Claimed by a Demon King (45 page)

Thorne clapped a hand down on his shoulder. “One day you will reach him. I am sure of it.”

Loren nodded.

Thorne hoped it would be before Vail succumbed to the madness eating away at him and Loren lost his only kin forever.

Bleu reappeared beside him, clutching his long double-bladed black spear. “I have left her at the infirmary. Many injured are returning to the castle.”

Thorne knew what that meant. His already small army was growing ever smaller, weakening his chance to save his kingdom.

He scanned the battle, picking out the wolves as they bravely fought the bears off to his right, and the elves as they battled the dragons, and Rosalind and a small army of demons as they took on the witches. He could end this fight. He only needed to reach the other side of the battle and the Fifth King, and claim his head.

A slender female caught his gaze, cutting through the enemy with heart-stopping grace and beautiful determination.

Sable.

Thorne teleported in an instant, reappearing close to her side and taking down the demon she had been fighting.

She turned on him, her blade raised to attack, and froze. “I thought you would be well ahead of me.”

He huffed. “I felt your pain and came back to find you.”

She rubbed her side. “Just a few bruises. Hurt like a bitch at the time but I’m good now.”

“Liar,” Thorne said with a half-smile. He could feel her pain and still knew her fear, and it was unfounded. He wasn’t going to send her away. He was going to keep her pinned to his side throughout the rest of the battle.

She shrugged and attacked another demon, ducking beneath his swing and slashing across his legs with her blade. Thorne thrust forwards with his broadsword, skewering the male on it, and then yanked his weapon free. The male dropped. Sable rose to her feet.

“So, what’s the plan?” She casually loosed a dart at another demon and he roared in agony as it exploded on impact, sending him spinning through the air and landing hard on a group of demons.

Thorne pointed towards the distance.

“We go there.”

He grabbed her and teleported before she could utter a word, landing them close to the point he had reached before turning back to find her. Several of his men and some of the elves teleported in beside him and fanned out, taking on the demons and dragons in their way.

Loren appeared beside him with Bleu. Thorne exchanged a look with him, nodded, and the elves disappeared, reappearing further ahead, sweeping through their enemies with black claws and blades. Some of the elves branched off and followed their prince.

Grave was already ahead of Thorne, the vampire savaging and brutally killing everything in his path, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. His red eyes remained constantly pinned on something ahead of him. Thorne looked there and unleashed a growl when he spotted the jagged green helm of the Fifth King.

Thorne was damned if he would let the vampire reach the Fifth King first.

Two large tawny wolves rushed past Thorne, mauling the legs of their enemies with their fangs and claws. A pack followed them, streaming through their foes like shadows, moving with speed and agility that Thorne couldn’t contend with. Not without teleporting anyway.

He grabbed Sable again and dropped into another portal, this one bringing them out in the battle only a few metres from the Fifth King.

The large demon male lifted his head from the neck of a female hunter and dropped her lifeless body at his feet. Blood rolled down his chin, dripping onto his broad bare chest.

“You bastard!” Sable hurled herself forwards but Thorne grabbed her arm, yanking her back to him before she could escape his reach and attempt an attack.

“Thorne,” the male growled, tipping his head in greeting, and grinned.

“Frayne.” Thorne drew Sable closer to him and the male’s green eyes fell to her and narrowed.

Loren, Bleu and Grave reached them together with some of their men and his. Kincaid broke through the demons encircling them, his tawny fur bloodied in places and his golden eyes bright. The wolves followed him into the fray, attacking any who tried to close in on Thorne and the Fifth King, keeping them at bay.

Giving Thorne his chance, one that he was grateful for and prayed to the gods he wouldn’t squander.

He would not fail his kingdom.

Not now. Not ever.

He focused, forcing his wings to shrink into his back, unwilling to give his enemy any advantage.

“You have an addition to your ranks since we last met. A pretty little one. To the victor go the spoils.” Frayne licked the blood off his lips and raked a gaze over Sable, slowly taking in every inch of her. “I hope she pleases me more than the last huntress I had in my arms.”

The bastard was keeping to the mortal language to frighten her and it was working. She trembled beneath his grip, her uncertainty and fear trickling through the link between them.

