Chapter 33
Roman
As I stood near the wall in the thick, smoke-laden pub, my entire body tingled with tension.
Not only were we in the company of Raul Costa, the deranged Timehunter, but now Balthazar—the ultimate evil—had joined the fray.
This day had gone from bad to hellish in less than an hour.
Marcellious shivered like a man caught in a blizzard, his eyes locked on Balthazar. He lingered near a cluster of bar patrons, who glanced at us with half-hearted curiosity, more interested in their drinks than the potential bloodbath brewing in their midst.
Balthazar smirked, his white teeth glinting like a predator about to pounce.
“Stop cowering like a child, Marcellious,” he ordered. “Come out and face me—man to man.”
Behind him, Tristan loomed, his gaze flicking between us like a dull-witted fool trying to piece together an oversized puzzle.
Marcellious swallowed hard, then, with clear reluctance, stepped away from the crowd.
A few men cocked their heads, intrigued, sensing the promise of a good show.
I had no intention of giving them one.
But the air between us had thickened, charged with dark energy, coiling tighter with each passing second. A demonic war would erupt if I didn’t figure out an escape—fast.
I took a step forward, keeping my tone even. “Leave my brother alone, Balthazar. We’re just trying to live our lives—we want no trouble.”
Balthazar barely spared me a glance, his sneer deepening.
Costa, however, suddenly straightened, eyes narrowing with suspicion. “How do you know each other?” he demanded, pushing up from his seat. “I thought they were explorers. I was trying to recruit them—to aid in my mission to eradicate the world of Timebornes and Timebounds.”
Balthazar chuckled darkly.
“Oh, Raul… you’ve been duped.” He turned, fixing Costa with an amused, almost pitying look. “You, of all people, should have known—these two? They’re Timebornes.”
The effect was immediate.
Costa’s entire body went rigid, his nostrils flaring as his gaze returned to us.
His eyes bulged, veins stretching along his forehead as he snarled, “You’re Timebornes? You fucking lied to my face!”
Right.
We’d willingly announce our identities to a Timehunter.
I braced myself, subtly shifting my weight.
This was about to get very, very ugly.
“We don’t want any trouble,” I said again, keeping my tone calm and measured. “We know you’re bloodthirsty and want to kill us all. But I beg you to make an exception—leave us be.”
As if that would ever happen.
What the hell was I thinking?
Costa took a step closer, invading my space. The stench of sweat, tobacco, and stale alcohol radiated off him, thick and oppressive.
“And why should I do that?” he sneered, his breath hot against my face.
The crowd hushed, shifting toward us like vultures circling carrion, eager for the violence to erupt.
Then—
Balthazar lifted his hand.
The air crackled. A pulse of raw energy rippled through the room, thick with unseen power.
Then, in a booming voice reverberating through the rafters, Balthazar roared, “Get out! All of you! Leave before I do something regrettable!”
A supernatural wind erupted from nowhere, whipping his coat around him in a wild frenzy.
Chaos exploded.
Men scrambled for the exits, chairs screeching against the floor, tankards clattering to the ground. Glass shattered, metal cups bounced, and dishes smashed as patrons shoved and trampled over each other in their desperate flight.
The Hammer & Cross was a wasteland of overturned tables, broken mugs, and scattered belongings within minutes.
The only ones left were the ones who mattered.
Costa.
Balthazar.
Tristan.
Marcellious.
Me.
Six of Costa’s men stepped out from the shadows like wolves emerging from a thicket, eyes keen and predatory.
A sickly silence descended.
The kind that came before the strike of a snake.
I raised my hands in a placating gesture, turning to Costa. “Let’s be smart about this,” I said evenly. “Balthazar is the one you should destroy. He’s the true source of evil here.”
Who was I kidding? Costa was just as depraved, just not as powerful.
Or was he?
Balthazar chuckled darkly, shaking his head. “Oh, no, Raul. Don’t let them fool you any more than they already have.” He pointed a long, accusing finger at Marcellious and me.
“They’re the ones you want,” Balthazar said, his voice as smooth as silk but dripping with venom. “Cunning, deceitful tricksters of the worst kind. You and I, Raul, have always been allies in the war against the Timebornes.”
Costa didn’t move. He didn’t acknowledge him. His calculating gaze flickered between us, weighing his next move.
Balthazar’s patience snapped.
In a blur, he disappeared—then reappeared in front of Marcellious.
Before Marcellious could react, Balthazar’s hand snapped around his throat, lifting him clean off the ground as if he weighed nothing.
Marcellious kicked wildly, his fingers clawing at Balthazar’s iron grip. His face turned bright red, veins bulging, his body jerking as he fought for breath.
