Page 92 of Clash of Kingdoms
“Hissssssssssss.” Beast’s massive jaws snatched Vine off me, and she crunched her teeth together, breaking his spine and all of his bones. Instead of swallowing him, she flung him out of her mouth and into the abyss. I can’t help you and your kin at the sssame time. You mussst choossse.
“I need to reach higher to destroy the crystal.” I tried to pry the sword free, but it just made my hands bleed more. The crystal was more important than any life below, because as long as that crystal persevered, the battle would rage on.
Beast grabbed the sword with her teeth and pried it free. Hurry. We only have sssecondsss before he’sss back.
I forced myself up, my hands slippery with blood, and grabbed the sack of explosives before I climbed onto her head, dripping blood all over her brilliant scales. I swayed and nearly toppled over.
Can you do thisss?
“Yes.”
She raised her head so I could reach. Hurry.
One by one, I stuck them to the sides of the crystal, moving up toward the base so it would destroy the entire thing once the explosion happened.
Hold on.
I dropped to my knee as Beast jerked to the right.
“Hiiissssssss.”
I knew Vine had returned, aiming his blade at Beast.
I kept going, sticking the explosives, quickly running out.
Then an explosion happened below, down where the fighting was.
He’sss pulling them off.
I gritted my teeth and kept going. “Fucker…”
More explosions sounded, Vine removing the ones I’d put at the bottom and throwing them at my own kind.
“Done.”
Beast immediately pulled away and moved toward Vine.
I jumped off her and landed hard on my side, my entire body crying out, more blood being squeezed from my muscles.
She struck at Vine, but he cut her across the nose with his gold blade.
“You betray me, bitch?”
“Hiiiiisssssssss.” She struck him again, biting his torso clean in two before flinging his body over the edge. Is it ready?
“Yes.” I climbed back up her body. “Move away.”
She pulled away from the fortress, and that was when I had a clear view of the chaos. The Demon Lords had unleashed fire and ice on the vampires, burning them alive or freezing them in place. Demons launched themselves across the bridge to get into the fight.
I quickly scanned for my brothers, but I didn’t see either.
Dessstroy it.
I grabbed the last explosive I’d kept just for this and threw it at the crystal. At the moment of collision, the explosive detonated, causing all the others to do the same. A fiery storm of flames and clouds appeared—and then the crystal shattered. Shards poured down everywhere like sharp drops of blue rain. It flowed through the roof, ejected in all directions.
The battle came to a halt as everyone stared, some in relief, and some in terror.
The high-pitched scream returned, a cacophony of several voices at once.