Page 129 of Bite The Terror That Feeds

My father stared at him with silent fury. Didn’t wince as the blood dripped down his throat.

King Elrohir smiled. “All good things must come to an end.” He dug the blade harder. “Isn’t that right, King Serpentine?”

My father remained stoic, his blade on the ground where he’d dropped it.

I didn’t want Clara’s father to die, but I didn’t want mine to die either. “We want peace.” I came forward and sheathed my sword as an act of civility.

King Elrohir only partially looked at me, his focus on my father. “And we want death.”

“You know this war is lost. Now that half of your army has been destroyed, you have no chance of victory. If you surrender, we’ll pardon your people and step into a new era of peace. We’ll take you prisoner for now, but we will negotiate your release at a later time.”

King Elrohir grinned. “How many times have I told you? We don’t want peace. We want death. Death to all of you—”

A dagger pierced him straight through the neck—at my father’s hand.

“No—”

Elrohir turned weak and fell to his knees, his sword dropping from his fingers to the dirt below. As he fell, my father rose, twisting the blade in his neck until he collapsed. King Elrohir had fallen—and was now a corpse.

“Thank you, son.” My father had the smuggest look on his damn face.

In shock, I didn’t know what to do other than stare at his dead body.

Horns started to blow— the Ethereals’ retreat. “Pull out!” One of the commanders on horseback rode through the ranks of soldiers. Horns continued to blare.

My father stood there, the happiest I’d ever seen him. “Kill every last Ethereal. Let none escape.”

25

LARISA

Ellasara swung her blade in a beautiful dance, moving so fast my eyes could barely keep track. Her golden hair bounced as she moved, beautiful and shiny. Her eyes were made of fire, just like the trees that burned on the mountainside. “You put up a decent fight.” She slammed her blade down on mine. “I’ll give you that, honey.”

I stopped her blade from striking my face and pushed back just the way Kingsnake had taught me.

Fang lunged out and wrapped his body around her ankles and squeezed to trip her.

Ellasara immediately stabbed her blade down into his scales.

Hiiiissssss.

Blood started to ooze.

“Bitch, I’m going to kill you.” I swung my blade at her and forced her back. I got her away from Fang and tried to press my advantage now that I had her off guard, but it didn’t take long for her to overtake me again.

Are you alright?

I’m fine. Focusss on her.

The fighting continued, and it didn’t take much more for my muscles to scream in exhaustion. She was more skilled, had far more endurance.I can’t do this much longer.

Kingsnake isss on his way.

Ellasara wore a small smile, but it was packed with so much arrogance. “You’re pretty, I’ll give you that. What else Kingsnake sees in you…I’m not really sure.”

“I’m not a bitch. How about that?”

Her smile dropped, and she came at me hard.