Death Bringer

“The only way I will release you from your mark, Soul Sucker, is if you keep your word to me.”

Vadim tensed as Ella met his father’s cold gaze.

“You mean it?”

His smile was chilling. “Not quite. I no longer trust you to carry out your intended purpose. I believe I’ll do it myself.” The king held out his hand. “Give me the weapon you carry so secretively in your backpack.”

“What weapon?” Vadim asked, but no one answered him.

“I tried to warn you all that she was weak and untrustworthy. Why do you think she was so desperate to keep her possessions shielded from your gaze, Death Bringer?”

“It’s not like how he’s making it sound.” With some effort, Ella took off her backpack and placed it on the ground in front of her. “He was the one who gave me the stupid thing.”

“And you were the one who intended to use it.”

“To do what?” Vadim asked again.

She retrieved something from her bag and slowly stood up.

“Take off the mark.”

The king held out his hand. “Give me the weapon first.”

“What?” Vadim stepped in front of his mate and stared into her eyes, willing her to talk to him, to tell him what the fuck was going on.

“Give it to me now, Soul Sucker.”

She shook her head. “No, I think I’d rather stick to our original plan.” She launched herself at Vadim, a small, lethal dagger in her hand. Even as he fought her to the ground, he heard her screeching orders inside his head.

“Take it, kill him.”

“Which one?”

“God, I don’t know. Can’t you get them both?”

He expertly rolled her onto her front, bent her arm up against her spine, and disarmed her.

“Ow! That hurt!”

She kicked out, catching him on the shin. He bit back a groan and increased the pressure of his hold. “Stop fighting me, then!”

“No, it has to look realistic.”

A burst of mangled magic shot past his ear, making him wince and the spectators closing in on them scatter.

“Fuck it, Ella, you nearly took off my head with my own power!”

“Good!”

He moved off her and dragged her to her feet, the dagger now concealed within his massive hand. “If I kill Adam, you won’t be getting your face back.”

“I don’t care about that.” She hesitated. “Do you?”

“It’s a matter of principle.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Give it to me then!” She tried to head-butt him. He jerked his chin back just in time and held her out in front of him like a shield. “What the hell did you give her, Father?”

“I gave her nothing. I assume she obtained the dagger from the Dark Lord and his minions. When I met her for the first time, she already had a plan in place. She asked whether I would have any objection if she killed you. I told her to go ahead, and in return I would help her get her face back. In truth, you might say that this entire mess is her fault.”

“That’s bullshit! Don’t you get it?” Ella kicked out and tried to get free again, but Vadim restrained her. “Adam wants Morosov to kill you all. He probably hoped that if I saw that massacre, I’d turn on my mate and use the dagger on him, leaving Adam king of the world.”

“You are a liar, Soul Sucker. Can’t you see it, my son?”

“She can’t lie to me. Remember, she is my mate.”

Ella wiggled around until she could see into his face, and put her hand on his chest. “That’s why I’m still here. Your father hoped I’d kill for him, and so did Adam. They both had a vested interest in letting me live.”

She turned to look at his mother and grandmother. “Hell, I’m the only one that can kill Morosov, aren’t I? That’s what you were trying to tell me.”

“Is that true, Father?”

“She said she wanted you dead! She told Adam the same thing! You heard her!”

Vadim smiled slowly down at his mate. “She is entitled to kill me. I am hers for all eternity. But she is not going to do it at your bidding. If we combine our powers, Soul Sucker, do you think we could find the truth in Adam’s mind?”

Terror flashed across his adversary’s face and he tried to run past the encircling guards. Vadim stopped him dead with an entrapment spell.

“What do you think, Father? Shall I ask my unworthy opponent for his opinion?”

For the first time, unease flickered behind the Fae king’s eyes. “Why bother? What can he tell us that we don’t already know?”

The queen mother stepped forward. “I would like to hear Adam’s thoughts on this matter, too. If I find out that he truly wishes to annihilate our family, I want him to suffer for it.” She glanced at her daughter-in-law and then at the visitor from the dark court. “Are we all in agreement?”

Vadim smiled at his father. “It seems as if you have been overruled.” He released his mate and reached for her hand. “Come, Soul Sucker. Let’s see what thoughts Adam really harbors in his mind.”

* * *

Ella let Vadim lead her toward the immobile Adam. Beyond him lay the rubble of the arena and a neatly stacked pile of dead bodies. She’d heard the explosion of Vadim’s power and felt it within her, but missed the visual as she was crawling on the floor. Looking at the remains of the explosion, she was glad she’d skipped it. She was totally happy that the sect members were dead, though.

Adam radiated a strange mixture of power and anxiety that drew her empath senses like a strong cup of black coffee.

“Do you feel it too?”

She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to reply to her mate at this moment. He was being far too arrogant and possessive for her liking. On the other hand, he had just killed three males for her and threatened to wipe out a whole bunch of his superpowerful family... She couldn’t buy devotion like that for all the money in the world. Such immense power was curiously addictive, which explained a lot about the lure of elderly politicians for younger women.

“Will the net hold?”

Vadim ran an experienced eye over it. “I think so. We can’t make it too strong, or we won’t be able to penetrate it.”

“Makes sense.” Ella reached out her hand and gently probed between the strands until she touched Adam’s arm. He hissed a curse and tried to shift away from her, but his bonds wouldn’t allow it.

“Wow. There’s a lot going on in there.”

“I noticed that too.” Vadim came up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder, strengthening their bond with his physical presence. “He’s full of shit.”

She wanted to grin at his cool tone. “Where’s everyone else?”

He glanced over his shoulder. “Right behind us, why? ”

“We should put a guard on your father, and a couple on the other side of Adam in case he manages to break free of us.”

“I had the same thought.” She felt the quick rush of him communicating with someone else. “My mother will watch my father and will command the guards to move into place.”