Page 196 of King Alejandro

“I don’t fucking follow rules,” he growled, grabbing her arm and ripping the weapon from her grip.

“Leo!” Her anger was palpable, but Leo ignored her, holding her in a death grip before he turned to me and threw the dagger. I shifted back. Mom gasped as the Djinn turned, realisation hitting him as he stared at the blade that I’d just caught.

“A Virgin Blade…” The same term that Dante had used… a term I hadn’t heard from anyone before Dante…

The fear in the Djinn as he slammed Leo and Mom to the ground before he began advancing towards me was clear. His aura of fire grew as he turned his gaze on me. I wasn’t going to make it…

“You… no… it’s not… the time is… I have time… I have time…” the Djinn was rambling, his fury growing.

I scanned the area. Aunty Red was down… Chris, Marcel… Uncle... they were alive thanks to the barriers made by Liam and the witches. But aside from Darien, Liam, Mom, Leo, and I, everyone else was out…

“When all hope is lost… look for the man in black...”

But there was no one.

“The time of the werewolves is over. The time of the witches is over… the time for the immortals has arrived…” the Djinn hissed, sparks flying from his mouth as he spat the words out. “No one can kill me. No mere werewolf scum,” he hissed.

I would do it.Fuck the man in black, I’ll kill –

Agony ripped through me, and I felt an excruciating pain tear into me and wrap around my heart. Fear enveloped me as I realised what it was.

Delsanra!

She was dying.

Fuck, no!

“Die, Son of Selene.”

“Ray…” Uncle growled, managing to rip free from the Djinn’s hold. I didn’t know how he was walking…the number of injuries on his body… he looked like death, yet the will in his eyes didn’t diminish.

The Djinn let out a mighty roar, raising his arm. Uncle stepped in front of me, shielding me. Even this close to death, he still had the power and strength that came from within. He was a true king, and I knew he was ready to die for me.

Just then, a blinding deep red glow filled the air. It was far darker and deeper than the orangey red of the Djinn. I shielded my eyes, blinded by the intensity and power of the aura that clashed against the Djinn’s. It diminished, and there, a few metres away, stood a man. He was lean, tall, and muscular, wearing all black with a black cloak around his shoulders, but what got to me was that his clothing was similar to Mom’s; he had his hood up, and a black mask covered his face. His hands were gloved, and the only part of him that was visible was his eyes.

The Djinn hissed, and I could sense his fear.

“You… there’s no way you could be here… I chose the right time!”

“You were destined to die by my hand, no matter where or when,” he replied quietly. His voice was low and husky, yet it held a melodic hum to it.

Uncle was tense, but I knew what I needed to do. The man held his hand out as if expecting it, and I threw the dagger at him. He caught it without even looking at me just as the Djinn roared, his aura blasting away the barriers. Fear, rage, and desperation were clear in his eyes. We were all blasted back, our bodies beginning to burn with the heat of the fire from the Djinn.

“I have waited too long! You cannot kill me! I hold the fire of hell within me!”

“Your time has come,” the masked man said quietly, yet the power that he held seemed to seep through us all. His voice held nothing but calmness, and, in a flash, he was right in front of the Djinn, unbothered by the blazing fire that was radiating off him. I saw a flicker of a black tail from under his cloak, and I smiled slightly.

A demon.

Somehow, Dante knew a demon would come.

He raised the dagger, and a huge wave of power swirled around him, pushing past the flames of the Djinn. The Djinn jumped up in the air, but it didn’t deter the demon. He held the dagger firmly, and I felt a sense of déjàvu as he pushed off and flipped it in the air like Mom had before he plunged the dagger into the Djinn’s chest.

A terrorising scream left the Djinn as a tidal wave of power caused a tsunami. We were all lifted from the ground and thrown back. Nobody was able to withstand it; even trees were ripped from their roots. I shielded my eyes, staring up at the two kinds of demon in the centre. The man in black held strong, despite the waves of power that rolled off the Djinn.

Through the pain of the breaking bond, my fear, and the ray of hope, I saw the Djinn beginning to blacken and cracks began to appear in him. A final, fierce scream of despair left him as he stared at the night sky, his arms raised in hopelessness.

“I think I fucking hit my head harder than I thought…” I heard Uncle mutter.