Page 413 of Blood and Ruin: The Complete Series

A glint of something shiny on his long body catches my eye. I look closer and watch as his black scales morph into sharp, black razors.

There’s no warning before they shoot out at the nearest demons, not missing a single one. They all begin to foam at the mouth, a disgusting thick black froth that burns through their faces before they drop to the ground, seizing up and dying.

Another vibration hits as Rion’s scales start to morph again, this time turning translucent, making him disappear completely.

I glance around, but I can’t see him anywhere. I start to panic when suddenly an invisible force starts striking through the rest of the horde, decimating them in seconds.

I guess Luka and Jax weren’t the only ones with an upgrade as Rion’s basilisk continues to destroy the hordes of demons.

I release a harsh breath and focus on the empty spot of energy once more. I search and search, but I can’t find anything out of the ordinary. I’m about to pull back, feeling foolish for wasting my time, chasing an empty lead, when another vibration hits. It shakes the empty spot, slightly moving it to reveal a sliver of energy.

It tries to slither away, but I grasp onto it as hard as I can and move closer. Just before it escapes completely, another vibration shakes the ground, revealing a familiar dark energy.

There you are…

CHAPTER 27

As if the dark energy senses me, it shoots out, slamming into me and throwing me into the air.

Before I hit the ground, my shadows snap out, slowing me down to a stop.

Catching my breath, I step forward just as a horde of demons appear, surrounding me from every angle.

Damn it.Why is it always one step forward and two steps back?

Nowhere near ready to give up, I reach down inside me and draw up everything to the surface. I focus on the demons and let it build and build, gathering more and more power until I can’t hold it anymore.

I release it all at once and watch as my dark shadows gather into a mass of black smoke, climbing high into the sky and stretching out around me.

Once the mass reaches a certain point, it explodes throughout the entire area, slamming into every demon that’s heading my way, destroying them on impact.

When the darkness finally clears, it reveals a mixed group of demons where the empty spot once was.

With King, right in the middle of it.

He’s no longer the same. His build is bigger, reaching at least seven feet and the energy around him is darker, coating the air like thick slime. It slithers out around him into the horde of demons.

He must be able to control them somehow…

As if hearing me, he turns to stare right at me, a creepy smile crawling across his face.

“Kiarra.”

I hear his voice as if I’m right beside him, and an icy chill crawls down my spine.

Four larger demons are standing close by with a group of higher-level demons, all standing in front of him, protecting him.

Though considering the power I can feel from him, I doubt he needs it. But I need to get past them, and fast.

One thought of my men and they appear as if summoned. All surrounding me and protecting me from every angle.

Rion shifts back and heads straight over to me while the others stay in their beast form. His eyes trail over my body, checking for any injuries before glancing over at King. “We’ll take the demons.”

I nod, narrowing my eyes on my target. “And I’ll take King.”

Without warning, the higher demons unsheathe their swords and attack. Rion whips out his blades, blocking two from the front while Jax and Luka rush through the others with their flames.

Two of the four larger demons step forward, moving straight for Kai. But just as Kai moves to attack, a rumble sounds out from above as a mass of energy strikes the first one down. I glance up and find Axel absorbing more energy for the next attack.

---