I leapt toward Sylas to cover him.
But it struck me full force, making me howl, singing my fur, and I smacked into the floor mid-leap on my side.
“Supreme entrance,” I heard Victor say.
Footsteps sounded and I managed to turn as somebody strode into my eyeline.
A preppy shithead with deep red layered hair down to his shoulders, a sports jacket and designer jeans covering him.
I’d never seen him in person, but I knew who he was from his file photos.
Sorin Tenebris.
Velra’s older brother.
The fucker who’d disowned her.
Hunted her.
Tormented her.
And killed her.
Twice.
A growl escaped me.
He grinned and fired his gray lightning into me, making me shudder and convulse, unable to even roll to try to escape it.
“Keep him alive, sadistic one,” Victor said, staggering over. “Weaken him only. I want his true pain.”
“You’re taking the fun out of it, boss.”
“Don’t fret. There is much more to come.” Victor knelt down beside me and Sorin briefly broke his magical assault for him. Victor roared and swiped his talons across my face, tearing open my snout, making me hiss. He leaned in and stroked the fur on my head. “I don’t believe a wolf can hold their form long when they are in agony. You are using strength you don’t currently possess to maintain it. Interesting. Could it possibly be because I am deeper in your head than you’ve let on? That you are so terrified to allow me to see you stripped naked, to lay eyes all over that pretty body of yours, that you are causing yourself undue damage as a result?”
A shudder rolled through me before I could stop it.
He laughed, then had me whimpering as he licked the wound in my snout. “Delicious. Just like your fear and the fact that I most definitely do affect you.” He pushed back to his feet. “Soon.” He stilled, then frowned deeply. “Unfortunately, we are about to be interrupted far sooner than I intended.” He winked at me. “No worries. I will return.” He took another step back, then gestured at Sorin to continue, telling him, “We are out of time. Knock him out. I’ll do the same to the necromancer.”
But before Sorin could even manage to call a flicker of his power again, Sylas’ voice thundered from the kitchen, storming into the room at the same time.
“Accende!”he was bellowing, his eyes fucking black as hell, as two spinning silver orbs levitated in front of him.
Ignite?That was the Latin translation.
I felt the magic this time.
Some hefty fucking magic as the silver orbs flamed with red power.
Sorin jolted and took an uneasy step back, calling his power and sweeping a shielding wall in front of him and Victor.
Sylas’ eyes narrowed fiercely.
And then he ground out,“Ad maximum robur.”
To maximum strength.
In the next second, he thrust his hands forward, the movement, even though he couldn’t technically wield magic from within, making the orbs shoot toward Victor and Sorin in unison.
