Fifty-Three Prince Gluttony
A BLAST OF PURE white fire sent me reeling backward through the sky, nearly colliding with Wrath. My brother paid me no mind. He flung himself into his battle again, a ferocious look in his eyes as he attacked his dragon with the full might of a demon of war.
I spun around in midair, flying full speed at my dragon, forcing him to retreat. A sudden, violent pain ripped through my chest. I glanced down. There was no blood.
I cursed. Adriana must have left the fortress.
Another blast of dragon fire narrowly missed me.
I gritted my teeth and shoved the pain out of my mind.
Even with Sloth and Greed bringing our numbers to six Princes of Sin versus seven dragons, we had barely driven them north of Merciless Reach.
The more my brothers and I pushed them back, the more fiercely they fought to regain ground, unwilling to retreat.
I threw myself into my dragon’s path again, blade arcing through the storm.
Ice made the hilt slick, along with blood.
The stubborn dragon held his ground, his wings pumping the air around him as he hovered. When I neared again, intent on cutting him deeper, his talons struck my chest, shredding my shirt. I hadn’t had time to put leathers on, and it wouldn’t matter if I had.
Silvanus wasn’t holding back like he did in skirmishes.
He was out for blood and glory.
I circled him, then feinted to the left, catching his flank on the right.
He bared his teeth, diving for my throat.
I was slower than I should be because of the damned blood oath and the unrelenting pain, but I deflected what would have been a direct hit with my blade. He nicked my skin but didn’t rip my throat out fully. Thank the old gods for that.
Suddenly there was a shift in the dragons. Like some primal instinct yanked on a magical tether, drawing them up short. My brothers noticed too.
The atmosphere itself seemed to inhale deeply and hold its breath.
My shoulders ached as my wings furiously pumped. This wouldn’t be good.
I launched myself back at Sil, using the moment of his distraction to land a solid blow. The ice dragon’s head whipped from side to side, his nostrils flaring as he scented the air.
He dodged my next hit, lurching up into the storm clouds with one brutally efficient pump of his mighty wings.
Silvanus was on the hunt, and he was about to go capture his prey.
I knew exactly what he’d scented: Adriana.
I aimed for his middle as he careened past me, maneuvering his serpentine body up and around. My fingers grazed his flank, finding no purchase as his scales coated over with protective ice. Slick bastard. “Stop them!”
“That has been the goal,” Lust quipped, barely avoiding a talon to the chest. Served his smart ass right. “Or we were supposed to be courting them?”
“They’re heading for the city!” I shouted to my brothers. “Take them down!”
Envy’s dagger-like feathers struck out like the secret blades they were as he unleashed himself on his dragon. The gods-damned creature took the hit, then tucked his wings close, diving hard and fast away.
A sound like two great mountains clashing rumbled the air and earth.
It was hard to tell if it was thunder from the storm or Wrath’s anger as he chased down the dragon that slipped past his defenses.
Every time it seemed like we gained an inch, the damned creatures bested us.
They truly were the fiercest fighters we’d ever faced. It was normally thrilling, a way to feed my sin. Now it felt like a curse. We needed to take them down. Now.
I turned my attention to the fleeing pack, flying as hard as I could to catch them. I had a sneaking suspicion I knew exactly where they were heading. They moved with purpose as they unleashed themselves, flying impossibly fast across the stormy sky.
I refused to fall back and chased them, giving everything I had, my brothers flanking my sides. Soon, the tiled rooftops and familiar cobbled streets came into view. My chest ached with a new sort of pain that had nothing to do with the oath Adriana and I had sworn.
The dragons had gone directly to printers’ row.
Adriana’s house wasn’t far from here. A few streets.
Judging by the lessening pain in my chest, she was close by. And Silvanus’s war cry indicated he sensed she was near.
When I caught up to him, my world stilled. He was hovering above the building next to hers. If the mood struck, he could unleash his lethal fire on her home and end everyone inside.
My House dagger glowed fiercely, craving a taste of blood.
I would kill him before I let him near her.
“Thought you might need some help, Prince.”
The shout came from the street below.
I glanced down, taken off guard by what I was seeing. A line of vampires, led by none other than Blade, marched along the street, breaking off in small groups at some silent command.
It took only a moment to understand what he’d done. He’d placed his vampire fighters in front of businesses, keeping the demons inside safe. Their fangs gleamed, on full display.
They’d always wanted to sink their teeth into ice dragons. It was also a clever reminder that he’d one day need my help, too. As if I’d forget my vow.
“Keep my court safe, Blade!”
“With pleasure.” The vampire prince jerked his chin and the rest of his team dispersed.
As I watched them go, my attention landed on Sascha. The witch was standing in the middle of the street, her eyes glowing as her mouth moved in a silent chant. She was warding the neighborhood. I knew it had been a good bet to aid her.
Between her and the vampires guarding the streets, I could focus my efforts on the sky.
I turned my attention back on Sil. He’d been scenting the air, circling. Now he flew with renewed purpose. He passed over Adriana’s house, then doubled back, his shrill cry echoing through the streets. He was calling in his pack.
Thankful for the unexpected help on the streets, I resumed my chase, blade at the ready. I reached Sil’s side in seconds, my dagger aimed directly for his heart.
With as much power as I could put behind the action, I flew for the dragon I’d raised. He was entirely too close to the woman I loved, and my instincts were sharper than ever. He was a threat to Adriana’s safety, and I would remove him through any means necessary.
A deep sense of victory fueled me to fly harder than I thought possible. I knew with dark certainty I would take him down this time; my aim was true and he’d been distracted.
Silvanus must have finally sensed danger; he wrenched his attention from the house below and stared at me. But it was too late for mercy.
He slowly blinked as if coming out of a dream. His eyes shone iridescent, not red. They latched onto my glowing blade, and I swore I saw a flicker of sorrow and acceptance.
I was too close and he was too large to dodge the hit.
I cursed—there was no way to avoid a blow; I’d been aiming to kill.
In seconds it would be over. My dragon would fall at my own hand. The very hand that bottle-fed him, that taught him to flap his wings when his feathers had finally sprouted. Laughing while he’d hopped around like the little sassy fledgling he was.
Unless…
At the last possible moment, I turned the blade on myself, taking the hit meant to end my dragon. The impact stole my breath, the pain unlike anything I’d ever felt as the dagger pierced my heart. I thought I heard Silvanus cry, but it was drowned out by the roar coming from below.
Cheers and whoops rang out from the air and ground. Victory.
The hex was broken. Adriana was safe. My court and our realm were both unharmed.
I hovered there, soaking in the moment for as long as I could.
Sil blinked at me, at the dagger protruding from my chest. Ichor dripped along the hilt, faster and more frequently. My wings slowed, then stopped.
Heroes were gods-damned idiots. But I felt strangely at peace.
The ice dragon let out a cry that would raise the dead and dove at me.
And everything went dark.