This fight needs to be wrapped up quickly, before the Dokhalls realize Rakiz’s defenses have been split in half.
A roar reaches us, the sound so loud it seems to shake the castle, and I slam my hands over my ears.
“Oh, that?” I ask when it’s finished. “That’s Dragix. And you really shouldn’t have fucked with the man who saved his life and helped his pregnant mate.” I tsk. “Dragons are surprisingly loyal creatures.”
Arix laughs, sending me an incredulous look, and I smile at him.
Bevix roars and lunges toward the king. Arix pushes me against the stone wall and draws his sword, his face hard even as a tiny smile plays around his mouth.
Metal hits metal, and I wish I had a sword of my own. Not that it would help, since Arix and Bevix are moving almost too fast to see in the small space.
But I have my own knife. The one Zoey ensured was coated in poison before she handed it to me. It’s currently tucked into a thigh sheath Nevada insisted I take.
I just need to get close enough to use it.
Bevix swings wildly, losing patience, and Arix steps smoothly away, laughing as his adviser’s sword hits the rocky wall.
From the way he flashes his teeth, Arix has been waiting for this moment for a long time.
A scuffle sounds behind me, and I turn, raising my hands to defend myself, but it’s too late.
“Zion?”
He shoves his sword deep into my stomach, his grin fierce. My scream merges with Arix’s roar, and I slump to my knees.
He’s one of the guards Arix trusted with my safety.
I blink, and Arix is suddenly there. I blink again, and Zion’s head is no longer on his body. Another blink, and I’m lying on my back, Arix leaning over me.
I manage to push him away. “Behind…you.”
Arix spins, his sword once again meeting Bevix’s. The adviser’s face is pale, and his clothes are red in places as he bleeds from small cuts and slashes Arix.
Arix has been toying with him like a cat with a mouse. But he’s no longer playing with him now.
In fact, he’s barely paying attention, his eyes wild as they meet mine.
“Hold on,” he orders me. “Just hold on.”
Agony engulfs my entire body. I thought I knew what pain was when I shoved Nevada aside, taking a sword to the chest.
That was nothing compared to this.
My entire abdomen burns as if it’s aflame. I writhe uncontrollably, small noises leaving my throat. Death would be a blessing right now.
Arix is getting sloppy, most of his attention on me. This is exactly what Bevix planned for. He knew he’d never take down the king who trains every morning as if possessed. So he decided to kill me first, splitting Arix’s focus so he could take his head.
Not if I can help it.
I reach my hand down and almost pass out as the pain feels like a hundred knives, all of them buried deep in my gut.
I always wanted to be more than decoration. Now I get to save the life of a king on an alien planet.
Look at me now, Mom.
My mind is wandering, and I ruthlessly force myself to focus. Just a little longer, and then I can close my eyes.
Arix moves closer to me, and Bevix laughs, batting Arix’s sword away and stabbing his own sword into Arix’s chest.
No. Please no.
I scream, attempting to get up, but I’m too weak, my blood pooling around me. I must be dreaming, because Arix doesn’t die. Instead, he laughs, slashing his sword down Bevix’s arm while the other male curses.
It takes a while for my foggy brain to understand. Then Arix’s shirt parts, revealing a glimmering emerald green, which darkens to black.
Dragon scales. Arix is wearing dragon scales beneath his shirt.
Bevix lets out a strangled sound, and this time, he’s the one getting sloppy as fury makes him swing wildly. But Arix is barely paying attention as he attempts to get closer to me.
“Stay awake,” he roars, and I nod. I’m not finished yet.
My hand inches down. Thankfully, my dress has a long slit, and I’m sprawled on the ground, the knife strapped to my thigh, taunting me with how close it is.
I wrap my hand around the knife, but I can’t pull it free of Nevada’s thigh sheath. I tug, but nothing happens. Frustration makes my heart pound, and I force myself to relax. A pounding heart means even more blood will be pouring out of my body.
The ringing in my ears and the black spots taking over my vision tell me I’m losing consciousness. My mouth falls open as Nevada’s face appears in front of my eyes, her teeth bared. “Fight,” she orders me, and Ellie nods from where she stands next to her, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“You’ve got this, Viv.”
Zoey is suddenly there too. “Just get it in his bloodstream like we talked about,” she urges. “He’ll weaken instantly, I promise.”
My eyes want to close, but Charlie scowls at me. “Wake up,” she commands.
Ivy nods in agreement. “Make him hurt, V.”
I try again, a sob leaving me as my hand slips off the knife. I can’t get it free.
“Based on that asshole’s current trajectory, he will be in front of you in approximately twenty seconds,” Alexis points out, and I grind my teeth.
“Nineteen, eighteen, seventeen.” It’s Beth, counting down, her voice musical.
“Pull out the knife, V.” Sarissa’s voice keeps me conscious as I scream a curse, using what feels like every last ounce of my strength to wiggle the knife free.
Sarissa smiles proudly at me, and the women all disappear as I blink again.
Blood loss. I’m either close to death or I’m going insane.
I shake it off, and the rest of the world fades away as I turn my head, waiting until Bevix dances just close enough.
He doesn’t see me as a threat. No one ever sees me as a threat.
He won’t make that mistake again.
My hand whips out, and my knife slashes across his ankle, drawing blood. He
