Page 158 of A Crown Without Mercy

They let him up, re-sheathed their swords, and surrounded him. “I never thought you would try to run like a fucking coward,” Riordan snarled.

Nicolai got into a defensive stance. “We are going to dismember you one piece at a time for what you have done to our mate, but first things first.”

The blood sprayed from Ranan’s snout when Nicolai’s fist made contact; Kieran and Riordan then lunged, and Ranan frantically spun around and lashed out, returning the brother’s fury. One blow crossed Nicolai’s face which caused him to stumble back. He then took a swipe toward Kieran, who jumped back. However, his claws crossed his chest, creating three sizeable lacerations.

Ranan absorbed the pain and did his best to fight back and defend himself. However, the brothers pummeled him mercilessly and ceased only when he fell to the ground and began to lose consciousness. The brothers stepped back and watched as Ranan slowly returned to his mortal form. His face was unrecognizable, his breathing was labored, and his broken body failed to heal with the transformation.

Ranan let out a pain-filled roar when Nicolai’s blade separated one arm from his body.

“You will never win the war,” he bellowed.

Kieran bent down and grasped a hold of his contorted jaw. “You will never know.” He then stood, swung his blade, and separated his other arm.

Riordan spun his sword at his side and then brought it down and across his thighs and Ranan’s legs rolled to the side, and the brothers watched as his eyes glossed over.

“The Faye—the High Priestess, they will—defeat,” he stuttered, as his head languidly turned to the side when he took his last breath.

“Vispera is next,” Riordan said, as he pulled Kieran’s tunic up to access his wounds.

“I’m good, brother. You should check the gash on your bicep, not my chest,” Kieran stated.

“It’s fine,” Riordan answered

“Have you seen her?” Nicolai asked.

“No, but she is here somewhere,” Riordan replied.

Kieran held up his hand and looked at the wall. “Do you hear that?”

There was a disquieting crackling sound echoing from the other side and a bluish-colored light flickered and flashed and lit the darkness in quick successions. The brothers remained still, in anticipating of another wave of Faye warriors. However, a fraudulent calm followed the flashes and then the disquieting sounds of shattering glass broke the eerie silence.

“What the fuck is going on?” Nicolai asked.

“Another wave of Faye?” Riordan questioned.

They leapt onto the top of the wall and crouched down; frozen bodies, both standing and lying on the ground, were scattered across the out lining forest, and instead of their warriors fighting Faye and Lycan, they were cutting the heads off what appeared to be statues carved in ice. A group of warriors then appeared from the forest and stood at the edge of the field.

“Holy shit! It’s Sylvana,” Nicolai stated.

“Are you thinking what I am?” Kieran asked.

“Yes. Sylvana, putting the fire out at the barn,” Riordan replied.

They leapt off the wall, ran across the field, ducking and dodging both Faye and Lycan, and came face to face with Sylvana. Kadric, Cadell, and the rest of the warriors who had her surrounded in a protective half circle.

“Sylvana,” Riordan called out. She ran toward them, leapt into Riordan’s arms and clung to him. “What are you fucking doing here?” he asked.

“My mother sent me. She told me to take control of my destiny.”

He set her down and Nicolai and Kieran each pulled her in for a tight embrace. “Baby, you shouldn’t be here,” Nicolai said.

“Darling, you’ve healed?” Kieran questioned.

“My mother’s blood healed me, and I came to help.” She looked at their torn and blood-soaked tunics. “Holy shit, are you all okay?”

“We’re fine, darling,” Kieran replied.

She pulled his tunic up and slid her hand over his wounds. “They’re mostly healed.”

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