“Sable,” Thorne said a low voice destined only for her ears and silently spoke the rest of what he needed to tell her as he looked down into her golden-brown eyes. He loved her and he would never allow this wretched male or any other to lay a hand on her.

Sable drew in a deep breath, exhaled hard and straightened her spine, her fear disappearing. She nodded, her beautiful eyes relaying the feelings that he could sense in her, the love and affection, and the blossoming confidence.

She slipped her hands beneath her arms, gave him a smile, and then flung her hands towards the Fifth King. The small ringed knives embedded in Frayne’s chest and stomach before he could teleport out of their path. The large demon snarled and his horns flared forwards next to his temples, the painted white tips as sharp as the daggers Sable had launched at him.

He teleported and Sable was one step ahead of him, rolling forwards and coming to her feet behind Thorne. Thorne swung his blade with all of his might, aiming at thin air. Frayne appeared in its path and snarled as he quickly raised his right forearm. Thorne’s broadsword struck the thick metal and leather vambrace he wore.

Frayne snarled and swung at him with his own sword, bringing it over his head in a fast arc.

Thorne shoved Sable back with one hand and shifted his sword in the other, spinning it in his grip so the blade ran up his arm. He went down on one knee and raised his blade, allowing it to land flat along his arm. Frayne’s blade hit hard, showering sparks over Thorne and driving his knee into the dirt.

He launched upwards, using all of the strength in his legs to propel him and shove Frayne’s sword up into the air. He kicked off the second the blade was above Frayne’s head and barrelled into him, taking him down onto the ground. Frayne roared, his wings twisted beneath him, and grabbed Thorne’s left horn, dragging him down towards him. Thorne grunted as Frayne’s forehead connected with his and pain spider-webbed across his skull.

Frayne rolled and Thorne wrestled with him, determined to end up on top again, avoiding scrappy punches and trying to land a few of his own as he fought for dominance over the Fifth King.

A bolt whizzed past Thorne’s head and exploded a short distance away from him.

Thorne looked across at Sable and growled when he caught sight of her. She fought her blond male hunter, Evan, her hands shaking as she struck his blade with her own and uncertainty flooding the link between them. She wasn’t sure what to do and he could grasp her concern and reluctance to land a killing blow on the man who had once been her second in command.

But was no longer.

Evan’s eyes flashed brilliant blue.

“Rakshasa,” Thorne called and Sable’s fear immediately diminished. She spun her short blade in her hand so the point was close to her elbow and slashed at the creature who had assumed the form of her friend.

Frayne sent Thorne’s world spinning with a hard blow on his jaw that snapped his head to one side and Thorne grunted as he ended up on his back, pinned beneath the Fifth King.

The male grinned down at him, cracking the dried blood caking his chin.

“I will enjoy your woman and your kingdom, Thorne. I shall take great care of both of them.”

Thorne roared and bucked up, hurling Frayne off him. Frayne levelled a kick at him and Thorne dropped into the darkness. He fell out of the air above Frayne, hurtling towards the Fifth King.

Frayne whipped around to face him and disappeared, dropping into his own portal. Thorne hit the ground hard, rolled and found his feet again. He grabbed the nearest weapon as he passed it and sought Frayne. The bastard had yet to appear. Sable fought off to his left, battling hard against the rakshasa. Thorne wanted to join her and make the creature pay for what it had done to Fargus but it was her fight now. The rakshasa had killed her second in command too.

Pain burst across Thorne’s back and he grunted as he stumbled forwards. He twisted mid-step and raised his blade, knocking away Frayne’s as the male attacked his back.

Frayne grinned at him and signalled with his free hand.

Thorne shot forwards and clashed hard with him, knocking the smile off his face as he drove him backwards, towards the centre of the circle expanding around them. He grabbed Frayne’s left wing, pressed his boot into the male’s stomach, and yanked hard. Frayne unleashed an agonised bellow and grasped Thorne’s right arm, digging his long claws in for purchase. He twisted hard, throwing Thorne off balance and tearing a cry from his throat as his muscles protested and Frayne’s claws sliced through his flesh.

