Page 98 of Queens

The Greeds know who I am. Everybody does. I’m a target.

I refuse to be an easy one.

It takes a minute, but I successfully take down the man. He lands halfway on top of me, dead, and I grunt as I shove him away and jump back up to my feet. That wasn’t an easy one, and I wipe my blade on my pants as I scan the area for Rexton.

I hope he saw that.

Fighting surrounds me, but it’s abundantly clear the Wraths are winning. I’m not the least bit surprised. That’s exactly how it should be. Mammon can train her soldiers all she wants, but she’ll never compare to us. Nobody will.

Rexton is nowhere to be seen, and a pit begins forming in my stomach. Where is he? Did he leave? Maybe he’s been secretly working with the Greeds this entire time, and this was all a ploy to infiltrate Wrath.

I shake my head. No. That’s not it.

Another Greed comes for me, but he’s almost immediately intercepted and taken down by Androl. It’s not a coincidence that I’m surrounded by the strongest soldiers within First Unit. They’re protecting me, ensuring I don’t die in my first real fight.

I don’t suspect they were ordered to do so. I hope not, at least, but I’m not surprised they’ve taken it upon themselves to do so. I’m a royal. If Aziel were here, they’d be surrounding him, too.

I’ve seen my father spar against Uncle Chev a handful of times, but I’ve never seen him truly fight. I’ve heard it’s terrifying.

My lungs constrict when I finally find Rexton. He stumbles forward, landing on his knee. A Greed stands behind him, a smile on his lips as he rips a spear out of Rexton’s back. What’s with these people and spears?

Rexton murdered Mammon, and the Greeds haven’t forgotten. I should’ve never asked him to join me in First Unit. Why did I do that? I knew he’d be a target, but I foolishly believed he wouldn’t be harmed. If I can’t kill Rexton, then nobody can. He’s practically invincible.

He plants a hand onto the ground, clearly injured. I teleport to him, not caring that I’m leaving my little bubble of protection. Rexton shouldn’t have left it, either, the fucking idiot.

The Greed who speared him is strong. His power hits me the second I’m within his vicinity, and I instinctively breathe through my mouth as he turns in my direction. I intended to kill him before he noticed me, but he’s too fast for that.

He’s on me in a heartbeat, his large frame imposing and full of violence. In his right hand is his spear. The tip and several inches of the shaft are covered in blood. Rexton’s blood.

Pure anger pours from me, and despite my weakened state, I move faster than I have in days. I shift beside him, careful to avoid his long, muscular arms. My speed is my best asset, especially against a demon of his size.

If he gets hold of me, I’m as good as dead.

The Greed reaches out, and I duck underneath his arms before digging my blade up into his throat. I’m aiming for his jugular, but I’m off by a few millimeters. It’s not ideal, and I fight to slice my blade through the tough muscle and cartilage that make up his throat.

Blood spurts, hitting me in the face, and bile rises up my throat. This is gory, and it reminds me too much of the Greed whose trachea I tore out. I don’t enjoy killing nearly as much as I thought I would.

I actively dislike it.

Androl and two other Wraths teleport beside me, and Androl takes over fighting the spear-wielding Greed as I shift my attention to Rexton. He’s fallen to his elbows, his forehead pressed against the ground.

I drop beside him, my dagger falling from my hand as I grab his shoulders and haul him up. “Fuck.” I clear my throat. “Rexton?”

He groans, his forehead dripping with sweat. I just barely resist the urge to shake him alert, and I’m faintly aware I’m visibly panicking as I rip open his shirt. The spear didn’t pierce his heart, but there’s a giant fucking hole in his torso. I can seethroughhim.

“This is so much more painful than I imagined.” Rexton grunts. “You made it look easy.”

I make everything look easy.

Will this kill him? I’m not a medic.

I can’t take the risk. I won’t.

Rexton can’t die.

“Hey, Cassia,” Rexton starts. “Why are you looking at me like that? Slow down for a second and take a breath. I’m not—”

His blood coats my hands and drips down my arms as I haul him close. He might be upset about this, but his death isn’t a risk I’m willing to take.