Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
“Isn’t it?” I rocked on my heels and gripped my sword with more force. Cyrus was a god of a man in more ways than one. Beautiful, tall, and powerfully built, with features somehow both surprisingly soft and far too harsh. The contradictions fit. He’d always been a paradox. Demanding yet indulgent. Mysterious but open. Perfect in his imperfections. An opponent feared by the world and yet my greatest ally. From the moment I’d first laid eyes on him, he’d fascinated me. And now, here we were, soldiers on opposite sides of a war I’d only just learned I’d been fighting my entire life.
A chorus of grunts and groans and clinking metal accompanied pops of gunfire.
“You won’t kill me.” Urgency whipped at my back, propelling me on. Soal claimed I would stab the new emperor and live a romance. The comeback story of all comeback stories. Very well. I would do what I didn’t do before and trust him. “But I will hurt you if you continue on this path.”
He tsked. “You give me too little credit and yourself too much. I will do whatever proves necessary to secure my rule.” A promise he’d made at the start of this journey. “Join my team. Merciful leader that I am, I’ll give you one more chance. Refuse, and my desire for you will no longer factor into my decisions.”
There was no reason to ponder my response. I lifted my sword. “I will never help you destroy Soal.”
Cyrus hiked his broad shoulders. “That’s disappointing but not shocking. Just know you chose this, sweetness.”
Lie! “No, sweetie. You chose it.”
He drew in a deep breath, then released a short, sharp exhalation. “Let’s get to it, then.”
“Yes. Let’s.” Heart a war drum, I ran at him.
He ran at me.
We met in the middle . . .
I swung my sword of fire. He blocked with ease, as I expected—and hoped.
“Come now, Lady Pink,” he said, grinning as he deflected my next strikes. “Your jealousy is cute but tardy. You had your chance.”
I knew I couldn’t get past him in a physical fight. He’d trained me, and this student hadn’t yet surpassed her teacher. But overcoming him with my skill wasn’t Plan A. As I thrust and parried, I confessed, “I love you, Cyrus.”
He lost the grin. “Not as before. I can tell.”
“I need your help one last time.”
“I don’t care. My desire for you has already faded.” He snapped the words at me. “You are alive only as a backup host for Briar Rose. Soon, someone else will be found.”
Astan was a liar, incapable of speaking the truth. I could no longer trust anything Cyrus said, even this. Not desire me? Ha!
I took my next strike a little slower, hoping he’d take the bait.
He caught my wrist. I almost grinned as I opened my fingers, ensuring the sword of fire vanished. Rather than launch another strike, I heaved my body against him, flung my arms around his shoulders, and pressed my mouth into his, kissing him with all the love and passion I contained.
He wrenched his face from mine, pressed the tip of the dagger to my throat, and glared down at me, panting.
I licked my lips, imploring him with my gaze. “Don’t let me die without a goodbye kiss, Cyrus. Please.”
He huffed his next breath. Growled. Scowled. And . . .
With another curse, he dropped the dagger, swooped down, and kissed me. Kissed me hard and fast and thoroughly, until I knew I’d reached the heart of him. I kissed him back while combing my fingers through his hair.
Tears seared my eyes when I encountered horn buds. But I didn’t stop feeding him the passion I’d harbored for so long . . . didn’t stop pouring my love into him as I snapped off the last bracelet I’d taken from him, flicked it into a blade, and thrust it through his abdomen.
Grunting, he shoved me away and peered down at his gushing wound. Blood leaked from the corners of his mouth.
I wasted no time, sprinting to Lolli, exchanging the bloody blade for my sword of fire. Her eyes popped open upon my approach; she twisted to hit me with a vine, but I swung, removing her head. Her knees buckled. Down she fell, her vines falling with her, freeing the captives. Glowers sprang from the tangle while fending off their opponents. Thousands of shadows shot from her body, screaming as they filled the sky.
Without hesitation, I ran for the force field. At the same time, I dove inward, centering on the flame that empowered my bond to Domino. The brightest and strongest of them. I reached for it, preparing to snuff it out.
A terrible roar drew my gaze to the shadow-filled sky, and my jaw nearly unhinged. Vyle flew toward us, flapping wings of smoke. Wisps of fire sparked from the corners of his mouth, as if he was attempting to spew flames.