Chapter 2 #2
I couldn’t stifle the gasp that escaped my mouth. I stumbled back, staring at the fairy warrior while my mind reeled.
“This is getting more interesting by the minute,” Victoria said, leaning over to unlock his hand and leg chains.
I blinked repeatedly as my pulse accelerated wildly. She was letting this dangerous fairy fighter loose.
I immediately did what Dad taught me—scanning his body composition, and searching for a weak spot. A flicker of hesitation, anything.
But there was nothing. He was a deadly fighter with a body built for combat and eyes sharp and alert. A fairy warrior honed to perfection.
My heart pounded in my chest. Stepping back again, I held my breath, ready for impact.
One thing became clear—the fairy was a trained assassin sent to kill me.
“Did the fairy King send you?” I asked, my voice shaking.
The silver chains had left wounds and blisters around his wrists, and the man rubbed the injuries, stretching his hands. At least I'd discovered that fairies, like other supernatural beings, were vulnerable to the toxic effects of silver.
And Dad had taught me—if the enemy had a beating heart, a sharp, silver object stabbing it would end him. But all I was armed with was my witch weapon on my wrist.
“The fairy King sent me,” he said in a steady voice.
Victoria straightened after she unlocked his ankle chains and stepped to the side. She wouldn’t get her hands dirty when there was a trained and deadly fairy who could eliminate me for her.
“Kill her; your freedom is yours,” she said, returning to her throne.
The fairy assassin stood, and suddenly, he appeared taller, stronger, and more lethal.
My breath caught in my throat, immediately covering the golden material on my other forearm.
Next to the vampire throne, Torin rattled his chains as they bit into his flesh. He yanked and pulled and thrashed against the metal while his breathing came in ragged gasps. His crimson eyes, filled with worry, aimed at me.
The vampire Queen stepped behind Torin, placing her hand over his bloody shoulder. She squeezed the flesh there, and Torin grunted, his head falling forward as he tried to breathe through the pain.
“You get to watch your mate die right in front of you, pet,” she said.
I ground my teeth. Focus.
I directed my gaze at the assassin. “Why do you want me to die?”
Ignoring my question, the assassin put one massive leg in front of the other, closing the distance. His torn black pants, made of a flexible material, allowed for his agile steps. He moved without fear as if he didn't think I had some hidden power that could defeat him.
I stayed alert, wondering if the fairy assassin could cast an illusion to confuse my senses, but nothing happened. Maybe he was too tired to use his special ability.
No, he definitely didn't appear weak.
He came closer, and I decided that not all fairies could create illusions. This fairy man was determined to fight me with his punches and kicks.
All I had was my bracelet, and I didn’t know how it would fare against a lethal fairy assassin, but I sure would try. Even though the fairy wasn’t armed, I would use my weapon.
I had to save Torin and everyone else who’d followed me to the vampire castle. I looked at Torin and thought he nodded, but I wasn't certain.
When I turned my gaze to the fairy, he was already standing in front of me. Willing my witch weapon, the golden material immediately extended into the enchanted whip in my grasp. Not taking my chances at an opponent with unknown powers, I cracked the whip with vigor.
The man easily dodged my first strike, and it became clear his movements were much faster than mine. He jumped to my side and countered with a swift punch, but I moved as soon as he swung his elbow back.
But the fairy assassin kept landing jabs and kicks. I needed to put distance between us. Too slow to dodge his last kick, I stumbled back as his foot caught the side of my stomach. Pain exploded, and I took a deep breath to recenter myself.
The fairy man pounced toward me, but I stepped back again and lashed my whip at his torso. The shoulder strap of his vest ripped, revealing more scars on his flesh but no tribal tattoos. The bumpy skin wasn’t fresh or pink. These scars must have been inflicted on him a long time ago.
The assassin shook his head lightly as if my hit had surprised him. I gave him no time to recover, swung my whip over my head, and wrapped it around his torso. His arms became trapped at his sides.
“Fire,” I whispered.
Roaring flames covered my weapon's length, and scorching heat surrounded the fairy’s body.
The man’s face twisted in agony, but he remained silent.
