She glanced beyond his shoulder to the fight. Thorne had joined Bleu in his battle against the witch and Vail, and Sable was doing her best to help but her speed couldn’t contend with theirs and Bleu and Thorne had to save her more than once when she came under fire from Kordula’s red lightning.
Vail was still fighting, slashing at Bleu and Thorne with his twin black swords. He was paler now than he had been just minutes before, bleeding out from multiple wounds, but was feral and wild as he fought, a contrast to the man she had seen when they had been alone.
“Kordula is controlling Vail somehow.” She looked back at Loren and her heart sank when she saw in his eyes that he didn’t believe her. “Loren... your brother told me. Kordula is not his ki’ara. She tricked him. She is using him because she wants your kingdom. It’s a sick and twisted game to her and Vail is caught in the crossfire, a pawn that she is using for more than just fighting.”
Loren’s gaze darkened again and he looked back at his brother.
“You have to listen to me, Loren. Please. We can save him somehow.” She hadn’t realised how much she wanted that until the words left her lips. She had failed to save Daniel from Archangel but she had a chance to help Loren save Vail from Kordula, and she wouldn’t give up until she had gotten through to Loren and made him believe her.
Vail engaged Bleu, drawing him away from Kordula and Thorne. The red lightning struck Thorne in the thigh and he bellowed in pain and growled as he clutched it. Sable gave a war cry and attacked Kordula with her two long knives, using close quarters manoeuvres to hinder her ability to attack with magic. She landed several blows with the wicked blades, ripping through Kordula’s black dress and tearing through flesh beneath. The dark witch slammed the flat of her hand against Sable’s chest and she hit the gravel, spraying it everywhere.
Thorne bared huge fangs at Kordula and attacked, swinging his broadsword at the woman’s head as she raised her hands to fire a spell at Sable while she was down. Kordula shifted to aim the attack at him and huge leathery wings erupted from his back and he shot upwards, dodging the spell. It blasted into the ground and threw gravel high in the air, leaving a smouldering crater behind.
A male cried out and Olivia’s gaze darted back to Vail and Bleu.
Bleu pulled his spear from the side of Vail’s chest, spun it in the air and brought it down again, aimed directly at Vail’s head. Vail barely managed to block the attack with his twin black swords and the force of the spear clashing with his blades drove him to his knees. Bleu grinned, victory flashing in his eyes.
She had to stop him. Her gaze darted around and landed on a small blade with a ring at one end on the gravel just a few metres from her.
Olivia pushed away from Loren, launching forwards towards the small throwing blade. She scooped it up in her right hand and threw it with everything she had at Bleu, sending it shooting towards him at incredible speed.
She really hoped her aim was as bad as she thought it was. Loren would hate her if she hit Bleu.
The knife zipped harmlessly over Bleu’s left shoulder but it did exactly what she had planned. He paused and frowned at her, forgetting his attack. Vail used the distraction to escape from Bleu’s reach.
Loren snarled and grabbed Olivia, dragging her back against him on the ground. “What in the gods’ names do you think you are doing? Have you gone insane?”
“Saving your brother,” Olivia snapped and jerked out of his grip. “I’m not crazy... Vail is. Kordula has done things to him that have... he isn’t right, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t deserve to live, Loren. Kordula is making him do this. Can’t you see that? You said he acted weirdly sometimes and seemed to be different. This is why. He’s fighting her hold over him, but sometimes he isn’t strong enough. Sometimes he can’t stop himself from doing terrible things.”
Olivia turned on Loren, her anger getting the better of her. She wanted to hit him and rail at him until he listened to her and saw that she was telling him the truth.
Loren stared beyond her, his eyes wide, filled with conflicting emotions that ran through her. She knew she was asking a lot but she also knew in her heart that Vail hadn’t lied to her.
“Vail is being controlled by the witch, Loren. You have to believe me. Your brother is fighting her but she’s too powerful,” Olivia said, loud enough that she was sure everyone must have heard her.
Vail broke past Thorne and Bleu and ran at them.