“You motherfucker,” Balthazar growled, his eyes burning an eerie, hellish red. “How dare you betray me? Where is my dagger? Where’s my daughter?”
My pulse slammed against my ribs.
His daughter?
A cold weight settled in my stomach.
Please tell me he didn’t mean Olivia.
My feet felt rooted to the floor, my body caught in the chokehold of indecision. But I forced my voice to work.
“Who is your daughter?” I demanded.
Balthazar sneered, still gripping Marcellious like a ragdoll. “Oh, you didn’t tell him?” He let out a cruel laugh. “I’m shocked you haven’t shared that little secret yet. Tell him,” he commanded before dropping Marcellious like discarded trash.
Marcellious hit the ground hard, stumbling backward, barely staying on his feet. His face was a storm of fury, but something else reflected in his expression when he looked at me.
Something close to guilt.
He tapped the band on his ring finger.
No.
My breath caught in my throat.
Emily.
The realization slammed into me with the force of a war hammer.
Emily was Balthazar’s daughter.
Marcellious gave the faintest nod, confirming my worst fears.
Then, with a roar of unrestrained rage, he charged.
Like a bull, he barreled toward Balthazar, murder in his eyes.
I moved on instinct.
I lunged, grabbing him, wrenching his arms behind his back before he could reach him.
“Stop!” I shouted, straining against his thrashing. “He’ll kill you!”
Marcellious fought like a madman, his muscles bulging as he struggled against my grip. His chest heaved, his face twisted with fury.
“I’ll kill him,” he seethed.
Spittle flew from his lips as he snarled, the tendons in his neck standing out like thick cords.
Balthazar only smiled—an indulgent smile.
Costa’s men surged forward at the sight of the chaos—hands gripping weapons, eyes alight with anticipation.
But before they could act, Costa lifted a hand, sweeping it through the air in a decisive motion.
“If you want to fight us, prepare to be poisoned,” Costa sneered. “I carry it with me at all times. And the one I have right now?” He slid a hand inside his coat pocket and retrieved a small vial, holding it up like a ticking bomb. The liquid inside glowed faintly under the dim tavern light.
“This is the most potent poison I’ve ever created.
” His lips curled into a wicked grin. “I know you’re searching for the Moon Dagger.
I might consider sparing you from this”—he tilted the vial between his fingers—“if you tell me where your and Marcellious’ wives are.
I want all of you. There is no negotiation. ”
A surge of fury gripped my throat. “I will never betray my wife,” I spat.
Costa sighed dramatically. “Then you’ll all die, one way or another.” He twirled the vial, letting it dangle precariously from his fingertips. “Do you think I fear Balthazar? He and his pitiful son are weak. Pathetic.”
Balthazar’s eyes blazed red.
“Who are you calling pathetic?” he growled, waves of scorching heat radiating from his body.
For the first time, I saw something I never expected—Costa and Balthazar standing together, not trying to kill each other.
The last time I’d seen them in the same place, Balthazar had burned Costa’s villa to the ground and slaughtered half the people inside.
So why the hell weren’t they enemies?
Why was Balthazar standing by instead of ripping Costa apart?
Something wasn’t right.
If we didn’t die from poison, we’d burn to death in a matter of moments.
Costa slid the vial back into his pocket.
Then, he moved.
Before I could react, he lunged, shoving me hard against the wall, his forearm brushing against my windpipe.
“Where. Is. Your. Wife?” he hissed, his face inches from mine.
I gritted my teeth, summoning every ounce of strength I had, and shoved back against his arm, forcing him off me by mere inches. “I’ll never tell you, asshole,” I snarled. “You’re the one who’s going to die. We will burn your entire hive of hornets to the ground.”
With a burst of strength, I threw him backward.
He staggered, crashing into one of his men. The henchman reached to steady him, but Costa shoved him away, whirling back toward me with fury burning in his eyes.
“Who are you working with?” he demanded. “Malik? Someone else? Who is it?!”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Are you that stupid?” I taunted. “You think I’m going to tell you?” I held his gaze, unflinching. “I’d rather die with honor than submit to you.”
Costa sneered. “That’s a big mistake, my friend.”
I smiled coldly. “Do you think we’re friends? Not even close.”
In one fluid motion, I slid my dagger from its sheath, its blade catching the dim glow of lantern light. I held it firmly before me.
“Alina couldn’t destroy you,” I said, voice like steel. “But Olivia will. Mark my words, Raul Costa—you’re a dead man.”
Costa’s expression twisted.
“That’s enough!” he roared.
His arm shot into the air.
“GET THEM!”
Costa’s men rushed toward me.