No, she wasn’t pretending to be weak—he’d smelled her terror when she was cornered and abused the first time he saw her, and now… she looked so frail, tired. Whatever was going on with her unexpected power, she obviously wasn’t in control.

His protective instincts drowned any lingering doubt, and without a care for his many welts and cuts, he lifted her into his arms. They could talk later—right now, he needed to get his mate to safety.

Instead of objecting to being carried, she sank further into his grip and buried her head in his shoulder.

“I was so afraid I’d lost you,” she mumbled, her voice soft and intimate. His heart throbbed oddly in response, but just as he went to nuzzle against the crown of her head, he caught Kesh’s exasperated eyeroll out of the corner of his eye.

Right. Reinforcement of their bond had to wait until they were in safer, and more private, quarters.

Kain followed his younger brother out through the dungeon, silently promising himself to also have a chat with Kesh about the exact reasons he’d thought it wise to bring his mate into enemy territory.

On the other side of the dungeon door, the body of a female demon lay crumpled against the wall, her skull bearing the undeniable marks of having been crushed with a great amount of power. A similar sight met them at the top of the stairs, and in the adjoining hallway they found three more bodies. Clearly the operation hadn’t gone seamlessly.

Kesh paused at the end of the long, marble-tiled hallway, his hand hovering over the doorknob.

“I can’t hear anything.”

His hoarse whisper made Kain freeze, his senses straining to push past the limits of his fatigued body. Complete silence met him.

There should have been noise—the sounds of fighting.

“We have to go,” Kesh hissed. “We can’t attempt to save him without endangering her.”

“Him” being their father.

Kain shook his head, determined not to let any lingering loyalties to the man who’d brought him up risk his mate. There was no choice to make—she was his only priority.

They shared a short look before Kesh kicked open the door, ready to cover their escape.

Yet they didn’t manage more than two steps before dark magic wrapped around Kesh’s throat and brought him to his knees with a gurgle.

Kain cursed and let Selma slide to the floor so his hands were free and his body between her and their attackers. His powers enveloped them both just in time to block a crushing blow of magic.

He growled at the cowardice behind the invisible attacks. These were filthy traps placed by weak enemies!

“I see I didn’t tire you nearly enough.”

The queen stepped out of thin air. She yanked on the chain in her hand, pulling his father out in the open too.