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Cowards.

Killing them with my bare hands would be much more satisfying, anyhow. The beast within me roared over the screeching in my mind, overriding the sonic shrill with its barbarity and thirst for bloodshed. While my head threatened to explode, I felt a surge of power thrum in my veins, egging me on to submit to the consuming corruption.

Despite the darkness, I could see the shadowy forms looming closer, approaching me from every angle. One leaped from the top of the building above, landing at my side with a thud. I shook off the blow, while two others closed in on me from each end of the alleyway.

My vision blinked out, plunging me into a void of nothingness, briefly startling me, but this wasn’t new to me. A Kinetic who channeled the power of light energy manipulated my vision, robbing me of my sight. It wasn’t the first time, and I was sure as hell it wouldn’t be the last.

Using the only two remaining senses, I gauged their approach. I couldn’t hear them over the roaring in my mind that kept the screeching at bay, so I honed in my olfactory and tactile senses. As their scents loomed closer, the air whispered across my skin, and pebbles bounced off my boots from their careless steps. The grin that overtook my face was savage at best as I reveled in the challenge.

Distantly, I wondered how Dash fared and if he was being tag-teamed, too. I couldn’t hear if there were any gunshots in the distance, so I had no way of knowing. I just hoped the kid could handle himself long enough for me to get to him.

My intention was never to set out to protect the Kinetic Princess from her own people. I chuckled to myself at the irony that I was doing just that by clearing the way for her inevitable escape.

I felt the static charge from the man to my left, preparing for an attack. With my smile intact, I took the microwave blast to my gut, allowing its power to zing through my body. Again, I slammed into the wall. Fallen stucco clattered to the ground around me from my body’s impact, and this time, I basked in the pain.

Chapter 10

Gray

We all had our roles; mine proved the riskiest. While Scarlett gathered weapons for me and Cotton distracted the guards, Hazel would be sneaking into Amethyst’s office to find the invaluable antidotes. In order for her to do that, my father needed to be distracted.

Everyone protested, but there was no other way to keep King Forest occupied while the others did their part. Plus, it would give me a chance to confront the man I called Father.

My stomach churned at the prospect of entering the King’s Quarters. I stood before the door, steeling my nerves to enter the luxurious space. I punched the code into the keypad and pushed the handle down with a click. The creak from the heavy door screamed into the silent foyer.

With a deep breath to snuff out my fear, I crossed the threshold and called upon the darkest parts of myself as I walked toward the living area.

My father’s brand of poisonous energy radiated from the living room, and I didn’t mean his magic.

“Where’ve you been?” King Forest’s refined voice reached me as I approached the white carpet. He stood with his back to me, dressed in the same charcoal suit from the revel as he oversaw his ruined city.

Through the glass doors leading to the balcony, the sun rose over the decrepit Atlanta skyline. Moss and greenery climbed the buildings as their structures began to crumble.

I wouldn’t cower, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. He had ultimate power in this world. Who was I to stop him?

I observed his bored stance from behind. The thought of blasting him through the balcony doors crossed my mind. It was tempting. I could level the entire building and not feel a thing aside from unequivocal rage, but that wasn’t my current goal.

Ice cubes clinked in a crystal glass, chilling aged whiskey from pre-Devolution Day. Like a statue holding long-buried secrets, the Kinetic King stood proud while he stared at the enlarged painting of the beautiful, pink-haired woman that hung by the porcelain fireplace. Whenever I inquired about the woman’s identity, he told me it was only a model. I never believed him.

I kicked off my heels, and they clicked against the marble floor of the foyer before rolling to land on the carpet. “I had a bit too much to drink last night. Had to sleep it off somewhere or…withsomeone,” I answered dryly, both of us aware of the lie. Antagonize him, that was my plan.

“I didn’t realize that being a drunken whore was in a princess’s job description,” he snapped and turned to face me. A sour expression engulfed his genteel face as he took in my disheveled state. “Though I shouldn’t be surprised. You were always too eager to please others.”

I sneered, “Well, they please me between my thighs, so I call it a win.”

“That fucking mouth of yours is a dick sedative,” my father spat, his upper lip peeling back. “I’m sure you even fail in that department.”

I chuckled and took soft steps into the living room, the plush carpet squeezing between my toes, cushioning the soles of my feet. Inches separated us. I only came chest-level with him, but I held his glare all the same. The bottomless depths of his eyes threatened to swallow me whole. “And I’m sure you need a dick reviver, old man. However…” I drawled, taunting him. “The men I pleaselovemy filthy fucking mouth.”

His fist struck my cheekbone. It was a powerful blow that had me reeling from the impact. I stumbled back a few steps and clutched the sharp, bruising pain. My smile turned feral.

I wanted this. I had hoped for a reason to brawl with the king. To have a chance to kill him, slowly and painfully. Even if that wasn’t the main goal, it would be a lovely bonus. Forcing him to crack his composed exterior was the way to do it.

“Strike a nerve, did I, Father?” I asked, followed by an unhinged chuckle. The urge to unleash years of pent-up resentment and emotional pain ravaged me. For a brief moment, I could understand Griffin’s madness.

The king shook his head and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You were a mistake, Gray.”

“I’m pretty sure the daily beatings for the past fifteen years have instilled that point.”