Carys looked down at his fresh wound in horror. “Oh, shit, Rune.”
The hole in his thigh was gushing blood. Not good. On top of all of his other injuries, it was catastrophic. Her blood was still a vibrant force inside him, but it wouldn’t stop him from bleeding out.
And as the feeling started to fade from his leg, he knew he wouldn’t be able to run now. Hell, at this rate, he’d be lucky if he managed a slow hobble.
Damn it, no!
“I can smell your blood, Aedan.” His father’s gleeful voice rang out over the straggling shots. “You may not know it yet, but you’re dead, son. Gonna be a shame you won’t live long enough to see me and all of my men rape your Breed bitch until she’s begging for us to kill her too.”
Rune gently lifted her chin and held her gaze. “That’s not going to happen,” he told her firmly. “I’m not going to let them touch you. Not ever. We’re going to get out of this.”
“I know.” She nodded, but he could see the flicker of fear in her eyes now.
Her doubt nearly killed him. Far more than any bullet could.
Even he had to acknowledge that things didn’t look good for them. More guards poured into the great hall now. His father’s personal army was closing in, diminishing their chances of escape with each second that ticked by.
“We have to make a break for it,” he told her.
She shook her head. “You’ll never make it.”
“But you might.” When she parted her lips to protest, he cut her off with a kiss. “Please, Carys. I love you. Do this for me.”
Misery swam in her gaze. “No. No, I won’t! Rune, we’re staying togeth—”
Her words cut off as a sudden explosion rocked the fortress.
Dust fell from the heavy rafters of the hall. Outside the room, a sudden, frantic commotion kicked up.
Fineas Riordan shouted to his men, “What the fuck was that?”
A panicked voice answered. “The main gate, sir. Holy shit, they’ve taken it out!”
Carys swung a wide-eyed glance at Rune. “The Order. Rune, they’re here!”
In the middle of the great hall, Riordan was barking commands to his guards. “Get out there and push them back! All of you, look alive—hold this keep! Whoever’s at our gates, blow them away! And kill these two right fucking now!”
Chaos and gunfire erupted.
But apparently, his father had no intention of sticking around to lend his own blood and sweat to the battle. Rune saw him grab a weapon from one of his men, then he flashed across the great hall to an archway leading to the east tower of the castle.
Carys saw it too. “He’s getting away!”
When her body tensed with purpose, Rune felt her fury emanate through his bond to her. She was pissed as hell and ready to kill.
“Don’t even think it, love.” Rune grabbed her arms and ground out a curse. “Forget about him.”
But his woman was Breed, and her power coursed through her as ferociously as it did him. As it did in any other of their kind. Her blue eyes burned bright amber in an instant. She tossed her head in defiance, fangs bared. “I can’t forget about him until I know he’s dead.”
She pulled out of his hold. Then she vanished into shadow and was gone.
Rune bellowed her name as he pushed to his feet behind the shelter and opened fire on his father’s guards.
CHAPTER 39
Carys flashed up the tower stairs only seconds behind Riordan.
There was a small chamber at the top, and a door that appeared to open out onto the battlements. Riordan had his hand on the latch as Carys caught up to him. He yanked it open—then shrank back on a cry as the early morning sun’s rays reached for him.
He slammed the heavy wood panel on a curse and wheeled around.
Carys stood there, her assault rifle aimed on him. “Like a rat in a trap,” she said, throwing his own words back at him.
But Riordan had a gun too. He raised it on her. “You think you’re man enough to take me on?”
He fired.
She dodged the shot with ease. Her Breed speed took her to the left side of the small room. Riordan pivoted and fired on her again. Another dodge, and this time instead of letting him see where she ended up, she gathered the shadows and taunted him into wasting more rounds. She zipped and zagged, taking far too much satisfaction in his wild, ineffective aim.
His panicked shots ricocheted off the stone walls.
Then his rifle jammed.
Carys felt a cold smile spread over her face as she let the shadows fall away. She stood directly in front of him now. “I’m not man enough to kill you. But I am woman enough.”
She fired on him twice—a bullet in each shoulder. He jerked back with the impact, his arms hanging limply at his sides. He dropped his useless weapon, howling with pain.
Carys’s vision burned red with contempt for him and all the evil he had done. “That’s for Rune’s mother and the other Breedmate you killed.”
As he hissed and coughed, she lowered her aim and blew out both of his knees. He dropped to the floor it utter misery, writhing and convulsing in a tight ball at her feet. “That’s for Rune and his sister, Kitty.”
Carys stood over him, her gun’s barrel leveled at the spot between his furious amber eyes.
Riordan snarled, thick spittle dripping from his open mouth and fangs. He stared at her in seething outrage. But Carys saw fear in his gaze now too. He was beaten and he knew there would be no coming back from it now.
“Just do it, you bitch! Kill me, you fucking daywalker freak!”
“No.” She shook her head. “A bullet would be too merciful. And I’m fresh out of mercy where you’re concerned.”
“Huh?” His confusion was short-lived.
Carys slung her weapon over her shoulder
