“I cannot leave this world of my own volition. But you can bring me and my army to yours.” The demon lord dismounted from his horse and walked toward Annwyl. “And once there, Annwyl the Bloody, you will give me your children. The other Abominations will follow your unholy twins and your unholy twins will follow you.” He slid his hand behind the back of her neck, the claws scraping her skin. “Now, this may be where you’re thinking of sacrificing yourself in an attempt to save your children but that would be foolish. Because I can spend an eternity”—he yanked her close, his lips nearly touching hers—“a gods-damn eternity, making you pay for such a mistake. So choose wisely, one-time queen.”

He smiled at her and, waiting a heartbeat or two, asked, “So . . . what is your choice?”

But Annwyl couldn’t answer him. Everything had turned red around her. Not just the sky and the dirt . . . but everything. And she could no longer hear anything except . . . rushing waves? Right in her ears.

All Annwyl knew was that the demon lord wanted to use her children. Her children. And Annwyl . . . she couldn’t . . . she wouldn’t . . . she . . . she . . .

* * *

He saw it coming. Knew his daughter better than he knew himself, and he saw it coming. As soon as that idiot mentioned her unholy children she just started . . . screaming.

Like she used to do when she got into it with her brother. She’d scream and attack him and take him down to the floor even though she wasn’t even eight yet. She’d hurt him, too. But she was only a child then. A child with no skill and no strength.

But now?

Annwyl wrapped herself around the struggling Lord Phalet, her screams completely drowning out his. She dug her hands into his scalp and pressed her thumbs into his eyes.

Lord Phalet spun, trying to get her off, but Annwyl held on tight, unwilling to let go.

Then he screamed for help. “Get her off me! Get her off me!”

Several of his soldiers ran to aid him, grabbing Annwyl around the waist and pulling her one way while two other soldiers pulled Lord Phalet the other. Annwyl still didn’t let go.

The soldiers tried harder; Phalet’s screams getting more desperate.

Finally they pried her off, but her thumbs were covered in the remains of Phalet’s eyes.

The demon lord dropped to his hands and knees, spitting and screaming and bleeding everywhere.

But they still didn’t know his daughter. She wasn’t done. She wouldn’t be done until Lord Phalet was dead.

She fought off the soldiers holding her and managed to get a sword from one of them. As soon as she yanked that weapon free, several of the men she’d already killed once made a crazed run for it. Away. They ran away.