EIGHTY-THREE
CAZ
The spikes of Magnus’s club glint in the fire. Everything else is dark, but I see him clearly.
This is Selah, Yuri says . She’s using her mind games to stall. Don’t take the bait. Focus on the task at hand and leave this place.
I know the person before me isn’t my real father. That bastard died a long time ago, but he’s a spitting image of him, and that makes me want to kill him just for the fun of it.
“Still a pathetic piece of shit, I see.” Magnus steps toward me, his gray knuckles whitening around the club.
I raise my gun and pull the trigger, aiming for his head, but he blocks the bullet with the club.
He sneers again, head shaking. “Always was a shit shot.”
I clench my jaw, and when he snarls and stomps toward me, I unleash my sword and combat the swing of his club. He grunts as he swings again with murder in his eyes. I block again then kick him in the stomach. A heavy breath wooshes out of him, but he remains on his feet.
“What’s the matter?” I pant. “Tired already, you fat fuck?”
He snarls again, his upper lip peeling back. His feet pound into the floor, and I anticipate his next move…until I don’t.
One minute he’s there, and the next he’s gone.
A foot slams into my back, and I’m kicked across the dark room. I land on my knees and sense something aiming for my head. I roll out of the way just in time as Magnus’s club slams into one of the walls.
You’re wasting energy and time, Caspian!
“She’s a fucking cheat,” I grumble.
I spin around with my sword, swinging at Magnus’s leg and cutting through it. He roars but doesn’t stop trying to swack me. When he brings the club down, I catch it in my hand. One of the spikes penetrates my palm. I swallow a groan as I snatch the club out of his hand.
“You think you’re strong?” Magnus seethes. “You’re lucky I’m not still alive, otherwise I’d shove my dick inside your mate just like I did your mother.” His eyes glint in the fire, and that bottled rage inside me loses its cap.
Caspian, don’t, Yuri warns.
Too late.
I yell as I bring a fist up and slam it into Magnus’s chin.
He flies backwards, crashing into the wall. I fly up, and my body wraps in flames as I throw beams at him while yelling at the top of my lung. I don’t stop shooting the beams, drilling them into Magnus and conjuring blood. The sight of it makes me pummel him harder.
“Caspian, stop !” someone shouts.
With ragged breaths, I look up, and the roof is no longer there. Korah hovers, nostrils flared as she looks from me to the swirl of dust on the ground. “He’s not there. She’s playing you!”
“I saw him!” I float to her before staring back down, searching for him. But when the dust clears, I see nothing. Not even blood.
“She’s forcing you to use up your energy.” Korah floats my way. “She wants you weak, and she’ll do anything to make that happen. These walls?” She gestures to them. “You can make them disappear. Don’t let her use your rage to control you.”
I blink rapidly, staring at the four walls beneath me. In seconds, they disappear, and I breathe harder through my nose.
“I swear I’m going to kill that bitch.”
“This way.” Korah takes off and I start to follow her until I hear someone scream, “Killian, behind you, brother!”
I twist around, searching for my clan with hot eyes, but there are too many people. I fly in that direction, scanning the bodies until I finally sense them.
There. I see them.
Behind Killian is a creature with the upper body of a man. Its teeth are razor sharp, legs like spiders, and it has the tail of a scorpion.
Killian turns.
I scream his name.
The creature thrusts its tail at him…just as Rowan intercepts.