“I found you,” a man says as he steps closer.
“You the fucking master?” Dice asks him.
The guy’s eyes dart to Morgana and back so quickly that I almost miss it, but I see it. It’s impossible. No freaking way.
No. Nope. Not possible.
“I’m just a lowly visionary,” he says, his lips twitching. “And you were really hard to find. But picking you two off seemed a little too easy. We almost thought it was a trap.”
I didn’t fight. I was worried about hitting Dice with an accidental blast of power, and I froze. My baby depended on me, and I froze.
Tears rise to my eyes. Kya wouldn’t have frozen. She’d have fought her way out. They chose me because I’m weak, and Dice probably came more willingly just to follow me to hell as he’s promised to always do.
“Why now?” Dice barks, as though he’s trying to juice them for all the information he can.
What he doesn’t understand is that they wouldn’t be telling us anything at all—or revealing themselves—if they weren’t positive we’re going to die.
“Why now?” Morgana echoes, a sadistic grin curving her lips. “For one, I want your princess just in case my backup plan doesn’t work. And for two...” Her smile disappears as something akin to pure, unadulterated hatred crosses her eyes. “I’m tired of you getting too close to fucking up centuries of work. Today, that all ends.”
She steps back as something dark and gnarly starts toward us. It’s huge, at least seven feet tall, possibly taller. And wide, almost the width of two men, but in a buff, muscled up way. What is that thing?
The thing is in a metal mask that clasps around its face, and its eyes seem hollowed out... As though someone removed them. The black metal extends to its body, lining it with armor like a medieval knight.
It looks every bit as dark and foreboding as the undead.
“Meet our very own little creation,” Morgana says as the black knight steps closer. “We call him the Harbinger of Death. He was made from a human, but infused with the blood of so many goodies. He’s the first who survived the trials, with a Lokie’s help, of course. He’ll be taking all the information we need right from your lips. Feel free to show yourself mercy and talk. The kill will go much swifter if you tell him everything you know about the scarred Gemini, the princess, and your beloved king and queen.”
“Why pry out information if you think they’re going to show?” Dice snaps.
“I don’t think they’ll show up,” Morgana says, a wicked tilt to her lips. “I know they will. They’re far too predictable. However, I’m not sure who all will come, so this is to cover all bases. Have fun turning on your friends,” she says while winking.
She leaves, but the visionary minion stays behind with a sinister grin tugging at his lips.
“You’re really overestimating my value!” Dice calls to her back as he struggles against the chains.
“We’ll see.” Morgana’s voice floats down the hallway like a bad omen as the dark knight rips the cage door off like it isn’t warded against all magic.
I swallow a tight knot in my throat as my eyes fall down on his black fingernails that are shaped like a werewolf’s claws. His missing eyes seem to be staring right at me as he makes his way closer.
“Over here, you tin can!” Dice snaps, but the knight ignores him as my throat goes dry.
“Hey, you stupid motherfucker! You deaf? Are your ears missing too? You want to fuck with me!”
The knight stops in front of me, not regarding Dice in the least. His head drops to my stomach, and I start panicking, jerking at the chains. Somehow it knows I’m pregnant.
“Your dick is apparently attached to your shoulders, you ugly son of a bitch! I said over here. Or are you too weak to take me? Too weak to hurt an incubus that’s chained to the wall, so you have to fuck with a half human woman?” Dice goads.
Something in that strikes a nerve, because the knight turns his head with such an eerie slow speed toward Dice. Dice, the stupid asshole, smirks.
“Dice, no!” I shout as he slams his foot against the back of the knight’s leg.
He grimaces, and the knight doesn’t so much as falter.
“Yeah, you dumb, ugly bastard. Right here. Keep those gouged out eyes on me. Show me you’re stronger than touching a fucking helpless woman. Or am I too much man? Worried I’ll break free and fuck you up?”
The knight moves fast, grabbing Dice by the throat, and I scream, pleading to no avail for the evil bastard to stop.
Something black starts spreading through the veins of Dice’s face, becoming more and more visible as Dice chokes, his body shaking like he can’t breathe.