I nodded as my right hand moved under the cloak, crossing my stomach.

“You have to be out of your mind. You are, aren’t you?” King Jalara’s smile was grotesque, revealing his fangs. “The only message I will deliver for you is one of submission.”

“I’m sorry. I misspoke,” I said, forcing a silly little laugh. “It’s you that’s the message.”

“What—?” His twisted smile froze. His gaze shot over my shoulder—

Kieran exploded from the shadows, slamming into him. He stumbled, lips peeling back in a snarl as Kieran latched on to his arm, not letting him get far. I pulled the sword from my cloak and spun, sweeping out wide and high.

Only a few things in my entire life were as satisfying as the feeling of the blade meeting King Jalara’s flesh, the resistance of bone, and then the shocking ease with which it gave way. The blade sliced deep into his throat and through the spinal column, separating his head from the body.

My gaze lifted to where the knights had frozen, to where the Revenant stood in utter shock, either held immobile by the sight of their King’s head winging in the opposite direction of his body, or by the sight of the other wolven prowling out from the darkness.

And then I fought like a god.

I didn’t summon the eather. I didn’t visualize it. I didn’t take the time to let the power ramp up inside me. I didn’t need to because it was always there. I simply willed it.

The shields exploded, and then the swords. The necks of the knights twisted sideways, silencing their screams before they even formed. Their arms broke. Bones cracked throughout the bodies. Their legs bent backwards, and then I tore them apart from the inside.

In the mist of blood, the Revenant quickly withdrew two black, crescent-shaped swords. He held them as the wolven growled and snapped. “That won’t work on me.”

“No. It won’t,” I said as a rush of wind whipped from above. The light of the moon was suddenly obscured.

The Revenant glanced up. “What the—?”

Reaver landed before me, rocking the ground and the trees. His tail whipped around, sliding between the wolven as he stretched out his head and opened his mouth. A deafening roar erupted from deep within his throat as a wisp of smoke floated above the frills.

“But this will,” I finished, sheathing the sword. “Fire of the gods, right? That will kill you.”

“Good fucking gods, is that—?” The Revenant stumbled, tripping over his feet. He caught himself just as Reaver’s spiked tail slammed into his chest.

Well, that was not a part of the plan, I thought as I watched the Revenant fly sideways, crashing into rock. He hit it with a fleshy smack. Sliding onto his knees, he pitched forward onto his hands with a groan.

Slowly, I looked over at Reaver. “Really?”

He made a chuffing sound as he swung his tail back, narrowly missing taking out Kieran in the process. The wolven’s ears flattened as he growled.