Loren pulled Olivia onto her feet and faced his brother.
Olivia curled her fingers around Loren’s hand, drawing his attention down to her, and couldn’t stop the words from leaving her lips, even when she knew they would wound him. This was her last chance. Vail couldn’t withstand another attack. Loren would grant his wish and then he would discover that she had been telling the truth and he would hate himself for what he had done.
“He wants you to kill him, Loren. He brought us together because he wants to die... and he didn’t want you to be alone when that happens.”
Vail ground to a halt, dropped his blades and threw her a pained look as he clutched his head, curling his black claws around it. He tossed his head back, forcing his elbows high into the air as he held the sides of his head, and snarled, baring his fangs. Fight it. She knew he could. He was weak from the blood loss but he could still fight Kordula’s spell. He had to.
His purple eyes shifted down to Loren and he mouthed something.
“Brother,” Loren whispered and took a step towards him, and then shoved Olivia behind him when Vail’s demeanour changed again, his eyes growing dark with violence.
Vail lowered his hands and his blades shot back into them, but he made no move to attack.
He stood before them, his chest heaving with each hard breath, his head still tipped back and eyes on Loren. The lights from the generators cut across him from behind and his left side, forming two shadows on the gravel.
“Kill him, Vail.” Kordula’s voice rang out over the sound of her battle against Bleu, Thorne and Sable.
Vail’s lips compressed and he lowered his head, staring at Loren. Olivia could see the war in his eyes, the fight between carrying out Kordula’s command and resisting her order, and she knew he was going to lose even when she desperately hoped he would win.
Vail’s blades clinked as he shifted his grip and then he was right in front of them, bringing his two swords down in black arcs towards Loren and Olivia’s necks.
CHAPTER 23
Loren swept Olivia into his arms and instantly teleported with her, narrowly avoiding Vail’s blades. He reappeared behind his brother with Olivia. Vail’s swords clashed, he snarled viciously, and spun on his heel to face Loren.
Olivia was right and Loren couldn’t believe he had failed to piece it together for himself before now when the evidence had been there all along.
Vail had never been out to kill him. He had always tried his hardest to pull his punches and never once had he dealt a mortal blow.
Loren pushed off, leaping backwards, placing more distance between himself and his brother. Vail growled, flashing his fangs, and swept his blades down in two swift arcs at his sides.
Guilt crawled through Loren’s gut as he gazed upon his brother, all of the signs he had discarded over the four thousand years flickering through his mind and tormenting his heart. He had always believed his brother to be evil and had never seen what was really happening. He had allowed Vail to suffer enough that he now longed for death when he had once been all about living.
Bleu appeared beside him, Sable tucked against his side. The female hunter was injured, bleeding from a long gash up her left arm. She clutched it to her, breathing hard through the pain he could sense in her.
“Bleu, keep Vail busy but do not kill him,” Loren commanded and Bleu nodded, released Sable and went after his brother, clashing hard with him.
Loren released Olivia and brushed a kiss across her forehead when she looked up at him, her fear resonating in his blood.
“I will free my brother. You must take Sable and tend to her. Be careful, sweet Olivia. Do not drop your guard. Understand?” He stroked her cheek and held her gaze, his tone soft and laced with all the love he felt for her.
She nodded but looked reluctant to leave his side. He knew what she wanted to hear him say but he couldn’t bring himself to speak the words that would reassure her when he wasn’t sure whether he would survive the fight against Kordula. The witch had taken some severe blows but she was still powerful and she had abilities at her disposal that could cost him his life if he wasn’t careful.
“Go.” Loren nudged her towards Sable and she burst into action, hurrying to her friend and leading her away from the battle and towards the edge of the lighted area.
Loren wanted her completely gone from the grounds, whisked away to safety, but he knew she would refuse if he suggested it. He took one long glance at her and then straightened his shoulders, shut down the pain echoing through his body, radiating from the wounds he had sustained in his fight against Vail, and turned to face Kordula.
