Page 125 of Lethal Souls

“Caz!” she shrieks, throwing her arms around my neck. “Oh my God! She’s fucking crazy!” Her heart races fast, beating against mine.

“I’ve got you,” I whisper as she hugs me tighter.

I sail through the trees with her, burning through leaves and branches until I reach the meadow again.

I place Willow down near Milandra and the other warrior, and she wobbles on her feet, still clinging to me.

“These Regals are fucking insane,” Willow breathes. “I’m fucking pregnant! What is wrong with them?” She picks up her head, but her jaw drops as her eyes move up, and up, and up. “Caz, you look...”

“What?”

“Different,” she breathes, still peering up. “And taller.”

Did I fail you?

I huff a laugh. You’re an arrogant one, aren’t you? I think.

My skin buzzes, alerting me to an imminent threat, and I catch Hassha’s fist just as it tries to connect with my jaw. When I look at her, she smirks with fierce, glowing eyes.

“There you are,” she says just before freeing herself and pressing a solid hand to my chest. With a hard shove from her, I sail across the field, smashing through tree trunks that break from the collision.

I catch myself somehow, skidding backwards, fingers digging into the moist soil. I work my jaw then dart toward the meadow again.

Call for a sword, Yuri’s voice commands.

“Sword,” I shout, still running. The heat in my hands turns solid and creates the handle of the weapon I’ve chosen. “Shit,” I laugh, but it doesn’t last long because Hassha has her own sword drawn and lets out a war cry as she charges me.

Our swords clash with a reverberating ring, and the flames drip to the ground in striking blues and reds.

“You handle your sword well,” she says, keeping steady. “Who trained you?”

She feigns to the left when I break the hold to thrust at her.

“My demented father and his soldiers.” I spin and kick her against the chest and she skids backwards, catching herself, but I don’t stop.

I lunge into the air with my sword, letting out my own battle cry as I bring it down. She throws hers up in time, blocking the strike, and her entire body sparks blue as she pushes forward and shoves me off like I’m the weight of a feather.

I hit the grass, tumbling a time or two before landing on my feet again.

Hassha remains where she’s standing, but when she drops her arms, I notice the glowing red dagger pinned in her chest.

Her warriors gasp.

Willow cups her mouth.

I smirk.

Damn. We did that? Yuri chuckles.

Hassha snatches the dagger out of her chest without looking at it, but she does wince. Pain inflicted on a Regal. I’m the only person who can do that.

“That’s for dropping my mate,” I growl.

“I would’ve caught her if you couldn’t.” She cracks a smile, chucking the dagger aside and forming a defensive stance again. I can’t help loosening up and smiling back. “Do you see what happens when you allow Yuri’s power to take control? He will only guide you. Protect you. He’ll never lead you astray.”

“Careful, Hassha.” I form two swords in my hands this time, gathering my defenses. “I turn into quite the menace when I have power.”

Hassha huffs a laugh as a shield accumulates in one of her hands, branded with a symbolic K. “Milandra, Asteria,” she calls, and her warriors rush to the meadow, standing at her side with their weapons raised for attack. “Let’s rid him of his arrogance, shall we?”