Chapter 72 #4
Haydn looked at her with anticipation. “There’s your Bargain, love. Your whole family and your soon-to-be ex-husband get to live. Only one death from a willing volunteer. Then you and I will be together. Just say yes.”
Evelyn made eye contact with Camille, who nodded at her.
Leo will never forgive me. But I don’t know what else to do.
“Let her say goodbye to her son,” Evelyn said quietly.
“No.”
Haydn gave a silent signal to the captor at Camille’s back. He gripped her hair to keep her upright, then raised his sword and sliced open her neck. Blood cascaded from Camille’s throat and pooled at her knees.
Leo’s tortured screams echoed off the walls and rang in Evelyn’s ears.
I never said yes. I didn’t agree to the Bargain. And she’s still dead.
Her vision narrowed to the sea of red flowing from her mother-in-law. Evelyn couldn’t form a coherent thought. She couldn’t feel her body. She stopped hearing her husband’s keening. The world went quiet as she went numb.
Haydn guided Evelyn away from everyone else in the room. He gripped her waist and threaded his fingers into her hair. Evelyn barely noticed his teeth nipping at her earlobe.
“Now you’re mine,” Haydn whispered.
He’s going to kill everyone. Maybe not tonight, but he will.
A memory popped into Evelyn’s mind. A tiny, insignificant moment that just might help her.
If I’m right, I have one chance to fix this. But if it doesn’t work, he’ll probably kill me, too. Or worse.
“Kiss me.”
Haydn’s lips found hers without hesitation. She whimpered and he deepened the kiss.
I’m so sorry, Leo. Please forgive me if we make it through this.
Evelyn pushed through her disgust at the sensation of Haydn’s body against hers.
The feeling used to be addictive, and she needed to pretend it still was.
She looped her arms around his neck, trying to get closer to him.
Haydn grabbed the back of her thighs and hoisted her up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. It was indecent while they were in view of everyone.
Sorry, Father. Please don’t watch.
Evelyn forced her tongue between Haydn’s lips. He moaned, excited by her boldness.
Gods, don’t let me be wrong about this.
Evelyn squirmed in Haydn’s arms to convince him she was eager for more. Meanwhile, her mind wandered between her shoulder blades to locate her Fire magic. She summoned the power but aimed it into her throat instead of her fingers.
He will learn not to threaten a fucking dragon.
As Evelyn breathed into Haydn’s mouth, flames flowed into his lungs.
She knew the moment he figured out something was wrong.
Haydn tried to push her away, but she held on to him and continued forcing Fire down his throat.
Evelyn could feel the scorching heat through his chest. He choked, all the air in his lungs replaced with flames, but Evelyn continued the lethal kiss.
Smoke billowed out of his mouth, drawing attention to them.
“Hey!” Heinrich yelled. “What the hell is going on over there?”
Damien used the distraction to his advantage.
In the span of a heartbeat, he jumped up, took hold of the sword that had been at his neck, and plunged it into his captor’s chest. Then he stole a dagger off the dying man’s side and flung it at Heinrich, who moved at the last second.
The weapon buried itself in Heinrich’s shoulder.
He howled and sent a burst of Energy toward Damien.
But Heinrich’s pain lessened the strength of his magic.
Damien simply ducked and avoided the blow.
He ripped his sword free again and lunged at Leo’s captor, stabbing him in the thigh.
Blood gushed from the wound and the man fell to the floor, freeing Leo.
Rory jabbed an elbow into his captor’s knee, knocking him off balance.
Swiftly stealing the sword, Rory hopped up and shoved the blade into the man’s throat.
Then, he used Water magic to create a sharp icicle.
He threw the frozen weapon at Tasia, hitting her in the leg.
She screamed as blood melted the ice protruding from her thigh.
Rowan rammed the back of his head into his captor’s crotch. The man yelped and dropped his sword, which Rowan claimed and used to cut his throat.
King Tristan used Fire magic to heat up the hilt of his captor’s sword. The man’s palms caught fire, and his weapon fell. He tried to shake the flames off his hands, but the fire spread up his arms and over his body without mercy.
The men who had been with Simon and Camille tried to run away. Rory sent out a wave of Water magic, knocking them off their feet and dragging them back.
“Keep those two alive!” Damien yelled, sidestepping another blast from Heinrich.
Rory created a whirlpool that enclosed the two men, spinning them around until they passed out.
Rowan formed a wall of Fire to divide the people of the kingdoms from Heinrich and Tasia. King Tristan joined his efforts, and the flames were able to absorb Heinrich’s Energy magic.
Tasia tore the dagger out of Heinrich’s shoulder and threw it past the flames with deadly accuracy straight at Damien’s head. Rory sent a blast of Water his way just in time to knock the dagger out of the air.
Heinrich and Tasia fled outside, jumping over sections of patio that had been destroyed in the explosion.
“Put the fire out!” Damien shouted at the Connollys.
“No!” King Tristan yelled. “They’ll kill us if they can get back through!”
“They’ll get away!”
“I’m not losing a child today!”
Damien cursed and used Auditory magic to start an emergency alarm in the palace, on the grounds, and over at the guard house. They might have a chance if he could wake the sleeping guards. Then he sprinted to the hallway, determined to find another way to catch up with their new enemies.
“Evvy!” Rowan shouted and rushed to his sister.
Evelyn was coated in blood, grease, and ashes. She lay slumped on the floor next to Haydn’s charred body. Rowan, also covered in blood, hugged her tight.
Haydn kept his promise not to hurt me.
Something cracked in Evelyn’s mind. The numbness subsided and panic flooded her system. She began screaming, the sound muffled into Rowan’s chest as he held her.
“Hannah needs a Healer!” King Tristan called out from beside his eldest daughter.
“I’ll take her.” Rory scooped up the princess and sprinted to the stables. He had to get her to the army hospital in a hurry. The whirlpool ended when Rory left, but the captors-turned-hostages remained unconscious.
Leo hunched over his mother’s body, sobbing and praying to any god who would listen. King Tristan kneeled beside him and put a hand on his son-in-law’s shoulder.
When Evelyn had screamed herself hoarse, an unnatural quiet settled over the ballroom.
Evelyn, her brother, her father, and her husband were surrounded by bodies and blood.