Page 99 of The Path of Blood and Betrayals

Fee slaps his shoulder as Kaden grips his sword. “We’ll use them as bait. If they can distract the Hadeon long enough, we should get through.”

Kaden gestures for his sister to take the rear. She narrows her eyes, displeased. I can’t say I’m thrilled with this plan either.

I don’t want to use Humans as bait nor go into an enclosed space where a fire-breathing dog can kill me.

Seeing my indecision, Kaden grabs the dagger from my belt, holding it out to me hilt first. “They would do the same to you,” he reminds me. “They have no conscious. Take your dagger and keep it ready. The Hadeon attacks swiftly. You won’t have time to pull it in a fight.”

Jerking my chin to the cave, he follows my eyes, shifting my weight.He’s right. “Lead the way, heir.”

Spinning on his heel, the heir enters the entrance, keeping a tight grip on my opposite hand. Once inside, we’re swallowed by the dark and I shuffle along, eyesight poor.

Kaden doesn’t release my hand, and I inhale, the scent of fear and death making my mouth water.

Muffled screams lead us further in. There aren’t any torches or specks of light, so I trust the Fae to pull me along and pray I don’t fall to my death.

As the hollow goes up an incline, my knees jostle and I stumble into Kaden’s back as he halts. Glancing up, I gasp, seeing tiny green glowing orb-bugs on the cavern ceiling. Next to me, Fee looks up, eyes wide with wonder.

Reid whistles. “Neat trick.”

Then I trip, over a burnt severed arm. Gagging, I place a hand to my mouth. That could be us.

Not now.

“Some of the lords,” Kaden deadpans, kicking it away. Looking around, I notice charred remains littering the cave. My stomach twists at the smell but the heir barely blinks.

Is this normal for him?

He’s the heir to a war-torn lands, with a terrible king. Of course seeing dead bodies, burnt pieces of humans isnormalfor him.

We follow the lights through a tight hall into another large dome space made of compact dirt and large columns of stone.

Glancing to Kaden, I see the green lights highlight the copper in his eyes, casting his black locks into an emerald sheen. His eyes dartaround, face brutal and intense as he waits for a threat to jump out at us.

How exhausting it must be to always anticipate danger.

The tight hallway spits us on into another opening, bowl shaped, with one long rock bridge connecting the two sides to a bright opening. Inhaling, my anxiety relaxes, the sulfur scent dissipating, seeing the end finally upon us.

But where is the Hadeon?

In the middle, I spy the lords shouting at something over the edge. Their clothes are singed, ripped and their numbers considerably less.

Kaden pushes through with his siblings at my back, his nails cutting into my hand. “You idiots. You couldn’t listen to reason? What’s going on?”

“It’s the Hadeon!” one lord shouts, glaring at me. My magic rises, all their hearts pulling on my control. “He’s hanging onto the cliff, trying to climb up. We’ve found some rocks and are trying to knock it down.”

Ripping from the heir, I lean over the thin bridge, seeing the massive beast cling to the rust-colored walls.

He’s huge. Not nearly as big as the Skrull, but larger than a simple dog, his three massive heads are glaring up, sharp yellow wiser than I would think of a beast.

He sees me, stills and then releases a pitiful cry that shatters my heart. It’s as if he’s asking for my help.

His chest ignites with an orange glow and his mouths open in an unnatural angle as it blows. The fire reaches me, singing my knuckles and I yelped ripping back. My fear beats into my chest, but I don’t let it drown me.

I need to help him. Something, deeper, is compelling me to help.

The lords throw more rocks and I stand, shoving them away. “Stop!” I watch the Hadeon slide down and they jeer. “He’s injured, he can’t hurt you.”

“You think that little fall will stop it?” Anotherlord sneers, pushing me away. My fingers twitch, tinging red as my magic hisses at these horrible men.