I did a double take as he put on a stoic mask.
How could he withstand the burning? The skin on his arms turned red, and blisters formed around the golden material.
The bright flames raged around him, but he made no noise. What type of torturous training had he gone through in the past?
The fairy wiggled his arms and was able to lift one free hand to grip the whip. He yanked it hard, shaking me off my balance. The rope loosened around him.
The look of impatience and madness he gave me caused a chill to run down my spine.
Before the fairy lunged for me, there was a whoosh of the air, and Hayden stormed before the man. Hayden grasped my whip and pulled it away from the assassin, freeing him. Then, with one swift kick in the man’s stomach, my mate sent him flying several feet away.
Hayden looked at me over his shoulder as if making sure I was unharmed.
“Hayden, be careful. He’s an assassin,” I said.
His usual smirk lifted on his lips, and then he winked at me. Was he his usual overconfident self or plain reckless?
Hayden charged after the man, who was already on his feet but still dazed. The fairy shook his head and focused on my mate, his dark eyes growing wide.
The punch Hayden landed on the fairy’s cheek made his head twist to the side. But the fairy didn’t strike back or put his hands up to defend himself as Hayden landed a few additional strikes and kicks.
I strained to catch the words that the assassin uttered to Hayden, but they were too far away for my ears to pick up. Hayden’s profile was a blend of sharp angles and strength. His eyes had turned icy and mad. He reached to the side of his waist and unsheathed a short, silver sword.
With one rapid move, Hayden beheaded the assassin. I squeezed my eyes shut but not fast enough and caught a glimpse of blood spurting everywhere around the fairy.
Just like werewolves, witches, and vampires, fairies were tough and strong but not invincible. I wasn't certain if that knowledge brought me any comfort.
Eyes closed, I tried to breathe slower. Opening my eyes immediately, I looked at Hayden, walking toward the vampire Queen—murder in his eyes.
Victoria shouted to her vampire guards, and out of nowhere, they poured toward Hayden. Her supply of disciples was endless. Ten vampires circled Hayden, who immediately swung his sword and started fighting them.
After the display of ruthlessness, I had no doubt Hayden would defend himself against the vampires, so I directed my attention to Victoria.
She sighed and tsked with her tongue. “It would have been so much easier to get rid of her once and for all,” she said, but she kept looking lovingly at Torin.
She stepped next to a kneeling Torin, clenching the crystal, and finally disconnected her eyes from him.
“I’ve got to give it to you. You’re hard to kill. But you’ll still fail,” she said, lifting the crystal to her face. “The war is about to take a turn for the worse for you. Only a matter of time before my men kill everyone here.”
“That’s enough, Victoria,” I said. “Why don’t you fight me?”
Her sinister laugh reverberated through the throne room, mingling with the sounds of screams and grunts.
“You don’t even have your wolf spirit. You’re not worth fighting.”
She crouched before Torin, grasped his jaw, and stared into his eyes.
“I want you to drain all her blood. Kill her. It’s an order, pet.”
Her words knocked the air out of my lungs. No. It would be a repeat of the time Victoria showed up at the Hollywood sign. The bruises around my neck left by Torin’s hands had healed, but my heart still ached.
Torin didn’t blink while he watched Victoria as if his very soul absorbed her words.
No, no. no. I was supposed to release Torin first.
She reached again down her bodice, pulled out another key, and unchained Torin.
His eyes wandered over me as he rose to his feet. I gulped much-needed air. His sweaty face looked stoic, and I couldn’t tell what he was thinking at that moment. Was he completely under the Queen’s compulsion? Would he finally finish me? My muscles tightened with anticipation and anxiety.
Hayden’s words came to the forefront of my mind. If I called on my dark magic, I could kill Torin. But I didn’t want to. I loved him.
I realized I could never harm the man I deeply cared for.
I left the dark magic dormant in my heart, took a defensive stance, and waved Torin over. I would fight him with what I had, except dark magic—the only weapon that could truly hurt him.
“I’m not going down without a fight, Torin.”
His smirk put me on even higher alert.
“I never thought you would.” He sprinted toward me with speed and energy I didn’t think he possessed.