A Crown Of Smoke And Ash - Sloane Murphy Page 0,45

the shields down to cross back onto the property. We knew that this was our opportunity, Shadow Walker. To claim you as our own, as it should have been from the start.”

“Don’t you listen to him, Remy. He’s fucking insane,” Fallon shouts, as the hand on her throat grips tighter. She continues to claw at him, and his grin continues to grow. Unable to speak, she can’t use her magic to help her escape his clutches. All she has is me.

“You’ll let her go, if I come with you?” I shout to him, and his grin turns magical. A growl from my right rips across the space as Roman shifts, his giant midnight wolf challenging each and every Lycan. There might be a lot of them, but he is not the Alpha of Alphas for no reason. I see the Lycans among them look uneasy, as they try to stay strong amongst the challenge, no Alpha of their own to divert to. Some can’t control themselves at the call of the Alpha beside me, making them shift and submit, not moving, but they will not fight either.

Some hold their control, but I can see the strain on them.

“Looks like your numbers are already dwindling, and we haven’t even started yet,” Levi says, as his wings unfurl behind him. The whispers begin amongst the rest of them, as if they had not believed who he truly was. “Let the Witch go.”

Easton squeezes harder, and I watch as Fallon gasps for breath.

“Enough!” I shout. “Let her go. I will come with you.”

I step forward across the clearing, the closer I get, the looser he holds her. That was his mistake. I see her lips move as she shoves her hand against his chest, and then all hell breaks loose.

Roman rips past me, tearing into the right flank of the group between us, Kain to the left, while Levi barrels down to the earth, unleashing hell upon those at the back. Creek rushes forward grabbing Fallon, and they work together fighting against any who come close, and I head straight for Easton fucking Bowman.

I pull the blades from the back sheathe Levi gifted me with before we left. “Just in case,” he said. I shake my head, try not to dwell on how right he was.

“Oh, pretty little Shadow Walker. Come to me after all,” he says as he coughs up blood. Fallon might have hurt him, but this Hunter who was going to take my life is mine.

“You have no idea do you, who you are, what you can do? It hasn’t come back to you, and they didn’t tell you.” He laughs, more blood spluttering as he does. “I wonder why that is, Remy. Why on earth would they keep it hidden, hmmm? Maybe you should let me live. We wouldn’t lie to you.”

I throw my first blade, hitting my target in his chest, puncturing his lung. I cross the final distance as he falls to one knee, blood leaving him faster than he can replenish. Whatever Fallon did to him fucked him up so much, that he can’t heal quick enough.

I reach him and pull back on his head, my other blade against his throat. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t kill you.”

“I’m already dead.” He laughs, but his eyes are hollow. “If the Witch hasn’t done it, he will if I return empty handed.”

“He who?” I demand, but he laughs at me again.

“Oh, Remy. What I’d give to see your face when you discover it all. How I wish I was going to be there, watching it all play out. Watch how they play with you, and then watch as your world crumbles around you. Unit we meet again.” His arm darts out and grabs my hand. He pulls on my blade, slicing his own throat, and falls forwards as I let go of him.

Fuck.

I take in the sight around me, the bodies strewn on the ground, the rogues that still live fleeing alongside the Hunters and hybrids. My family do not chase, and that’s when I realize why.

I look at Levi as he struggles with the creature in his grasp.

We caught a hybrid.

Sedated and locked in the basement I didn’t even know existed. That’s how we have the hybrid, and my gut twists at the thought. Yes, we need more information, but torture really isn’t my bag.

“What the fuck are we going to do with it when it wakes up?” Roman barks at Levi, tempers still running hot