“Bastard,” Sable spat and a dart lodged into Frayne’s right shoulder. “Enjoy that with my compliments, you prick.”

Frayne snarled, yanked the bolt from his flesh and crushed it in his grip. He turned to advance on Sable and staggered, a confused frown darkening his rugged face.

Sable spun to avoid the rakshasa’s swing and came to her feet nearer to Thorne.

She winked at him. “The elves make some bitching poisons.”

He would have to remember to thank them. She whirled to face her opponent, bringing her short sword down at the same time, and it sliced through Evan’s shoulder.

The rakshasa cried out and leaped backwards. A mistake on his part. Bleu was there, a cold smile on his face as he drove his spear forwards, skewering the creature.

Thorne punched Frayne hard on the jaw, knocking him backwards, further into the clearing. The Fifth King growled at him, sweat breaking out across his brow. It wasn’t quite the victory that Thorne had desired but he wasn’t about to castigate Sable for her underhand tactics on the battlefield. The Fifth King had no doubt commanded the rakshasa to poison him after all. It was only fair the bastard had a taste of his own medicine.

Frayne growled, exposing his fangs, and lashed out with his claws, slicing across Thorne’s chest. Thorne ignored the sting of the lacerations and kept driving forwards, landing blow after blow on Frayne, weakening him at the same time as the toxin.

Frayne signalled again.

Who was he calling?

A tall woman with jet-black eyes appeared beside him, her long black dress hugging her curves, torn in a few places.

She attacked immediately, blasting Thorne with a glowing blue orb that exploded against his chest and sent him flying through the air. Thorne growled through the pain, unleashed his wings and spread them, halting his ascent. He shook off the agony that seared his ribs and beat his aching wings, shooting back towards the witch and Frayne.

The female threw orb after colourful orb at those around her, each one striking someone from his team. Screams rose above the din of battle and the clang of weapons clashing. He fixed his sights on her and she looked up at him, a smile curving her black lips, and tossed her hand towards him and blew across her palm. A swirling vortex of black extended from her hand, the funnel growing as it rocketed towards him.

Thorne rolled in the air and beat his wings harder, trying to evade it. Tendrils of black shot from the wide end of the vortex, reaching for him. He growled and gritted his teeth, flying as fast as he could to outstrip them before they could snag his feet and pull him into the funnel. He wasn’t sure what the spell would do to him and he didn’t want to find out.

He swept lower, over ranks of his enemy as they closed in on his men, and the funnel tore through them, the black tendrils grabbing any within reach and pulling them inside. Cries echoed across the battlefield and died in an instant, the moment their owner disappeared into the vortex. Blood sprayed across the untouched.

Thorne decided he definitely did not want the vortex or the tendrils to catch him, or any he cared about.

He looked back at the witch, searching for a way to take her down and destroy her spell with her.

Frayne grinned up at him and beat his own wings, gaining momentum with each powerful stroke.

Another spell hit Thorne’s feet, sending him toppling heels over head. He dropped hard, landing a short distance from Sable as she fought the rakshasa with Bleu. Loren hauled Thorne onto his feet and Thorne met his steely gaze.

“I am beginning to despise witches,” Loren said, a grim look on his face. “I will deal with her.”

“And I will finish this.” Thorne grabbed a blade from the ground and Loren disappeared.

Loren appeared close behind the witch and she lowered her hand, her spell disappearing as she turned on him. The dark elf prince grinned, flashing fangs at her, and attacked.

Thorne rushed to assist him by luring Frayne away. The Fifth King looked well again, no trace of the fever that should have gripped him on his face or in the fluid way he moved as he joined the witch in battling Loren. The witch must have cured him. He had called her to him to aid him and give him time to recuperate, distracting Thorne.

Bleu teleported to join his prince, driving Frayne back.

Frayne disappeared and the hairs on Thorne’s nape rose. He turned as quickly as he could and was almost facing the Fifth King when he appeared. Frayne’s claws raked down Thorne’s chest, slicing deep, and Thorne roared as fire blazed through him.

Poison. The bastard had coated his claws in his own poisoned blood. The toxin wasn’t enough to kill him but it would slow him down, giving Frayne the advantage.