Sacrifice of Darkness - Alexandra Ivy Page 0,17

probably mongrels. Trolls and goblins were fierce warriors, who didn’t know the meaning of a fair fight.

Instead, he reminded her that she was a Seraf. “Didn’t you take a vow not to harm others?”

She offered him a sweet smile. “Trust me.”

Something fluttered in the depths of his heart. “Always.”

Chapter 5

Vynom was on his way to the sleeping pens that housed his fighters when he felt a warm breeze creeping over his skin. He snarled, whirling on his heel to glare at the center of the large cavern. There was nothing to see yet, but he knew what was coming.

Dammit. He should never have given the bitch access to get through his magical barriers.

Then again, what choice did he have?

He’d been scraping the bottom of his treasure chest when the heavily cloaked female approached him. She’d been looking for Javad, but he’d refused to tell her where to find his treacherous child. Not without revealing why she was searching for him.

Her answers had been vague, but Vynom had managed to figure out that she hoped to use Javad to get rid of Terra. He didn’t ask why she wanted Terra dead. Frankly, he didn’t care. All that mattered was that she gave him the perfect opportunity to reclaim his former glory.

His luck had gone in the shitter after Javad had walked away. With the mystery female’s help, he would be back on top.

Unfortunately, that included dealing with the tedious bitch on a regular basis.

Clenching his hands into tight balls, he glared blindly toward the source of the scent. The female inside never stepped out of the protection of her portal or revealed herself. As if he hadn’t already worked out that she was one of the Serafs from the temple.

So much for their pretense of being peace-loving innocents.

“Now isn’t a good time,” he growled.

“Tough. Terra is here?”

“Yes.” This female had arrived seconds after Javad had been sucked into his cell. She’d warned Vynom to be prepared and disappeared. “Just like you said.”

“Good. Have you…?” The female’s words trailed away. “Dealt with her?”

“Are you asking if she’s dead?”

There was a long silence. Had he managed to anger his unwanted partner with his blunt words? Vynom shrugged. He had what he needed from her. As far as he was concerned, their bargain was at an end.

“Is she?” the female demanded.

“No.”

There was a loud hiss. “You promised to take care of my problem.”

“I will. But first, I need her.”

“For what?”

“She’s going to make sure my unruly child fulfills his duty to me,” he told her. “Once the fight is over, I intend to make sure both of them are disposed of.”

“Then have your stupid fight and be done with it,” she snapped.

Vynom scowled. Once upon a time, he could have arranged a fight within a few hours. He had the reputation of matching the toughest, most violent fighters against one another. His establishments were packed to the rafters with eager customers willing to hand over inordinate sums of treasure. Now…

He growled in frustration. “It’s not that simple. I have to build maximum anticipation for the battle. The more eager my customers are for the fight, the more they’ll be willing to bet.”

She clicked her tongue. “I have no interest in your filthy lust for money.”

“Well, I have a lot of interest in it,” he informed the arrogant pain in his ass. “And I intend to squeeze every bit of gold out of this opportunity.”

“Don’t be a fool,” the female chided. “Terra might be a Seraf, but she isn’t without power. You’ll regret underestimating her.”

Did she just call him a fool? Vynom hid his burst of anger behind a mocking smile. He wouldn’t let this female know how easily he could be provoked.

“Chill out. She’s safely locked away, along with Javad,” he drawled. “By the end of tomorrow night, she’ll be dead.”

“Don’t fail me.”

There was another warm breeze, and the portal disappeared. Vynom clenched his hands into fists and continued his journey to the pens.

“Good riddance.”

* * * *

Terra carefully peered through the opening at the end of the narrow tunnel. Javad had easily used his powers to crumble the stone around the door, loosening it enough to allow them to squeeze out of the cell. Now, it was her turn to show what she could do.

Her gaze took in the two trolls who were playing some game that involved dice and a lot of grunting. Next to them, the imp tossed a dagger in the air. Near the door, the goblin slouched in a