“Excuse me?”
“The thing is,” Dane said, walking toward us. “I’m the leader of my own pack now. I’m their master.” He gestured to the other four. “What makes you think I want to help you and end up working under Lord Mitrus again?”
“I can’t believe this,” Micah muttered, his hands closed in tight fists.
I reached for him and caressed his lower arm with the back of my hand. I didn’t exactly know why. He jerked his arm away and marched down the dune.
“I am your master,” Micah said. “But before that, you were my friend. All of you. What happened to that?”
“Friends?” Dane snorted. “Your friends? We only pretended to be your friends because of the power. We never liked you. You’re a dick. An egocentric dick. Nobody is your friend.”
One of the others stepped forth and spat at Micah’s feet. “We would rather die fighting against Imha on our own than to work for you again.”
Hurt flashed in Micah’s face, so fast, I thought I had imagined it.
Then he was all rage. “You traitor!” Micah pulled his sword from his waist.
Dane laughed. “Swords, really?” He sneered. “I don’t need swords. I have my power.” He flung not one but three black bolts toward Micah, one right after the other.
The first bolt exploded on Micah’s chest, the second on his right thigh, and the third on his left hip, pushing him to the ground.
Then the chaos started.
In a flash, Keisha was in front of Micah, swinging her sword toward Dane. Ceris cast a shield around him, to give him time to recover, while she attacked two other Lords, and Victor joined Keisha in the fight. I rushed to Micah.
Breathing deeply, he pushed up on his elbows and groaned. “Son of a bitch.”
The center of his chest armor had melted, the shirt under it was in rags, and his skin was marked.
“Can you stand?” I asked, grabbing his arm.
Micah helped me more than he should, and he was straightening his back when the shield broke.
Dane twisted away from Keisha and came at us, a sick shine in his black eyes.
“Are they immortal?” I asked, dragging Micah back.
“They are ageless, not immortal,” he said, wheezing.
After a few steps, I dropped him. “Good.”
I stepped in front of Micah and raised my sword.
Dane threw an energy ball at me, but I jumped to the side. He threw another, and I moved away from its path. My movements brought me closer and closer to him, and I didn’t think he was even aware of it.
“What are you, his new toy?” Dane asked with a naughty smile. He was trying to get to me. I wouldn’t let him. “Because, you know, he used to have many toys. I bet he still does.”
I felt the bolt zoom past my arm when I moved to the side, its heat scorching my skin. I could have cried in pain, but I wouldn’t give Dane that satisfaction.
Instead I whirled around and ran toward him.
“You want to do this the old-fashioned way, fine.” Black smoke poured from Dane’s hand, spreading wide above his palm. A few seconds later, it became a beautiful black sword. What was it with these guys and black? “Come and get me.”
He parried my first blow, deflected my second blow, and he blocked my third blow. He dodged my fourth blow, and pushed me back a couple of steps after the fifth blow.
God, this idea was stupid. Who had suggested it again? Ugh.
No time to change that. I engaged him again.
A terrible scream filled the night, and my heart skipped a beat. I scanned around. Ceris and Victor fought three opponents with magic and swords. It was hard to admit, but they made a great team. They really did.
A second scream ripped through the air. My eyes moved. Farther back, Keisha was on the sand, a hole bigger than Micah’s in her armor, on her right shoulder. In front of her, a Death Lord was ready to strike her again, but Ceris knocked him to the side with a bolt. When he returned to his feet, he lunged at the goddess.
Taking advantage of my distraction, Dane punched me in the jaw, and I staggered to the side. Stars blinded me and pain exploded on my face. Son of a bitch, that hurt!
“Ah!” I yelled when he grabbed my hair and pulled me back, causing me to fall on my knees.
“Beg for your life, princess,” he said, his mouth near my ear. “Beg for your petty life.”
If only he knew I didn’t mind dying.
A black bolt appeared in Dane’s palm.
“No!” Micah yelled from somewhere behind us, his voice rough.
Dane laughed. “How pathetic.”
I lowered my lashes, wishing not to feel much pain before dying, just as new cries echoed around us, making my eyes pop open.
They were battle cries coming from three men who emerged from the shadows. Three other Death Lords. Deven, Eklan, and Chael.
One of them rushed to Micah and despair made me sick. Oh, God, he would kill Micah. To my surprise, the man helped Micah to his feet, while the other two helped Ceris and Victor against Amiel, Jed, Riel, and Keon.
“No, no, no,” Dane muttered. Still gripping my hair, he hoisted me up. “Come.”
Dane dragged me closer to the shadows. I opened my mouth to scream for help, but he cast a rope of energy around my face and over my mouth. I tripped and Dane yanked harder. Hurtful tears sprung to my eyes.
The distance between the others and us grew. The guy who had been with Micah seconds ago was now with Keisha, and Micah was gone. Victor and Ceris still fought the other four, but now, with help, they were equally matched.
Dane stopped, and I bumped into him. I elbowed his ribs, then spun around and kneed him in the groin. Groaning, he doubled over, and I made a run for it. He caught me by the waist and pulled me back to him, a tight hand over my neck, and the other around my joined wrists.
“Bitch,” he whispered, his mouth on my cheek. I wanted to hurl.
He dragged me farther from the light of the torches. I didn’t know why, but I was sure that once he reached complete darkness I was done for. I jerked harder. He lost the grip on my arms, and that was enough for me to elbow him again. He didn’t let go this time, but his hand loosened its hold enough that I was able to pry it from my neck. I didn’t whirl around and try to fight him. I ran, not because I was afraid of dying, but because I wanted more time to help Micah and Victor get their scepters. I glanced over my shoulder. Still in the same spot, Dane smiled at me.
My eyebrows knotted. Then I bumped into something hard and fell on my back. A black wall, much like the shields Ceris cast, stood between the torchlight and me.
I shook the sand from my hair, and I scurried to my feet.
Dane was right by my side. He conjured black cuffs around my wrist. “Stop running, bitch. I’m gonna take you with me, and you’ll wish I had killed you here on this beach.”
A sick feeling settled in my stomach, and the reminiscent images of my time with Imha and Omi invaded my mind. I wouldn’t be anyone’s bait anymore. I wouldn’t be tortured again. I wouldn’t be a demon’s pi?ata. I wouldn’t have anyone captured and killed because of me. Oh no.