Page 113 of A Bond So Deadly

The students gather, forming neat lines as they stand silently before the Xalgrith king. Their bonded animali howl and hiss, trying to get close to them, but the students use their shadows to keep them away.

“The longer you take, the more of your friends will die,” King Malgur calls out to me. “Surrender. Their fates are in your hands.” At that, a dozen of the hybrid warriors stalk forward and stand before the first row of students. Then they lift their swords.

Chapter Forty-Four

~ Shade ~

Idon’t actually think they’re going to do it, and a scream catches in my throat when the hybrids cut down the first row of students. I stand there in shock, my hands shaking. None of the remaining students make any noises or react to their friends getting slaughtered, and that makes it even worse.

A sob threatens to break free, but a familiar warm body comes up behind me. Galen’s arms curl around me, and his hand covers my mouth, stopping me from giving myself away. King Malgur can’t get into my head, and he still doesn’t know exactly where I am.

“It’s all right, treasure,” Galen tells me soothingly, even though we both know it isn’t. It’s about as far from ‘all right’ as it can get. He removes his hand from my mouth.

“How are you here?” I ask him via our mind link.

He nods toward where a second version of him is still standing with my other mates. “An illusion,” he replies. “We knew our chances of surviving this were slim. We need to get you to the library.”

“And then what? I wait there and hide, hoping you guys make it out of this alive?”

Galen doesn’t answer, and I shake my head. “I’m not going anywhere.” I stare at where Kenzie stands silently beside Satine in the second row of students.

King Malgur’s laughter is harsh as the hybrid warriors follow his silent command and stalk toward them. Leira is in the group of hybrids, and she walks toward Kenzie, her sword dripping with blood. There’s a brief moment when Kenzie and Leira both blink rapidly, and Leira’s steps falter.

Come on, I urge her. For a heartbeat, I think Leira is going to break free from the king’s hold. But then she starts walking again.

No.

The animali rush to help their bonded students, but Xalgrith warriors keep them back.

I strain my ears, hoping that I’ll suddenly hear the demon army approaching, but there’s nothing but the sounds of the Xalgrith.

Leira stops before Kenzie and lifts her sword, her movements synchronized with the other hybrid warriors on either side of her.

I can’t stand here and watch any more of the students die.

And I do the only thing that feels right.

“I’m sorry,” I tell Galen, and before he can stop me, I slip from his hold, disappearing into shadows.

“Shade, stop!” My mates call out to me when I exit the shadow pathway, appearing before the Xalgrith king, and I try my best to ignore them.

“Don’t kill the students!” I shout at King Malgur.

He smiles and lifts his hand. Immediately, the hybrid warriors stop moving, their blades poised in the air before the students.

“Ah, there you are,” he croons.

My mates are around me in an instant, protecting me on all sides as their shadows fill the air like tentacles waiting to strike.

“You were supposed to hide, mate,” Thane growls, though I can tell he never really expected me to do that.

“Well, this didn’t fuckin’ go to plan,” Raith says, holding his sword in front of him, all too ready to protect me.

King Malgur gestures with his hand, and many more Xalgrith warriors march through the opening, surrounding us.

“I’ll take the hundred in front of me,” Raith says. “You guys good with the rest?”

Galen chuckles.