He clenched his fists, wanting to stop Coal. Wanting to go after his female in the worst of ways but she wasn’t his. She didn’t want him. He was pathetic. He deserved to be hurt. If Coal incapacitated him, he wouldn’t be able to go after Candy. Even if he wanted to. She didn’t want him. He deserved everything that was coming his way.

The blow was sharp and so fucking hard that it almost put him on his ass. He both felt and heard his ribs snap. At least two. Fucking hurt! Must be three.

“Stop!” Julie shouted from somewhere in the distance.

“Wait,” Torrent growled as Coal advanced. He couldn’t see the human. If she tried to intervene she would be hurt.

“Coal. Stop it!” Julie shouted. She sounded far enough away. Thank fuck!

Torrent didn’t even see the punch coming. He heard his nose crush and blood gushed down his throat. He staggered but managed to keep his footing. He was the water king. He was damned if he was going down quickly or easily.

Maybe the fire prince had calmed down sufficiently.

“Mine,” Coal snarled. He didn’t sound any calmer.

Torrent’s eyes were almost swollen shut. Coal raised his bloodied fists and pommeled him. It didn’t even hurt anymore. Not a good sign.

He heard more bones crack and felt his blood streaming down his face and chest. Hot and thick. It splattered on his feet.

You deserve it!

Lights flashed in front of his eyes, which were squeezed shut. Damn, also not a good sign. He staggered and fell to his knees.

Julie screamed. At least, he thought she did. He felt like he was down a dark tunnel. Deep down. Far removed from everything. He felt woozy and unstable. He felt numb.

The screaming intensified. Yes, it was definitely screaming. There was a loud snapping noise. It rang through him. It banged around in his skull for what felt like an age but was probably only a split second. Then everything went black.

Chapter 17

The dragon disappeared into the sky. It moved so quickly that her mind almost couldn’t register it. If she hadn’t known to look for it as it left, she might not have seen it at all.

She walked to the front of her house and just stood on her porch for a few minutes, taking in her surroundings. Home. It didn’t feel like home. It didn’t matter, she wasn’t staying anyway. Candy pulled the wooden bench until it was in the right place. She climbed onto it. Using the tips of her fingers, she felt across the beam until her finger hit the key. Her spare. The one she had stuck up there almost three years ago when she’d moved out of her apartment and into this house. Just in case. Thank god she had.