A Queen of Ruin (Deliciously Dark Fairytales 4)

Sex demons. Fuck! We’d been expecting a faerie attacker working for the demons, not the kind of demons that could control minds.

“No!” I yelled, running faster, trying to get there in time.

The sword hit its zenith and then sliced through the air.

I tried to use will, but they were too far away.

The demon burst forward, his back arching and head snapping back as two large, dark-skinned arms wrapped around his chest. The fingers on the sword hilt didn’t release, but Vemar barreled the demon past Hadriel and to the floor in a vicious tackle. And then Vemar’s movements slowed. Turned gooey and jerky, as though he was no longer in charge of his limbs.

Vemar rolled off, as placid as a lamb. The demon pushed up, dragging his sword off the ground.

He should’ve glanced up.

I reached him and kicked his hand off the sword. Bending quickly, I slammed my blade into the back of his neck and wrenched.

Nyfain reached me and then jumped in front.

“Wait for your guard,” he yelled as he kept running, roaring as he reached a demon grabbing Govam by the back of his shirt. He launched the demon into the air, hard enough to crack his head on the arched ceiling above. The demon fell to the ground, limp.

I yanked my blade out and followed. He shoved his way past a fighting demon, knocking it against the wall. Denski was there a moment later, stabbing it through.

Govam caught up with me and yelled over the din as Nyfain reached more fighting.

“Incubi and succubi tried to sneak in,” he said. “Their goal was to get to you and the golden dragon, I have zero doubt. They didn’t mess with anyone else until Sonassa felt them and sounded the alarm. They must not have known we were with you.”

“That’s good news. Dolion might have informants, but they can’t be too high up. The king wanted to be discreet about you guys. Where are the rest of the demons?”

“I told them to get into the room and lock the door so that they wouldn’t be mistaken as the enemy. I was confident Denski and I were known enough not to be in danger.”

I stalled when I saw Hannon in the doorway of the suite he shared with Father and our siblings. He nodded when he saw me.

“They’re okay,” he said. “Sable was headed to the restroom when she heard the commotion. She poked her head out and screamed before slamming the door and locking it behind her. No one has tried to come in, but I’ve been waiting out here just in case.”

“Stay with them,” I said as I kept going.

A demon’s body lay on the ground with its arm bent at an unnatural angle. More followed, the halls littered with bodies. Not only the demons had fallen. A wolf and a dragon were among the dead.

“Damn it,” I said under my breath as Tamara ran around the corner up ahead.

“Your highness!” Blood had spattered her neck and cheek. She held a dripping sword. “Thank the goddess you’re okay.”

Lucille and Jade ran closely behind her, in a similar state.

Tamara’s gaze zipped back and forth between Denski and Govam, then she looked behind us. Hadriel and Vemar were jogging our way, their eyes cleared of the daze.

“They closed us off from getting to you,” she said, trying to catch her breath. “Even with the extra guards the king stationed with us. The faerie guard showed up, though, and helped us push through.”

“How many are there?” I jogged around the corner, seeing a flurry of activity.

Our people fought in nightclothes, in the buff, or as wolves. Demons tried to cut through them, but it seemed their objective had changed. They weren’t trying to get to our rooms anymore—they were trying to get away. Nyfain descended on them with a sword he’d clearly gotten from one of the bodies we stepped over. He cleaved his way through the mass with Weston in wolf form at his side. More battling dragons were ahead of him, and down the way, I could make out guards in white, cutting and slashing their shining swords, taking down anyone they could.

“There’s more than just succubi and incubi,” Govam said in a low tone. “Dolion really wants you two dead. He must think the threat to him will die with you.”

“He wouldn’t be far wrong,” I said, reminded of what Calia had said.

A few demons broke through the line and ran like hell for the stairs. The faerie guards were after them immediately, trying to catch up.

“Shit! Calia! We need to make sure they haven’t gone after her.” I increased the pace of my jog, but Tamara shoved her arm in front of me.

“We need to wait for this to clear. The last thing you need is a surprise knife to the gut. You might live through it, but we don’t want to risk the baby.”