the others. “I swear, the lot of you, worried for nothing.”
With his chin high, he strutted over the shattered glass, continuing through the labyrinth. Garrick and Beau reluctantly followed, leaving Tobias by the brick wall and that tiny red crown. He scoffed under his breath. Idiots.
Tobias trailed the others through the remainder of the labyrinth, the soft crunch of glass beneath his sandals his only distraction from Flynn’s boasting. “The easy tunnel. I told you all.” But the glass underfoot lasted for miles, a chilling reminder of the truth: neither Tobias nor the men ahead of him should’ve survived the day.
A familiar circle of light appeared in the distance, and Tobias’s muscles loosened. “Guys, the sanctuary.”
“Finally,” Beau exhaled.
Tobias jogged toward their destination, the faraway portal growing larger and larger. Shadows darted through the light. Men.
“But we had the easy tunnel,” Flynn said. “Surely we should’ve arrived first.”
Tobias ignored him. Voices filtered from the sanctuary, bouncing off the walls around him.
“You fucking cock!”
“Get off me!”
Tobias broke into a sprint, staggering to a halt once he reached the sanctuary. The men stood in a scattered circle around two of their own: Caesar, his mouth bloody, and Enzo, the rabid dog painting the Lord’s face with his fist.
The Beast lived up to his title—more creature than man, his lips curled into a snarl, his eyes lit with madness. He struck Caesar in the nose, sending blood pumping from his nostrils, then again in the jaw, leaving the man to totter across the floor. Flicking the blood from his knuckles, Enzo bared his teeth.
“You fucking shit! I kill you!”
Caesar narrowly dodged Enzo’s next jab and spun toward the others. “Will someone get this cunt off me?”
The rest of the group reached the sanctuary, nearly stumbling into Tobias’s back. “What’s going on?” Flynn asked.
The fight faded from Tobias’s vision, as did the men, the sanctuary. All that remained was the body lying face-down on the floor—Zander, his limbs sprawled, his neck twisted.
Dead.
Emptiness enveloped Tobias, as if his insides had suddenly been scooped away. His eyes panned from Zander to Kaleo, who caught his gaze and laughed.
“Don’t look at me. For once, I am utterly innocent.”
Enzo struggled against Orion’s and Raphael’s grips. “Kaaj míkel! I kill you with my bare hands!”
Caesar dragged his hand across his mouth, smearing blood over his lips, then stared out at the others. “Oh, don’t look at me like that.” His eyes darted from face to face. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”
Flynn shuffled forward. “You killed him?”
“He was going to win,” Caesar spat. “Cosima favored him. I did us all a favor!”
Tobias stared down at Zander’s body, and something stirred within him—an intangible feeling, slowing rousing him awake. “You killed him.” He looked up at Caesar. “You killed Zander.”
“Did you not hear me? He was going to win. You all should be thanking me, not pummeling me like this bastard.” Caesar flashed a glare at Enzo. “Don’t know what’s come over the brutish fuck.”
“I kill you.” Enzo growled, still fighting against Raphael and Orion. “I rip your head from neck like bird.”
“I saved us.” Caesar stood tall, feigning dignity. “Cosima chose him. She chose Zander.”
The feeling expanded, beating in Tobias’s chest, pulsing in his neck—a sense of purpose devoid of thought. His eyes locked on to Enzo—his trembling fists, his pain disguised as anger—and Tobias charged at Caesar, shoving him into the wall.
“Artist, what the hell—?”
Tobias slammed him against the brick once more, this time with a power even he didn’t recognize. He turned to Enzo. “Do it. Kill him.”
Caesar’s jaw dropped. “What?”
He thrashed and flailed, but Tobias dug his arm into the Lord’s neck, throwing his weight into him. As Caesar ripped free, Orion and Flynn barreled toward him, ramming him back against the wall.
“What the fuck is going on?” Caesar spat.
Raphael joined in, the four men pinning the Lord to the brick.
“Beau!” Caesar shouted. “Stop this!”
“Oh, I don’t know. I’m not certain I want to get involved,” Beau said.
“Beau, you dumb cunt!” Still fighting his aggressors, Caesar peered over Tobias’s shoulder. “Healer girl!”
Tobias’s lungs froze. Leila stood paces away, staring at the horde vacantly. When her eyes met his, his insides twisted, pulling in opposite directions.
“Healer girl, stop them!” Caesar said. “You have to make them stop!”
Explain yourself. Except Tobias couldn’t, not in front of everyone. She’ll think you’re a madman. A killer. Yet he didn’t move, didn’t waver.
Leila kept quiet. Her amber gaze panned to Enzo huffing and puffing like an animal, then to