Page 173 of His Ruthless Match

He was right. Jareth and I had barely made it out alive when Jareth paid Merrik a visit. What the hell was I thinking by coming back here?

I had no choice, though. My gut wouldn’t allow me to leave Jareth’s side. I swallowed hard, nodding in agreement, and followed Jareth’s gaze, scanning the shadows for movement.

A sudden rush of air snapped my attention skyward. The whoosh of wings broke the silence as a dark figure descended with predatory grace. A vampire with dark hair landed in front of us, his massive, leathery wings folding neatly behind him. His tattoos glowed faintly, shifting against his dark skin, and flames danced lazily in his hands like obedient creatures. He was shirtless, of course, because why wouldn’t he be? The heat radiating from him was almost tangible, adding to the already stifling atmosphere.

“Finally decided to show up,” he said, his smooth voice laced with amusement as he looked directly at Jareth. Then his gaze shifted to me, lingering with something between curiosity and disbelief. “And you brought her here? Brave, considering the stakes.”

Jareth growled low in his throat, the sound almost primal. “She’ll be protected.”

The vampire raised an eyebrow but didn’t push, his smirk widening. “Good. Because this is going to get messy.” He reached out and took my hand. “I’m Cain Corvell. The only friend this asshole has ever known.” He gestured at Jareth and smirked.

“I’m Eva. Jareth told me about you, and I was looking forward to meeting you, just not under these circumstances.”

Behind him, a group of vampires landed and stood silently, their sharp features illuminated by the faint glow of Cain’s flames. They were still as statues, their crimson eyes scanningthe surroundings with cold precision. Unlike Cain, they didn’t exude fire or heat, but their presence was just as unnerving.

Raffaele stepped forward, his shadows darkening around him. “Here’s the plan,” he began, his voice cutting through the tension. “Cain, you’ll use your fire to flush the rebels out of hiding, driving them into choke points. Jareth and I will handle the combat, along with our reinforcements. My assassins and Cain’s vampires will fight as soldiers wherever needed.” His gaze flicked to me, sharp and unforgiving. “Your job is to stay behind us. You’re not a warrior, Eva.”

I bristled at the remark, but I nodded. There was no point in arguing, not when the stakes were this high. Still, the words stung.

Cain chuckled under his breath, clearly enjoying the tension. “Let’s get this over with,” he said, lifting off into the air with an effortless beat of his wings.

We moved forward, the streets narrowing as the terrain grew rougher. The assassins Raffaele had called in moved like shadows themselves. It wasn’t long before we reached the rebels’ hideout: a cave carved into the rocky cliffs at the edge of the Dominion.

Cain wasted no time, soaring overhead and unleashing controlled bursts of fire at the cave’s entrance. The flames licked at the rock, illuminating the rebels as they spilled out into the open, coughing and scrambling.

Raffaele stepped forward, his voice booming with authority. “You’ve taken what doesn’t belong to you here in the Crimson Dominion. You’ve killed innocent people. Surrender now, or face the consequences.”

At first, nothing happened. Then, they emerged from the shadows—faceless creatures, grotesque and wrong in ways I couldn’t articulate. Their movements were jerky, almost insect-like, and their featureless heads swiveled unnaturally as if theywere sniffing for prey. My stomach twisted with fear and a deep, visceral sense that something was fundamentally wrong about them.

“They’re not alive,” I said.

Raffaele’s sharp gaze cut to me. “What do you mean?”

I forced myself to focus, to push past the fear and let the strange pull in my chest guide me. “They’re powered by something external,” I said, my voice firmer now. “It’s like they’re being controlled. If we sever that connection, they’ll fall.”

Cain landed beside me, his fire still burning in his hands. “You’re right. They have no aura. No soul. We need to find the puppeteer.”

“Yes,” I said. “But it’s not a person. It’s… something else. I can feel it. There’s a source. It’s close.”

The creatures regrouped, their jerky movements strangely synchronized. A faint hum filled the air, growing louder with each passing second. I closed my eyes, letting the vibration wash over me, and suddenly I saw an invisible web of energy connecting them to something larger.

“They’re connected,” I blurted out. “They’re feeding off each other.”

“What’s keeping them moving?” Raffaele demanded.

“It’s a vibration,” I said, my voice trembling but sure. “It’s everywhere, in the air around us. If we disrupt it, they’ll scatter or deactivate.”

The rebels laughed. The dark, menacing sound sent chills down my spine. I felt a wave of dread radiating from one of the leaders, and I knew they were about to attack.

Before I could shout a warning, Jareth and Cain moved, their reaction time razor-sharp. Jareth was a blur of motion as he seamlessly shifted into his cougar form, his claws slicing through enemies with terrifying precision, while Cain rained fire from above, his flames lighting up the battlefield.

I stayed close to Raffaele, my heart pounding as I watched the carnage unfold. Just as one of the faceless creatures leapt toward me, Cain swooped down, sending a blast of fire directly into its chest. The creature crumpled, its skin melting away to reveal a small, glowing object rolling out of its chest cavity.

Jareth shifted back into his human form and picked it up. “What the fuck is this?”

Raffaele stepped forward, his expression grim as he studied the object. “Their life source,” he said. “Maybe even how they’re being controlled.”

Now we had a weapon. Now we had a chance.