Page 14 of Bound

I thrust out with my sword, catching Twelve in the belly asI kick out in perfect precision, shoving Five back. I twist slightly to takeout Ten and Three in the same fashion.

Instinct takes over as my sword becomes bloodied. I am nolonger thinking about Meg or Dante or even Cian. The sword and I move inperfect harmony. The blade becomes an extension of my being. In so many ways, Ienjoy this place. I relax, letting my hearing confirm the order in which theywill attack. I dance as they play out the scenario, my sword finding purchasein their strong bodies.

Every time I sink the sword into another body, my hungergrows. This. This is my curse. This is the payment for avoiding the bond. Iwant to kill. I need to kill.

The horn blares, calling an end to this round of fighting.It’s an intrusive sound. An unwelcome sound.

I breathe deeply, fighting the instinct to attack the gnomesas they run onto the field to pull off the injured competitors who have calledfor quarter. They wouldn’t come out at all if they knew what was going throughmy rage-addled brain. I want to skewer the little ones. They would look so goodon my blade. A dark voice in my head whispers to me. It’s their fault.They’re on my killing field. They should expect death. They’re dragging off myprey before I even have a chance to finish them. It’s my fucking right. Thevoice is so strong, I turn to raise my sword and take care of the interloperswhen the sight of Meg’s face stops me.

She stands, her fingers gripping the railing and her facepale. I can feel her worry. She’s worried for me. She shouldn’t be worried forme. She should be scared of me.

It’s enough to pull me out of the impending rage. Meg willnever come to me if she sees what an animal I can be. I can’t allow that tohappen. I swallow down my rage as the horn blares, and the battle begins anew.

The remaining vampires don’t wait this time. All eight rushme immediately. I’m knocked back by the unexpected charge. Though my back hitsthe sand, a fierce joy takes over. I do love a good fight. Up until now, thebattle has been rote. Now, I’m thrown a bit off balance, and it sets me free.

A big vamp, with fangs and claws out, leaps on top of me.Sharp claws sink into my left shoulder, pain flaring. The blood starts to flow,and it’ll make the vamps a little crazy. I fear chaos, and now I’m going to getit. Shoving my foot upward, I launch the vamp up and over as I swing my swordin time to skewer the next vampire who jumps on me.

Gravity is my friend, pulling the vamp down, and my aim isperfect. As the vampire sinks onto the sword, the iron of the ancient weapontears through his heart, one of two sure ways to kill a vampire. The race istough as nails but vulnerable when it comes to their hearts. Even a minorinjury to the heart usually kills a vampire. The only other sure way isdecapitation. I roll away as fast as I can, knowing what will come next.Vampires don’t die quietly. They sort of explode.

The rest of the vamps take a quick step back as their fallencompatriot comes apart. I narrowly manage to avoid being covered in gore, butmy senses fill with the smell and scent of blood. It does nothing to calm myinner beast. The warrior soul inside me glories in the death of an opponent.

They deserve death. The female is mine. They’re attemptingto take what is rightfully mine. Mine and Cian’s.

I move out of the way of the next assault. Two vampiresthrow themselves down, one catching me while I’m still blinded by the bits ofdead vamp covering my eyes. A roar goes through me as I feel the vampire sinkhis fangs into the vulnerable flesh between my neck and shoulder. Luckily, Isquirm enough so the bastard doesn’t get my jugular.

I hear—no, feel—Meggie’s scream. It spurs me to action. Itake a single, strong punch from a second attacking vamp. Several more stepforward to take a shot, too. The vamp on my neck pushes at me, trying to get abetter angle. I reach up and pull him off my back, tossing him into thevampires attacking my front. The place where the vamp’s fangs sank in aches.The fucker has gotten away with a hunk of my flesh.

It doesn’t matter. I heal quickly.

I move even faster. I skewer the vamp who took a chunk outof me, and my aim is perfect. The vamp explodes, even as I pull my sword outand move on to the next.

The blood and gore is having an effect on the vamps as well.Two of the vampires have turned on each other. Out of the corner of my eye, Icatch sight as they scream, fangs and claws out. The pair attacks each otherviciously. They sink their claws into each other’s bellies, and thehigh-pitched sound of their pain riles me up even faster. The two quickly dropto the ground. They roll in the sand, each desperate to gut the other.Vampires, for all their claims to civilization, are as brutal as the rest of theplanes.

There are only six left, and two are doing their damnedestto kill each other. A fierce joy races through me as I bring the hilt of mysword down on a vamp I trip as he attempts to run away. Silly creature.There’s nowhere to run. I raise the sword to bring it down on the vamp’sthroat. I’m swinging it in an arc toward my unconscious rival’s body when I’mtackled from the side.

Rage pours through me as I hit the sand. How fucking dare…

“Quarter!” the vampire yells as he scrambles to get hisknife properly in hand. “He’s out, Beck. You can’t kill a man who’s alreadygone down.”

It’s the same vampire who drew Dante’s ire before thebattle. He’s covered in sweat and blood. His hood has fallen back, and his paleskin is already burning. “Give it a rest, Beck. It’s over. The female is yours.We surrender.”

I don’t properly process the words the vampire speaks. Ihear them but what I feel is anger and a need to kill until none of them areleft. Only then will I be able to properly protect Meggie. They’ll come afterher. They won’t stop. The vampire offers me a hand up because I’m on my back ina submissive position. I am not fucking submissive. This is never acceptable. Ican hear my father telling me to shove this part of my personality down, thatit’s evil. But I don’t care at this point. With a single hand, I toss thevampire away like he’s a child’s toy. Somewhere in the back of my rage-addledhead, I see that the gnomes have taken to the floor. They’re trying to help outthe injured combatants.

It no longer matters. My rage requires blood.

“He’s gone insane!” Palgrave shouts, trying to get thereferee’s attention. “You have to put him down.” The vampire backs up as Igrowl low in my throat and begin to stalk him. He tosses down his knife andshows me his empty hands. He retracts his claws, but the fangs remain. “Iconcede, Beck. We all concede.”

A horn blares but it’s a distant, meaningless thing comparedto the roar in my ears. There are still bodies twitching. My work can’tpossibly be finished. My senses open, and everywhere I smell glorious death.The vamp is forced against back the arena wall. He tries to shrink back asthough he can force the stone walls to pull him in.

“I am asking for mercy, Your Highness.” There’s a hitch inthe vampire’s voice that sparks my predatory instincts. He pulls away as thoughtrying to disappear inside himself.

It won’t stop me.

I smell the fear on him. I raised my sword as the crowdbegins to scream, but it’s a single voice that stays my hand.

“He asked for mercy, Beck,” a soft feminine voice says.“There’s no reason to kill him.”

Meggie. She’s here. The vamp takes the opportunity to run.I’m too shook by Meg’s presence to do anything about it. Dante stands at herside.