, then at the destruction and demons around us, and try to think of something to end this.

It needs to end with King…I need to find him and finish this.Now.

I push my senses out around me, searching for him. It takes me a minute, but I finally latch onto his power, and this time I pull him to me.

He appears seconds later in a puff of shadows with a shocked expression on his face. It quickly morphs into rage and disdain as he snarls, slashing out at me.

But I’m ready for it and pull myself into the shadows before appearing right behind him. Before he gets the chance to react, I push my shadows toward him, but he waves them away with the flick of a wrist.

As I’m gathering more energy to attack, the clouds above me turn gray. They overcast the sky in darkness, shifting the day to night in seconds.

King steps forward, a cruel smirk on his lips as a mass of dark shadows whip out and circles me, caging me in.

I try to pull myself into the shadows and out of it, but the black mass holds me hostage, growing closer and closer. I reach down and gather my power, but the circling mass absorbs it instantly. I start to panic when the spiraling shadows close over me, covering me like the rising wave of a dark ocean.

Darkness surrounds me as the outside sound completely disappears. I try to push against the swirling mass, but as soon as my fingers brush against it, a sharp pain erupts across my entire body.

I try pulling my hand back, but the dark mass grips it tight as it begins to climb up my arm. The sharp pain grows, making me scream out in pain. It quickly spreads, turning my chest tight as it crawls across it.

I start to panic that this is it but stop myself just as quick. I can’t do this. I can’t let him win. Theremustbe a way out.

I try to think of something as the pain continues to slash across my body. I push it away and try to come up with something.Anything.

Escaping won’t work, neither will using my powers. Every time I try to gather them, the dark mass absorbs it just as quick.

I grab my chest as the darkness crawls down my legs, making my entire body feel broken and bruised.

There has to be another way…

“Your end is coming.” King’s voice echoes around me as I double over, trying to catch my breath.

My end… this can’t be my end. It can’t be because I won’t let it.

---