yet… The red haze claiming my vision seemed to blanket my other senses, so all that mattered was making Kira pay for her transgression, for abandoning Cruor.
No. My fingers quaked, and blood shone against my nails. I gave them a choice. Keep it together.
“You wouldn’t dare.” She smirked and flicked her wrist.
An agonizing shriek ruptured Gaige’s lungs, and he white-knuckled his thigh as a wisp of shadow oozed from somewhere deep in the wound. Kost’s face blanched, and he submerged his hand in darkness to forge a deadly rapier.
With harsh, ice-green eyes, he glared at Kira. “Remove the blade at once.”
“Such a tiny thing.” Her fingers twitched, and Gaige screamed again, his cry ratcheting up several notches. Blood dripped between his clasped hands, and he fell to the forest floor. His symbol glowed for a moment, as if he were trying to determine what beast could help him, when Kira formed a tight fist. His body shuddered in response, eyes rolling to the back of his head, and he passed out. “Just a shard making mincemeat of his veins. How long before it destroys the main blood line to his body? Only I know.”
Beside me, Calem let out a dark, guttural chuckle. “I never did like you much.” His body tremored, and he tilted his head to the side. Gone were his muted-red irises, and instead, the entirety of his eyes from corner to corner had turned a shining mercury. He targeted her with an animalistic ferocity that shone in the reflective surface of his stare.
“What the hell is wrong with him?” Kira faltered, taking an involuntary step back.
Calem lunged without fear for Gaige or use of his battle wits. His usually fluid movements had gone jerky, as if the muscles straining against his skin had been electrified. Despite that, he found his mark with ease. Twin blades manifested in his hands, and he sank them deep into Kira’s chest. But when the spray of blood coated his arms and the smell of death hit the air, something in him snapped.
It happened so fast, I barely had time to process what I saw. His skin shifted to thick gray hide, and he fell on all fours, spine cracking and legs elongating. Stone-tough scales formed along his lithe body. His clothes shredded to pieces as he outgrew them, falling around heavy paws that used to be hands and feet. Sharpened claws gouged the soft earth. Lifting his head to the heavens and pinning his ears back, he let out a bone-splitting howl. Then the hound that was once one of my closest friends targeted his next victim and pounced.
He tore into his target, separating flesh from bone, and the sickening rip of skin drowned out all other sounds. Save his pleased growl, which shook the very marrow of my bones and spurred everyone into motion. The remaining assassins dove into the shadows to avoid Calem’s fury and manifested before us. Ink-black blades flew from their hands, aimed squarely at our hearts. Kost jumped before them and parried with his rapier. They clattered to the ground before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Hot and angry, the blood in my hands begged to be used. And I had no sense to deny it. I eyed my first victim.
The door to Midnight Jester flew open and crashed against the masonry. Leena bolted from the tavern with panic in her eyes as she took in the scene. She dropped a duffel at her feet and gaped at Calem. Behind her, Dez and a handful of patrons stood at the threshold with slack jaws.
“Stay back!” I shouted. But she didn’t listen and instead rushed into the clearing. Leaving Kost to handle the assassins, I joined her side just as she thrust out her hand and showered the air in a vast rosewood glow. The groan of the beast door sounded, shaking nearby pinesco pods into a frenzy. A mass of black rage tore through the air, and Onyx snarled as he raced toward Kost and took down the nearest assassin. Leena slowed and brought her hand back to her side when another creaking groan escaped from the invisible realm.
“Again?” Her gaze riveted on the white legendary beast now flanking Onyx. Dominus growled, and the plates along his chest rumbled. He shot one cursory look toward Leena for direction before following Onyx’s lead and sinking his fangs into the neck of an assassin. Blood surged from ruptured veins and coated the ground in a sickly red.
Calem’s