Tristan drags me out of the way and down the rubble. I trip my way there, my mouth moving to Apollo's name, but no sound comes. My heart breaks inside my chest, the fear of losing him stronger than the will to survive this shit. More soldiers approach us from the sides, making their way quickly over the rocks like they mean nothing, like there aren't people buried underneath. Some point guns at us, and I'm betting they're not the killing type.
Prince wants me alive. I have to get myself under control and make my stand so the others can run.
I squirm on Tristan’s arm, but his lock is impossible to escape. "Tristan!" I cry out, my voice scratchy, my eyes burning. "Put me down! I'll be the distraction, and you run."
"No," he answers without looking at me.
"Tristan, they'll kill you too!"
And he looks at me with so much pain on his face it rips my heart out. And this is the last I see of his handsome features because something slams against his cheek, shoving him to the ground. A scream claws up my throat, but I choke on it as I drop with Tristan. There's no time. I need to run.
I shoot to my feet as soon as I see Tristan moving. He's alright, so I have to run. I have to give them time to escape. Toppling to my feet, I dash out and away. Rubble moves behind me, and I shoot a look over my shoulder in time to see Ren rising like from a grave. His confused eyes meet mine for a second.
"Don't come after me!" I scream as I keep running, and the soldiers separate, half coming after me, the other half circling my men. I want to hiss at them, call them to me so my men can escape, but there's not much to do when I'm racing with dozens of fae behind me.
I turn my face to the path ahead, and my gaze meets Prince, standing right in front of me like he's always been here. I try to skid to a halt but fail, losing my balance and slamming face-first into his chest. His clawed hands, still sticky with Apollo's blood, curl around my arms, keeping me against his body.
"Together, at last," he says with a smile that freezes my blood.
CHAPTER 20
CASSANDRA
His words shudder through me, nausea roiling inside. Vomiting on his face would definitely be a good distraction. I wonder if I could force it out in case of need.
"How the fuck did you even find me this fast?" I spit at him, struggling in his hold. He's pretty strong for someone so slim.
"Every car of mine has a location spell. Easy enough."
Smart. I don't know much about magic. What else can it do? Could it fix Apollo? I focus on keeping Prince distracted, his attention on me."I thought you'd have more trouble with the Collector."
Prince's face changes to something wicked, and I know he'll keep me alive, but he'll also punish me for what I've done. For not being a good slave, for not obeying whatever he wanted me to do just because he got me out of the Collector's hold. I'm thankful he treated me like a sentient being deserving of food and comforts, but I'm not giving him my life and accepting his grand plans of impregnating me just because.
He's a monster. He killed Apollo like it meant nothing, just because he was in the way.Just because my mate wanted to keep me safe.
I jerk free of Prince's hands, taking a full step away. He steps closer, never leaving much space between us. I look up at him and snarl. "Fuck off, Prince. I'm not going with you."
He leans closer, his sharp cheekbones so close I could cut myself in them. "Not your option, pet. You come with me wanting it or not. You're opening the way back home wanting it or not, and you're bearing my children wanting it or not." A hand of his flies to my arm, gripping it again. I hate it so much when a man grips me around the arm and finds himself in the duty of manhandling me. Rage and grief boil inside me, burning through my veins like poison.
"Sounds peachy," I grind back, jerking my arm, unable to free myself of his clutch. "So you tell me you're forcing me to open the gate, and that you're raping me, and you're mad I don't like the whole thing?"
His face soothes a little, but the jagged edges are still sharp. "I'm not raping you, pet. You're going to like it. I'll make it good."
I roll my eyes so far I see a bit of my brain. "Read the dictionary, Tinker Bell. It's rape if I tell you I don't want it."
"Do you think I care about semantics?" He pulls me against his body again. "Why don't we bring your men along? Every time you think of denying me something, I'll cut one of their fingers off. Won't it be pleasant? Or how you put it," a grin, "peachy?"
Enough.
I let the trickle of my magic rush through my veins, eating out all the rest. The sense overwhelms me. It takes over everything, the grief, the rage, the pain. My mind blanks for a moment, and Prince lets go of my arms as I suck all the shadows to me.
Darkness races to my body from the underside of rocks, beneath trees, from every nook and cranny on the ground. I feel them rushing toward me, climbing my body, soaking in through my skin. My blood warms, like I've been out on a cold day and finally stepped into a warm tub. The shadow magic enters through my pores, filling my chest until I'm about to spill.
I open my eyes and find Prince's wide ones on me. Awe crosses his face. He smiles. "Yes," he lets the word drag in a hiss. "That's it, pet. Let it eat you up. Let it become a part of you."
"It is a part of me. And it is mine."
I let the shadows fly in a deranged, dark mass, covering everything in its path. The shadows cover a circle around me, blinding them all so only I can see in this place. I leave my mates out. I encapsulate Prince and his fae only, and in this circle of darkness, something else changes. My rage is alive here. It burns.