Page 74 of Hellish Fae
I will kill him. Not in the name of demons everywhere but for laying a single hand on my fucking mate.
They hit the brick hard, Nathiale using Krave’s body to brace the impact. Krave’s groan of agony is all I hear, it’s all I focus on, it’s all that drives me in this moment.
That golden crown scatters from Nathiale’s head, rolling until it hits something, and then stops. Nathiale stands with a staggering step. His jaw clenches hard as he glares down at the incubus in disgust. His leg comes back with vicious intent, and he lands a striking blow right to Krave’s ribs.
And rage rips through me.
Catherine rears up with storming energy inside me, but I’m so furious, my own emotions finally outweigh hers, and she shrinks back from my power.
With my body aligned, every muscle in me tense and ready, I slam myself into Nathiale. My teeth rattle as he hits the bricks. Thorns tangle around us, but I never stop for a single breath. The weight of my fist cracks hard against his jaw. It feels good. It feels so good, I do it again and again and again. There are no weapons here. It’s just us. Us and the beautiful roses and thorns lashing at our skin with every move we make.
His nails scratch over my face, and I’m not fast enough as he flings his leg back and uses his weight to roll. My head and horns slam into something smooth and hard. My sight blurs even more, but my hands keep striking out at him.
Without even wincing, he grabs a sharp vine of roses and pulls the roots and all from the ground. The points of each thorn drag over my throat, and he chokes me with the one thing that’s blessed our kingdom. It’s like fire. The tiny cuts against my skin are a blaze of pain, but that’s nothing compared to how frantic it makes me for a breath of air.
“After I kill you,” his straight teeth are bloody when he smiles down at me, “After I kill you, I’m going leave you here to feed this garden slowly, just like all the friends you had as a child. And I’ll claim your new friends, too. I’ll be sure to handle them real good, Ari, don’t you worry.” He sneers with so much manic amusement, I stop fighting with his hands just to claw at his fucking smiling face.
Hundreds of red scratches line his face, but his threat is the last line that drives my rage.
He will never touch them. None of them.
Ever!
My hand tucks in close and with one sweeping blow, I smash my elbow into his nose. Blood sprays from his face, and it’s enough to cause him to release me. Then I’m on him. I grip his golden crown from the ground, and I bring it down with intent. I drive the ornate metal into his face again and again and again.
Minutes slip by until his fighting hands drop away. He lies beneath me, and I use both hands to bring the crown down. It cracks bone in a sickening way, and I keep going. His blood soaks the ground and my body, and I keep going.
I think of every single person he’s ever hurt and every single person he would have harmed in the years to come.
And then I strike out harder.
Flesh and hair cling to the weapon of a crown, and I just grip it harder as I slam it into the bloody mess.
I can’t stop.
I won’t.
Not until I feel safe.
Not until everyone I care about is safe.
“Crow, stop. Stop!” The voice barely registers, and there’s no strength left in my arms. I keep bringing the crown down with slashing intent.
Strong arms wrap around me from behind. He’s warm. He’s calming. He’s safe.
“It’s okay, Crow,” Zaviar whispers against my damp hair as he holds me.
Blood stains my silver locks. It’s slick over the ground and the flowers. And even the little hidden bench to my left.
Zaviar pulls the crown from my hands, and I release it with numb fingers. My breath shakes from my lungs as I lean back into him, and as much as I thought this would change my life, I still feel the same.
My father will still hate demons. He will still allow his people to keep them prisoner.
But . . . he won’t send them away either. The token inside of me is safe.
For now.
That’s the smallest benefit that came from all of this.
