Page 86 of His Ruthless Match (Below #3)

The rebels came from everywhere at once—emerging from behind piles of debris, surging out of dilapidated buildings, and rushing from the shadows.

It wasn’t just the faceless creatures this time.

Hooded figures with glowing eyes, sharp-toothed shifters, and magic-wielding fae swarmed the battlefield, their roars and snarls blending into a cacophony of violence.

“Move!” Raffaele barked. His shadows came alive, writhing around him like a living entity. “No one leaves this battlefield alive.”

Cain and his vampires were the first to charge, moving so fast I could barely track their movements.

Cain soared overhead, flames spiraling from his hands as his soldiers engaged the rebels with feral precision.

Raffaele’s assassins melted into the darkness, their blades gleaming as they struck with deadly efficiency.

I barely had time to process the chaos before a massive shape barreled toward me. It was a bear shifter, its eyes glowing an unnatural red. My stomach lurched, and I stumbled backward, instinctively raising my arms in a feeble attempt to protect myself.

“Eva!” Jareth’s voice was a roar, and then he was there, shoving me aside just as the bear lunged.

His body shifted mid-motion, fur rippling over his skin as he transformed into his cougar form.

They collided with a sickening crash, claws and teeth tearing into each other as they rolled across the ground.

The air was thick with the metallic tang of blood and the acrid stench of burning flesh.

All around me, the battle raged. I caught glimpses of Raffaele using his shadows like lethal tendrils, snapping necks and disemboweling anyone foolish enough to get close.

Cain swooped low, a streak of fire and fury, as his flames consumed rebels in an emerald blaze.

But for every enemy that fell, two more took their place.

I tried to move, to run, but the battlefield was chaos incarnate, and there was nowhere to go.

A hooded figure raised a staff, chanting words I didn’t understand, and a bolt of energy shot toward me.

I ducked, the blast narrowly missing my head and striking the ground with enough force to send me sprawling.

Jareth let out a guttural snarl as he wrestled the bear shifter.

Blood matted his fur, and he limped as he circled his opponent, his golden eyes blazing with fury.

The bear charged again, and Jareth met it head-on, his claws raking across its throat in a final, decisive blow.

The creature collapsed, its lifeless body thudding against the ground.

Jareth shifted back into his human form, his chest heaving as he wiped blood from his mouth. He was favoring one leg, but he still managed to smirk at me as I stumbled toward him. “Just a sprain,” he said, brushing off my concern before I could voice it. “I’m fine.”

Before I could argue, Cain’s voice rang out from above. “Move back! Now!” His flames burned brighter, turning a vivid, unnatural green that sent a shiver down my spine.

“Do it!” Raffaele shouted, his shadows curling protectively around him as he stepped away from the fray. I grabbed Jareth’s arm, and together we retreated, the vampires and assassins following suit.

Cain hovered in the air, his wings outstretched as he unleashed his magic.

The green fire rained down in a deadly cascade, igniting the battlefield in an inferno.

The flames didn’t just burn—they spread like a living thing, consuming everything in their path.

A noxious green gas billowed from the blaze, choking the rebels who hadn’t already fallen.

I watched in horror and awe as the faceless creatures collapsed, their movements growing sluggish before they crumpled into lifeless heaps. Hooded figures screamed as the flames overtook them, their bodies writhing in agony before they were reduced to ash.

From a distance, Raffaele’s shadows finished off any stragglers, snapping necks with chilling precision. The battlefield was a nightmare of fire and blood, the screams of the dying echoing in my ears long after they’d fallen silent.

And then, it was over.

The fires smoldered, the gas dissipating into the night. The once-chaotic battlefield was eerily still, the ground littered with bodies and scorch marks. My legs gave out beneath me, and I collapsed into Jareth’s arms, my breath coming in ragged gasps.

“It’s over,” he murmured, his voice low and soothing. His arms tightened around me, his warmth grounding me in the aftermath of the carnage. “Everything’s going to be okay.”

I wanted to believe him. I closed my eyes, letting myself feel safe in his embrace and pretending the danger was truly gone. But the weight in my chest told me otherwise. This was just the beginning.

After a few minutes, we regrouped. Raffaele’s face was grim as he surveyed the battlefield, his shadows still curling around him like restless spirits.

“This was a win,” he said, his voice heavy with the burden of leadership.

“But the magistrate’s games aren’t over.

We need to regroup and prepare for what’s coming. ”

As we left the Crimson Dominion, a strange sense of calm settled over me. The chaos and fear hadn’t disappeared, but something had shifted. For the first time, I felt like I wasn’t just surviving. I felt like I was contributing. My instincts had saved us.

I glanced at Jareth, and our eyes met. He gave me a small, weary smile as a quiet understanding passed between us. We’d never leave each other’s side again.