and throw you carcass into hell,” he snarled, chains rattling as he twisted his wrists, about to just crush the damn things so he could get to Jamie.
“What would be the fun in that?” she asked softly, gliding closer to Jamie. Her hands, like snow covered twigs, reached up to caress her cheek. Jamie snapped at her, almost taking off her fingers. Talon growled. “It would be much more enlightening to watch your pain at the loss of this beautiful young woman.”
Talon screamed, denial coursing through him.
Chris shoved Jamie onto the ground, right in front of him. He reached out, taking her hand in his. It was so small, so delicate. So cold and scared. He could feel the tremors that were shaking through her hand all the way to him.
“Talon,” she whispered, staring into his eyes. “I want you to look away. Just turn your face to the wall. Please.”
Tears were falling down her face, yet her eyes were no longer terrified. Beautiful and blue. They were strong, so much more stronger than he was. Her eyes clear and straight. Not pleading, but telling, him to look away. Chris was behind her, laughing maniacally. He reached into his jacket, pulling out a small black gun. Pointing it at her head. Clicking off the safety.
“Talon, please just turn away. I don’t want you to watch –“
“No,” he bellowed, trying to drag her to him. Chris just sneered, aiming the gun. “Chris, I’ll give you anything, I swear – I’ll give you life, money, anything. Just don’t,” he shouted, trying to cover her body with his. Yet she was pushing at him, rejecting him, crying for him to stop.
Never in his life had he felt so weak. So helpless. Now though, as the realization came that he was going to lose the most important thing he had ever had in his life, he was shuddering. Pleading. “Chris, don’t.” He could taste his own tears, could taste the pain in them.
Amenia spoke from the shadows, staring at Talon. “Your pain does not bring me the happiness I had thought it would. The way you murdered my sister will never leave me. This woman will feel no lasting pain when she dies – that is only for you.”
Several things happened at once.
There was a small flash. A pop. A startled gasp.
“Jamie, no!” A horrified, pained voice rang around the room. There stood the king, standing over his daughter. He burst into action, attacking Chris like a wild man – but he wasn’t quick enough.
“Talon, turn arou—“ Her scream was cut off.
And replaced with the last sound she would ever make in her life – a soft cry.
He watched as she fell limply to the ground, a gentle trickle of blood marking the life that left her body.
Chapter 20
Devlin pushed off the large rocks, grimacing as her back snapped and the familiar weight of her wings held her down. When in pain, they became a defense mechanism and were almost impossible to get rid of till she was feeling better. She went with the fact that it hurt like a bitch to move her arm and assumed it was broken.
It took longer than she wanted to get free of the rocks. She looked around the rubble, ignoring the pulse in her arm. Lucian wasn’t visible, and neither was Talon. She’d sensed his presence a second before passing out because of the weight of the rocks. It looked like a hurricane in the sky, and because of the fact that they didn’t even live near large bodies of water, she knew shit was going down. She put her hands on the rocks, bracing with her undamaged hand. What the hell was that smell?
“Daughter.”
Devlin’s head snapped up, alert. To conserve his energy, her father had only contacted her through whysper to set a meeting.
“Meet me, quickly. You know where to go. I fear I do not have much longer before I perish.”
“How much time, father?” She was already getting to her feet, forgetting completely about her elbow and letting her frost-seeping wings take flight.
“Not…much,” he responded weakly, before the connection was cut off.
Devlin beat her wings hard, tears already blurring her vision. She had lost two of the most important men in her life this day, and she had a feeling there was no way to get them back. Ever.
~*~
Mike stared down into the portal, emotions warring. It wasn’t in his nature to care, or to even think about what he was doing. Live in the