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Valeen conjured Zythara and the golden blade glinted. There was no one she hated more than this male. No one who deserved to be sent to the afterlife more than him. But she couldn’t let anger and fury get in her head. Calm and calculated was the way.

“Oh, your goddess sword… not Soulender.” He brought the rose-gold sword up and inspected its blade. “It’s not a match for the Sword of Truth.”

“I’m surprised you came alone, given how this went the last two times you and I met.” Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Katana still standing in the same place.

“I’m not alone.” He glanced over his shoulder and several of those undead creatures he’d conjured before stepped into the sunlight outside the door. “But they won’t come in unless I want them to.”

“How did you get out of your cell?”

“I have powerful friends in high places.” His shit-brown eyes flicked to Katana for the briefest of moments. Then he took a step closer. If he expected her to retreat, he was wrong. She raised her chin.

Valeen suddenly felt ill. He’d looked at Katana for a reason, it was a tell. “What do you want? You should be running away, coward.”

“Well, I did have to do something for my freedom. But I might be willing to forgo the bargain I made if you agree to giveme what I’ve always wanted. An heir of pure primordial blood. The goddess of night’s first child.” His tongue flickered across his bottom lip. “A blood oath will do, one that will force you to comply. The council will be all too eager to welcome me back as the head member. Pricilla, goddess of the hunt, is my daughter, you know. There isn’t anywhere she wouldn’t find you, but I have the power to call this whole thing off. Even get you your immortality.”

“I’d stab myself through the heart I’d ever let you touch me.”

He let out a dark chuckle. “Well, I’ll just take her instead then.” He lunged toward Katana and Valeen struck out. He brought his blade up to meet hers and they cracked with a spark, followed by a powerful blast that threw them apart. Valeen crashed into the anvil and Synick was thrown onto the table behind him.

“Stay away from her,” Valeen growled. She turned her head ever so slightly to tell Katana to get out.

“Valeen!” Katana screeched.

She whipped her head back but a blast of cold hit her before she could shift to shadow. Ice rushed across her body, keeping her from being able to change forms. It stopped only when it got to her neck. Her arm was frozen, holding the sword raised high. Her vines were slow to grow, as if the ice affected them too… This was why Hel couldn’t get out of the ice storm. It slowed magic.

He trampled her small vines under his boots and marched toward her.

The point of the Sword of Truth pressed against her throat. Her heart crashed wildly in her chest. Just a little push and she’d be gone forever. “Hmm, what to do with you, my sweet pet. Killing you would be a waste of such divine beauty. Besides, I can’t kill the future mother of my heir.” He stroked the side of her face, and she spat at him. He smiled and swiped the salivaoff his cheek then licked it from his palm. “That’s just the first taste.”

“You’re disgusting.” Valeen’s upper lip curled. The ice-cold temperature encasing her body finally set in and her teeth began to chatter.

“Once this is cleared up,” he waved to the mask, “you won’t say that.”

Her sister was still here. “Katana, go get Presco!”

A line of ice cut across the floor and formed around her feet and ankles, locking her in place. “No, we’re still waiting for my friend to show up. He’s looking for you. I said I’d help.”

Oh no no no no, Valeen’s gut ached… a powerful friend in high places looking for Katana. Thisfriendhad to be Atlanta.

Synick dropped the sword point from her throat and leaned in, bringing his putrid face closer and closer. It didn’t matter if he wore a mask to cover the rotten decay, she smelt it and knew what was there.

Ugh, gods, no, he is going to kiss me!She reared her head back then threw it forward and slammed her forehead into his mouth. Thecrackand hishisswere pure satisfaction. She didn’t even mind that he struck her across the face after. The sting barely registered. Before he could do anything else, she fought harder to break free of his ice. Whispers of her shadows crept from her hair. The ice encasing her began to groan and splinter.

Heat abruptly flooded the room, and the ice began to melt in rivers at her feet. Synick glanced behind Valeen, furrowing his brows. “Don’t tell me you suddenly grew a backbone, Katana.”

A ray of light as bright as the sun, burst and Valeen slammed her eyes shut.

Chapter 51

KATANA

Astream of powerful energy flowed through Katana’s palms, heat and fire and light. She gritted her teeth, aiming all her anger at Synick. The window’s glass shattered. Synick crashed through the door and was thrown across the wide cobblestone street and smacked into the opposite wall.

He didn’t move.

Smoke rolled off the charred circle in the center of his chest armor. She couldn’t tell if it burned a hole through to his flesh or not. Maybe he was dead. She never wanted to take a life, and hated violence, but this was necessary.

In two steps she was at Valeen’s side and with radiant heat pulsing from her hands, she melted the rest of the ice encasing her. She lifted her chin to see her sister staring at her, jaw slack.