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All the blood drained from my extremities, and I could barely hold myself up as two dux demons dragged in a bound, gagged, and bloodied Hawk.
ChapterThirty-Six
My best friendstared with wide eyes, breathing heavily as the demon guards shoved him into the grand room. Silver duct tape covered his mouth, rips tore into his black raven attire, and bruises and lacerations streaked his visible flesh.
This was all my fault.
How long had Hawk been at the mercy of the demon lord?
“No!” I ran toward him, but heavily armed sentries blocked my path, forcing me back into the circle while others shoved Hawk toward Karn’s throne.
“Let him go.” My fists shook by my sides as blood thundered in my ears like a horrid soundtrack to this nightmare. “He has nothing to do with this.”
Karn casually shrugged. “Yet he’s here.” He tilted his head toward Hawk, and one of the guards snatched a knife from his pocket, putting the blade to my friend’s throat. “Mario will slaughter this young man if you don’t fight to the death.”
Hawk shook his head, and the guard ripped the tape from his mouth. “Tate, please! What’s going on?”
The confusion and fear in his voice sent sharp blades into my lungs, stealing my ability to breathe. All the air fled from the room. How did Karn capture Hawk? Did he have other ravens locked in here to force my hand?
What about Fane?
The sound of a knife scraping the ground caught my attention, and I pivoted as Arisa picked up a long dagger. “You don’t want to do this,” I said, lifting my hands. “There’s another way.”
She shook her head. “No, there isn’t.” And then she sprinted in my direction.
I spun and ducked her slashing blade, only to come face to face with Oliver as he stabbed my side. Pain pierced my abdomen, and a growl tore from my mouth. Karn nodded at the witch who gave a pleased smile. She must have used a spell to rouse him and pop his shoulder back into place. And he didn’t hesitate to attack.
Arisa’s sneakers squeaked on the polished stone tiles as she tried to approach me from behind. I twisted, ignoring the throbbing in my side, and kicked her ribs in the same spot I’d punched her.
“Don’t let them kill me, Tate!”
My heart squeezed into a tight ball at the sheer panic in Hawk’s words, something I’d never heard from him before.
I wouldnotlet him die. Not Hawk. I had no choice. If these two had to forfeit their lives, then so be it. They were as good as dead in Karn’s captivity anyway. And how would Hawk escape if they killed me?
Oliver slashed his knife through the air, and I ducked, rolling across the ground to the nearest weapon. As my fingers closed around the hilt, he kicked the stab wound on my abdomen.
Hot agony washed over my side as blood pooled on the ground. Ringing filled my ears while a fuzzy haze coated my vision.
I lifted my head and met Hawk’s eyes. For a moment, I wanted to go back to the day of our initiation and ask him to spend the night alone with me instead of going to Wrath & Ruin. I never would have crossed paths with Fane Maverick. Maybe I wouldn’t have agreed to this mission alone, and Hawk and I could have gone together. We would have gotten the Infernal Sol and returned to Savannah. Together.
Tiny fissures cracked over my heart because that wasn’t what happened. Instead, we were trapped in the Underworld, Death calling our names.
No. He would not come for Hawk.
As Oliver leaned over to spear my back, I angled around and swept his feet. He hit the ground hard, and I didn’t hesitate to slam my knife into his chest, twisting the blade to open the gash even more.
Him or Hawk. Him or Hawk. Him or Hawk.
I repeated the mantra in my head as I stabbed him again, making his death as quick as possible. He coughed, releasing a wet gurgling that sounded like my close call with death when Fane found me in the church. The knife slipped out of my bloody hand.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered as the life faded from Oliver.
The crowd's distant roar made me feel trapped in a tunnel. I pushed off the ground just as Arisa came for me, her face pale and irises too bright. Seeing me kill Oliver had made this so much more real.
Arisa slashed the dagger at me, and I held my arms up to take the brunt of the blade. My teeth clenched as my limbs stung from the shallow cuts tearing through my flesh. Blood splattered the floor, and the puddle under Oliver spread, nearly reaching my feet.
I shoved her back to avoid slipping on his blood and ducked a lethal hit from her, dropping to the ground to grab a knife. The closest blade was tiny compared to hers, and I wouldn’t be able to kill her with a single stab like I had Oliver.
