Page 100 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals

Kaden intercedes, blocking their hands. “Touch her again,” he dares, eyes black. Fury paints his face into a twisted mask, more demon than Fae.

The lord stills, pointing to the beast clawing up the cliff. “That beast can jump across clearings bigger than this. We need to make sure he stays down so we can pass.”

“He’s already subdued,” I argue. “If you run now, he won’t be able to catch you before you get to the village.”

“She’s right,” Kaden agrees. “It’ll be quicker if you flee than try to harm it. If you succeed, you’re safe. But if you just hurt it? Well, there’s no limit to a grudge a Hadeon holds.”

The lord’s chubby face pales, jowls quivering as he glances into the hole. “You think we have time?”

“Just barely.” Reid smiles, his fangs poking from his top lip. He winks. “You should hurry.”

“And you?”

Kaden smirks, though it’s not kind. “We’ll catch up.”

Ignoring the Humans, I look back to the Hadeon, mind spinning. How do I help such a large creature?

Leaning over me, Kaden sneers. “I should have thrown them over the edge.”

“Probably,” I agree, meaning every word. They’re terrible. “Do you have rope?”

Kaden sighs, looking from me to the hole. “What are you planning, kitten?”

“I’m going to save him.”

A frayed rope lays by the entrance and I grab it, a plot unfolding in my mind.

“This is a thing with you, isn’t it?” he asks rhetorically. “Saving creatures who others would harm?”

“Spoken like someone she saved,” Reid mutters, earning a harsh look from his sibling. I ignore their easy banter, wrapping the rope around a larger rock, using a few smaller ones to weigh it down.

Taking one of my daggers, I stab it into the rope for more tension.

“She’s really saving it,” Fee comments, hovering over her brother’s shoulder. “And we’re going to let her?”

“Get ready,” Kaden says, standing. Handing them the rope, I throw the end down toward the Hadeon.

“What if he tries to turn you into ash?” the heir asks, looking back down with black eyes. His shadows wind around his arms and hands, holding the rope like another pair. “You can’t come back from that.”

“Call it Gods’ Will.” I shrug. Calling to the beast, I say, “Grab on!”

The Hadeon looks at it, then me, puzzled.

The same look Kaden gave me when I showed him compassion and gave him my blood. This is the look of a creature not used to kindness.

My heart breaks for them both again.

“Take it!”

There’s a pause, before the beast surges forward, claws scrapping against the rock wall. Pebbles drop into an endless pit, sounds lost to the height and his jaws clamp on. The rope tugs, his weight yanking us down.

Using his magic, Kaden pulls with us as the Hadeon claws to the ledge, lunging over to stable ground.

“Move,” Kaden whispers into my ear, picking me up from the ground. His arm locks around my middle, us backing away from the beast slowly.

“Should we check on him?” I glance back and Reid snorts.

“And be eaten? No. He’s a big guy, he’ll be fine.”