Thorne dived at the witch, coming out of the darkness like a missile with his large dragon-like wings pinned back and his sword held to one side, pointed towards Kordula. He rolled in the air as she blasted him with several bolts of red lightning, avoiding them all, and spread his wings when he was close to the ground. He landed hard at an angle and broke into a sprint, coming around behind the sorceress and swinging his broadsword at the same time.
The heavy blade connected hard with Kordula’s left hand as she produced a black disc a few inches in front of it but she failed to block the blow completely. The tip sliced through her hand, shearing three of her fingers at a diagonal, and she shrieked and thrust her other hand forwards, unleashing a crackling blast of red energy.
It struck Thorne hard in the side, spinning him in the air, and he landed in a heap on the gravel.
Loren called a portal to him and leaped forwards, appearing beside Thorne. “Are you alright?”
“Not dead yet,” Thorne grumbled and pushed himself onto his hands and knees, growling at the same time. Blood pumped from the ragged wound in his left side and he covered it with his right hand, grunting and grimacing.
Loren swallowed hard as he assessed the damage done to the demon king. He had hoped to have an ally in the fight against Kordula, but the wound was bleeding badly. Thorne cast him a dark glare that dared him to try to stop him from fighting. Loren knew better than to coddle a demon, especially when they were injured. Demons could bear the pain, and some only grew more savage and deadly when they were in danger of losing their life.
Loren couldn’t risk using Thorne in the fight against Kordula, but he had another more important task for the noble demon king.
He clasped Thorne’s right shoulder and looked deep into his red eyes. “Protect the females.”
Thorne’s features set into a hard scowl and his eyes glowed like the fires of the underworld. He nodded, shoved to his feet, and took up his broadsword.
“Kill the wench.” Thorne tossed the words on a black snarl and loped off towards Olivia and Sable, his wings shrinking into his back at the same time.
Olivia would be safe now and so would Sable. Thorne wouldn’t allow anything to happen to them. He would protect them with his life. It eased Loren’s mind and he turned to face Kordula.
She stood a short distance away, working her dark magic on her fingers. The bones grew out of the severed ones and then muscle, vein and tendon covered them, and skin formed. She raised an eyebrow at them, turning them this way and that to inspect them, and flexing them.
Her red gaze sought Thorne but landed on Loren. Her scarlet lips twisted into a sneer and she looked across at Vail where he battled Bleu.
“Release my brother, Kordula,” Loren said.
She smiled wickedly. “Never. I utter one command and he will kill himself... and what will you do then, noble prince?”
Olivia had been right and Kordula had just confirmed it for him.
Loren growled, gripped his black sword in both hands before him, and focused on it. He hadn’t fought like this in countless centuries, not since before Vail had gone to war with him because of Kordula’s twisted scheme, but he would return to his roots now and hope it would give him the advantage he needed over the dark witch.
He closed his eyes and released the hilt of his sword, holding it between his opened palms and keeping it from falling with his telekinesis. He drew his palms apart and felt the shift and the drag on his power as his blade succumbed to his mental command, splitting in two.
Kordula’s gaze burned into him.
Loren closed his fingers around the hilts of his twin blades and opened his eyes, fixing them on Kordula.
She made a low unholy sound and attacked him, sending bolts of red lightning streaking towards him. Loren blocked the first four, rapidly becoming accustomed to using two swords at once, and dodged the remaining three, strafing to his right. They struck the gravel drive and sprayed dirt and stone into the air. He used all of his speed to come around behind Kordula and lashed out with the blade in his left hand.
Kordula swept her healed hand out and deflected it using one of the black discs of power. She failed to notice his other blade as she worked her spell and he thrust forwards, burying it deep into her shoulder. She cried out and swung her left fist, catching him hard across his cheek and sending him smashing into the ground.
Olivia called out to him.
Loren refused to heed her or look her way, unwilling to risk giving Kordula a chance to attack and land another blow. He rolled away from the sorceress and called a portal, and sank into it.
