It’s just me. You don’t need an army. Fight me. I know you’d love nothing more than to kill me, so take your chance. Don’t hide behind the Habermanns monstrous designs.”
The horde of mutants kept marching forward, their horrific faces slack, their eyes empty.
Gods, it seemed I’d made a huge mistake. I’d misjudged Karen and her hatred for me. I glanced sideways, toward the hill that would lead me back to the dock. If I flew as fast as my wings would allow, could I reach my friends? No, they would be far away by now. Safe.
No turning back.
I faced the horde again. I could not survive them, not even one of them, but they would have to catch me first and, under the cloak of my invisibility, it wouldn’t be easy. By now, I knew the island well, so I might be able to hide and survive another day like Karl had said.
Just as I was about to fly away, the horde parted, and Karen ambled out, wearing the controlling helmet along with a crooked smile.
“Always the martyr,” Karen said, looking me up and down with disdain.
“At least I’m not a coward like you, hiding behind a borrowed army.”
Karen’s smile fell, and her jaw clenched. It was my turn to smile, a thin, scornful twist of my lips that I hoped would infuriate her.
“I came here to fight you,” I said, stretching my arms out, palms up. “You took me from my home. You’ve helped torture my friends. You fight for the vilest people I’ve ever known.” I gestured toward the dome. “How can you live with yourself while those two humans experiment on other Supernaturals like you?”
“Spare me your simpering views,” Karen said, regaining her cool demeanor.
I pressed my lips together, realizing that trying to appeal to the morals she didn’t possess was a waste of time. I needed her angry, burning to fight, and kill me.
I threw my head back and laughed. “I guess you already know the outcome of a fight between you and me. Is that why you’re hiding behind a barrier, wearing that stupid thing on your head?”
Anger returned to Karen’s features. I kept pushing.
“How did you like a Fae Bitch stuffing you inside a Jeep?” I continued. “I could have killed you then, but I took pity on your pathetic ass.”
“You don’t fight fair, fae,” Karen growled. “I bet you love being able to turn invisible. All the harm you can do now without anyone being able to see you.”
“Let’s fight fair then. No invisibility. No magic. Just you and me. But I warn you, a Fae Warrior will always be better than a pitiful excuse for a human soldier, which is what you are.”
With a jerk of her hand, Karen lifted a hand toward her helmet. My heart stopped. No. I hadn’t fooled her. She would release her horde on me, and they would be my end.
To my relief, instead, she peeled the device off her head and tossed it to a guard behind her. Eyes set on me, she waved her hands in an intricate pattern, causing the dome to flicker for a few seconds, just long enough to allow her to cross to the other side and step onto the bridge with me.
She rolled her neck and took a deep breath. An expression of glee etched on her face. She loved to brawl. It was clear to see. I hadn’t been so wrong about her, after all.
“No flying away,” Karen said with relish. “That would be cheating.”
I wondered if she had the honor to fight fair. I guessed I would find out.
“I won’t need to use my wings. My hands will suffice.” I lifted them and crouched, ready to fight her to the death if it meant saving the world.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I locked eyes with Karen as she readied herself to fight. In a split second, I sized her up. She was taller than me by a few inches, and her body was formidable. Strong muscles bulged out of her tight, white T-shirt and filled out her black pants. Her feet were clad in combat boots that could do damage of their own. The venom in her expression, as she closed the last few feet between us, was meant to intimidate me, but she didn’t know my secret.
And she didn’t know I had nothing left to lose.
She charged as her fist came up, sailing toward my face. I dipped left in time for the punch to miss and sail through. Karen’s