Chapter 24 #2
The Vissimo king was no child. He was a powerful being. But Carmine was power.
He lifted Kyros into the air, but I caught the gleam of metal in the Vissimo’s hand. Kyros was going to strike.
I had to end this now before our chance to beat Carmine was really gone.
I formed a solid shield of my combined magics faster than I’d ever layered them together, then stepped aside to shoot it between the two kings. Kyros’s weapons shattered against my magic. The force of the blow threw Carmine back.
I faced off with the Vissimo king, who was staggering to regain his footing. What the hell was he trying to achieve here? My son’s fucking life was on the line. I didn’t have time for his tantrum.
I gathered my powers and sent my body double ahead to charge Kyros while I side-stepped into a portal.
When I appeared behind Kyros, he was clawing through my body double. She evaporated, and he grunted, then whirled to face me. I punched him in the face, with a whole lot of demon magic in my fist.
This mama was pissed.
When he stumbled from that, I leaped, twisted, and brought my knee crashing into the side of his head.
The Vissimo king collapsed to the ground.
My anger had run dry, but I needed him out of the way. Sorry in advance. I spun and kicked him through the air. He crashed into the estate building. The part that had been intact.
I threw a look at Sascha, who had prowled behind Kyros during the fight. In that look I hoped I conveyed that Kyros had seriously pissed me off and risked the master plan.
Sascha tilted his head.
I only became aware of the roaring approval of the demon army when I turned to find Carmine.
Not that we were exactly winning—my little tussle with Kyros hadn’t eliminated the Magus barriers or the expertly executed joint attacks of the three allied races—but a new fire had entered the demons.
Carmine was standing behind me. He’d watched on instead of intervening. Probably why Kyros would live.
“Enamai,” he said in a voice that vibrated through me. He extended a hand, which I took, and we stepped through his portal together.
“Sound the retreat,” he said over his shoulder, before leading me through the forest toward the gate.
When I stumbled, he took that as a reason to swing me into his arms. I’d just kicked the shit out of a Vissimo king, but okay. We entered the thick fog obscuring the demon gate, and Carmine didn’t slow until we were back in the hangar.
Injured dotted the stone floor of the hangar, but that didn’t deter the demon holding me.
He lowered my feet to the ground, and locked an arm around my back while his other hand gripped the base of my head. Carmine crushed his lips against mine, growling into my mouth.
And I had a response. The thrill of the fight whirled in my body and mind. I gripped his shoulders and pulled him closer, moaning as his tongue sought entry. Carmine swung me up, briefly breaking our kiss, before his mouth clashed with mine again.
“I do want grandchildren,” someone said drily.
I frowned, then jerked my head back to find Athira standing right there. I gazed around us. At all the bleeding and maimed demons.
Carmine kissed his way down my neck, and I shoved at him while trying to unhook my legs from around his waist.
“Don’t care,” he murmured.
I whacked him. “I care.”
He groaned, and a few quiet chuckles rose from the half-dead demons in the hangars. Good for them.
I pushed away from Carmine and walked a short distance away as Athira started to give her report.
The army was flooding back in through three gates.
I’d never seen so many injured. Not that injured meant much for a demon.
We recovered fast, and only a scale-shattering injury could kill us over time.
Otherwise, our death had to be all at once and final.
Head off, heart crushed, burned to a crisp kind of deal.
The army was throwing me looks of awe. Smiles. Cheering. They’d seen their future queen deal with the Vissimo king without breaking a sweat. They’d seen her take out the coven leader—who had previously defeated Carmine.
Their adoration worked in my favor. And Carmine had misinterpreted my actions too. Even better.
Raes limped my way and was intercepted by Gratia.
“What happened to you?” she said in a panic. “Are you hurt?”
He pulled away from her and continued to me. “Syera, thank you. I could feel the Magus inside me. My mind and body weren’t mine anymore. I expect that you saved my life tonight.”
Would I have done the same if I’d known what my magic would do to Tempest? I couldn’t say. But I was glad that Raes was alive.
“I did, and don’t mention it. You’re family,” I answered.
Gratia joined us. She glanced behind at the demons gazing at me with big smiles. She could feel the shift. This royal crimson wasn’t dumb. “Thank you, Syera, for whatever you did to return Raes to me.”
Raes walked off without acknowledging her. Ouch. Gratia looked after him as if he’d slapped her. Which emotionally, he had.
My hand was lifted to a set of lips, and Carmine’s shout followed. “Queen Syera!”
I sucked in a breath as the shout was taken up. The stone walls of the hangar shook, and through it all, I couldn’t help but focus on Athira’s face.
Her grave, fearful face.
Carmine gripped my shoulders. “Victory will be ours, enamai. Thanks to you.”
Only then did I put together what Athira had already connected.
I’d taken out Tempest.
I’d taken out Kyros.
Something the demon king himself hadn’t achieved.
I’d just accidentally become Carmine’s secret weapon.