He reappeared above Kordula, dropping out of the night air, and brought both of his black blades over his shoulders and then swung forwards with them. They sliced through the darkness towards Kordula and she looked up, her red glowing eyes shot wide and she dropped to her knees, holding both hands out above her. A black dome formed over her and his blades struck it hard, the vibrations from the blow numbing his hands through his armour.
Loren kicked off from the dome, flipped in the air, and landed in a crouch nearby. The moment Kordula lifted her spell, Loren sprang at her, thrusting forwards with the sword in his right hand and preparing to bring his left one around in a sharp arc from below.
She grinned and Loren barely avoided skewering Vail as he appeared before him and lashed out with his own twin blades.
Bleu roared something dark and vicious in their language and teleported into the fray, knocking Vail out of the way and rolling across the ground with him.
Loren attacked Kordula again, weaker this time as fear of accidentally killing Vail played on his mind.
Kordula stood her ground and flicked her left hand out towards him, and he dodged right as thin black streaks like long needles shot from her fingers. He failed to evade them all. Fire seared his left shoulder and the impact spun him around, the world whirling across his eyes in a blur. Not magic. They were made of the same metal as his armour, able to penetrate it.
The ground came at him fast and he dropped one blade, pressed his hand into the gravel, and flipped himself over onto his feet. He growled and called his sword back to him, and grinned when he spotted Sable’s throwing knives on the ground just ahead of him.
He spun to face Kordula, sweeping his right arm around at the same time and using a telekinetic wave on the blades. They shot towards her. She deflected the two he sent at full speed and moved too early to block the third, her mistake in thinking he would send all at the same speed costing her. The short ringed knife grazed her neck, slicing through her flesh and her dark red hair. Blood cascaded down her throat and chest and she covered the wound with her hand.
Vail growled and hit Bleu with a powerful blast of psychic power, sending him tumbling through the air and landing hard on the scaffolding. Bleu crashed through it, hitting each floor and some of the steel poles, flipped and landed on his front on the gravel.
Loren
threw his hand out towards Vail and sent him flying through the darkness across the grass.
He sensed Olivia move, saw Kordula’s gaze dart to her location as she ran towards Bleu, and kicked off as the witch sent five black needle-like shards at her. He threw himself into their path and two struck him hard in the left side of his chest.
The remaining three embedded into the stomach of the man standing before him, shielding him.
Vail.
Loren hit the ground, the force of the impact causing every one of his injuries to blaze with pain and the two long needles to burn fiercely.
Vail collapsed to his knees, his back heaving as he breathed hard, his right hand shaking as he reached for the long black spikes that punctured his stomach and came out of his back.
Loren yanked the two in his chest out, grunting as each pulled free of his flesh, and discarded them as he rushed to Vail’s side.
Vail wavered and fell backwards, and Loren caught him. Blood coated his brother’s lips and formed rivulets down his chin.
“Vail,” Loren whispered and looked down at the three spikes in his stomach. He silently apologised to his brother for the pain he was about to cause him and threw a mental command at them, pulling them out of Vail’s flesh. Vail cried out, bowing forwards in his arms, the sound cutting Loren to his heart as his brother’s agony tore through him.
Loren growled and looked up at Kordula through his lashes, his gaze narrowing on her and his lips curling back off his fangs. His ears flattened against the sides of his head beneath his helmet and he snarled as he flung his bloodied right hand forwards and sent the five spikes flying at her.
She smiled wickedly as she dodged each one, taunting him with how easily she evaded them.
Loren grinned, flashing his fangs at her.
And teleported just as she dodged the final spike.
He appeared before her, his right hand flattened to form a point with his vicious black claws and shoved it upwards before she had even noticed him.
His claws ripped through the metal corset and the black material of her dress and plunged into her flesh just below her ribcage. He grabbed her shoulder with his left hand and drove his other one hard into her, until his claws punctured her twisted black heart and she gasped, her vicious grin becoming a look of horror and disbelief.
Kissed by a Dark Prince (Volume 1) Page 29