AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I scrape him, but barely.
I withdraw, realizing that my latest attack was futile. I’ll need a different plan, as I can’t hurt him there. But in the moment that it takes me to pull khopesh away, he steals my ankle out from under.
Then, I find myself flying through the air.
I force myself to keep my eyes open as the ground rises to meet me. At the last second, I use my magic to soften the blow, landing in a log roll.
I clamber to my feet and return to face him once more.
My heart is pounding in my chest in the most thrilling fashion. There’s a dull roaring in my ears as my blood lust takes over. I want him for my wall, and I want him now.
I extend my arm, knowing that he’ll reach for it. He does as I planned, and with my other hand I use the handle of my weapon to strike a hard blow in his back. The unexpected force sends him sprawling.
He falls to the ground, thrown off balance by my hit and the weight of his own body. When something that large falls, it doesn’t recover quickly. He struggles to get to his feet, but it seems to take every ounce of focus that he has.
While he is rising to his knees, I take advantage of the moment. I don’t want to give him a chance to get mobile again. Instead, I stop him there, swinging the blade of my khopesh across his broad neck. The strike is fitting for a hunter, one that I can be proud of – clean, efficient, and over in seconds.
The force of the blow sends his head flying over the sand. A cloud of dust rises as it hits the ground. It wobbles across the arena in a crooked line.
I watch as it tumbles, and slowly comes to a stop. I look up from the head’s final resting place, noticing where it has landed. Right before my father, the Demon King, who has gotten to his feet and now stands before his throne.
And he is not impressed. The chaos magic is steaming out of his body, rising off him in shimmering, translucent waves.
I’d be lying if I pretend that doesn’t make it all the better. Piss off, old man.
The rest of the crowd roars in approval. I stroll over to the head, picking it up and raising it up like a trophy. They erupt in another round of deafening cheers. My chest heaving as I recover from my exertion, I let the noise wash over me in pleasure.
I love their praise as much as I love my father’s fury.
I don’t know how much time passes, but I grow weary of standing in the spotlight. The moment feels as though it is ending. I want to make my disappearance before the crowd gets bored. I may not draw as much attention as my brothers, but I’m still a demon prince. I’ve dabbled in infamy long enough to know that you need to leave them wanting more.
A thought strikes me. I forgot about the human! I fought the gilak of my own choice, not for her. Still, she was going to be sacrificed to him, and my interference kept her alive.
I guess that makes her mine now.
One of the trolvor guards comes to lead me out of the arena. I take that as a hint that I milked the moment too long. As much as I love the adoration and fans, it’s time to go.
“I’m going, I’m going,” I reply in annoyance, not liking being bossed around by a punk guard. I give him a threatening look, warning him wordlessly that he better not touch me. Then I spin on my heel, ready to walk out on my own.
For the first time, I notice that several other guards are swarming around the human. She is still sitting on the sand, cowering from them.
“Hey!” I shout. “Get your hands off my prize!”
I run over, my expression dark. The guards might answer to my father, but this is now my show. And they have an awful lot of nerve getting involved. They relent, taking a step back as I draw closer to intercept her. I grab her arm, hoisting her to her feet.
She does not fight me, standing with me. Her eagerness and the force of my touch result in me pulling her against me, far closer than I intended. She looks up at me, speechless, her gray eyes wide. Her lips parted slightly as if she wants to say something.
But no words escape her.
I gaze down at her, suddenly feeling a bit breathless, myself. It must still be from the fight, I think, trying to ignore the fact that I don’t remember feeling that way, just a moment ago.
37
LAURA
My breath hitches in my throat as he pulls me against his chest.
He’s not as big as the monstrous thing from before, but he’s still a giant compared to me. He’s formidable enough to make me break a nervous sweat, especially considering the easy way he slayed the other creature.
