Page 109 of Ruby Red Sky

“This will protect you, beyond Lukas’s protection. Unicorns don’t suffer humans to live, and you have gained a familiar, or so it would seem.”

Elijah gave me a pointed glance, and I looked at the beast again. There was no way I could take him to the Second Realm with me, only people and birds could transition. That was what I’d been told. But it was nice to know I had a unicorn friend in one of the Realms. And should Lukas not return, I had this extra advantage.

“Thank you,” I said. “For doing all this for me.”

The creature neighed, shook out its mane and trotted in a circle. It waved its tail before going and standing sentry at the end of the bridge.

Lukas had said I couldn’t have a unicorn as a pet, but it seemed like I’d gotten something better. A laugh escaped me as I walked back over to Selena and Elijah. I looked at her. “Never in a million years did I ever think I’d get to meet a real life, bad ass unicorn. Kinda ridiculous, but here I am.”

She nodded vigorously. “I know!” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “These guys will never understand how crazy it can seem. I fucking slaughtered a demon before,” she giggled. “Probably the best day of my life.”

A rumble left Elijah’s chest. “Outside of meeting you, of course,” she told him.

She glanced at me with a wince and I smirked. He peered down at me, and I quickly erased the expression from my face.

We almost made it to the door when a flashing light blinded me.

“What the hell was that?” I heard Selena yell.

I tripped over her.

CHAPTER 32

Lukas

Wyvon approached as if we were going to spend some quality time together, sharing a meal and catching up on old times. I knew better than to let my guard down, and I watched him warily. Slowly, I pulled myself up, every movement feeling like I was being dragged through mud. There was no point in hiding my condition. He already knew.

The birds swarmed him but couldn’t penetrate the shield he’d raised. Several of the crows beat against his ward, knocking themselves out until they spun in circles in the dirt.

“After I kill you, I will deal with your human. I can smell her on you. I can smell her in you.” He lifted his nose in the air. “After I drain and consume you, I will taste her. Maybe she’ll end up in a harem. Maybe I’ll send her back to the Third.”

He chuckled, the sound dark and low. “Can you imagine? Her going back to a simple human life? She’ll get married and birth more food for us.”

There was no way in this Realm or any other I was going to allow that. I wasn’t so unselfish as to let her live anywhere without me. The thought of another man touching her turned my remaining blood into an inferno.

If for no other reason, I had to stay alive to prevent her from being defiled. She was mine and no one else was allowed to touch her.

Cassia was thoughtful, reasonable—mostly, incredibly talented, and caring. She considered other’s feelings and lit up any room she walked into. Her light was mine. I wouldn’t trade the spark she brought to my existence for anything, and I’d be damned if anyone was going to take that away from me.

Wyvon’s nails extended, and his thick fangs reached over his bottom lip, nearly touching his chin. They were strong like a large wolf’s, designed to inflict maximum damage and the most painful of deaths.

The blood I’d consumed from the three demon soldiers would have to be enough.

The man circled me, his eyes gleaming yellow from deep within the golden flecks of his brown irises. His fingernails were mildly discolored, giving away his extensive age. He must have been a few thousand years older than me, but not even he had been able to remember, when anyone ever asked.

It took a moment for the pain to register. I felt liquid trickling down my spine before the sting hit my nerve endings. My spine arched away before I was slammed against rock. I heard the crunch of cartilage and tasted my own blood.

The sharp crack of my skull smashing into stone blurred my vision, and I let my legs bend, dropping me to the ground.

Wyvon’s hands circled my neck, his grip tightening as I struggled for every drag of oxygen I could muster. Black and white dots danced in front of my eyes when I tried and failed to get the upper hand.

I pushed my head against the wall, swaying my shoulders backward. Taking advantage of the small space between us, I lifted my leg, driving my boot into his groin as hard as I could. Wyvon grunted, and bowed, and I sucked air into my lungs when his hold on me failed.

Twisting, I slammed my elbow into the side of his head and jumped on top of him when he fell. He rolled, switching our positions, and I hooked a leg around him, flipping us back over again.

I hammered punches down onto his face, the rings on my fingers splitting his skin open until a red mist filled the air. His body trembled and his skin felt sticky with static as he reached deep within himself for his magic. It seemed as if he didn’t expect this response from me, or perhaps he’d hoped I’d prostrate myself at his feet. He should have used his more powerful magic sooner than he had, or I wouldn’t have been able to do what I did next.

I sank my teeth into his neck, visualizing the white frost that had worked so well for me with the demons. I pictured it spreading throughout his veins, infiltrating his brain and his heart, the way the roots of grass and weeds conquered the dirt under our feet in one long, continuous infection.