House of Mages and Raven (Shades of Ruin and Magic #4)

Chapter 32

32

Barbie

J ust as I called for my darkest flame, thunder boomed across the sky with lightning, though I couldn’t see shit as the Shriekers buried me far beneath them.

My roar was drowned out by my enemies’ blood-curdling shrieking. I clenched my teeth, awaiting the arrival of my darkest flame, only to find the unbearable weight on me lifted, and the stink of burned flesh and machine parts filled my nostrils.

With a burst of strength, I was keen to push away the remaining two Shriekers on top of me and then stab them a hundred times. But they flew across the plain on their own, lightning frying their grotesque bodies.

A gorgeous face that I hadn’t expected to see so soon came into view as Killian loomed over me, lightning still flashing at his fingertips. Rage and terror burned in his eyes that had turned to the darkest blue. It dawned on me that he’d feared that he was too late and that something had happened to me.

He’d come for me. He’d been the guy who saved the day again.

Only half an hour ago, I’d fucked him, using him to expel the mating fever. I’d kicked him out of the bed to prevent him from getting relief. I’d called him Satan. Yet he’d still come for me.

Something loosened in me, need, longing, and gratitude ready to surface, but I snapped at myself from going soft. So I clenched my jaw instead.

Killian stretched his hand toward me and asked urgently, “Are you hurt, Barbie?”

His eyes roamed over me. Blood and gore and bits from the Shriekers were all over my body. I refused his hand and jumped up, fury pulsing in my every cell. I surveyed the battlefield, and to my satisfaction, half a dozen Shriekers still thrashed on the ground like they were in seizures from the chaos prince’s lightning strike. It meant his power could keep them at bay.

My back stiffened as I swept my gaze around and noticed my father peeking out through his commander’s eyes, studying Killian with intense interest. Anxiety and fear rushed to my middle, followed by fierce protectiveness. It was too late to divert Ruin’s attention from the chaos prince now, but he’d have to get to Killian over my dead body.

Barbie! Pucker called. My familiar in his phantom form materialized by my side, shifting his ghost weight foot to foot. He hadn’t abandoned me. He’d gone to fetch Killian to save the day.

I’m fine, I said. Don’t worry.

You aren’t fine! Sy countered.

My ribcage had caved in. I’d need to feed soon to stop my inner bleeding and mend the torn tissue. Thankfully, Sy had taken most of the pain into her. She was rolling and panting in a corner, sacrificing herself to give me a fighting chance. Guilt twisted my belly and gratitude warmed my chest.

I stretched a hand, summoning Deathsong, and the dark blade flew toward me. I snatched it in the air, curling my fingers around its icy hilt, then I was on the move again, though I was wounded and covered by the Shriekers’ blood and mine.

“Die! Die!” I roared, raised Deathsong high, and charged toward the regrouped Shriekers.

“Princess!” they shrieked.

Shit, I hoped that Killian hadn’t heard that and made a connection. All the more reason to kill them ASAP and silence them for good.

But an arm sneaked around my middle and yanked me back against a hard chest. I sucked in a pained breath. Every movement was agony and every breath sent cutting pain into my lungs, which must’ve been crushed when the Shriekers piled on me.

“Not so fast, little scorpion,” Killian growled. “You’re hurt.”

“I’ll hurt them more!” I spat. “I must kill them all.”

I was still riding on adrenaline, and when it ran out, I’d collapse. But I’d worry about that later.

“I’ll do the killing,” he said. “Return to the House of Chaos.”

I turned my head and gave him a furious look, our faces so close that our breath mingled. His scent comforted me even on the battlefield. For a second, my mind went blank, desire and need for him rising from the mist and ash.

“No way,” I said. “You aren’t the boss of me. You aren’t my prince, and your house isn’t my house anymore. I’ll stay right here and see those abominations slain before I return to my rightful mage house.”

The Shriekers rallied behind their commander. My father stared at us through his vessel, inky smoke and shadows twirling in its eyes. Even after we killed the commander and all the Shriekers, my father still had the knowledge of Killian, knowing that the chaos prince’s lightning and death power could burn his creatures—knowing that Killian stood with me.

The commander’s grotesque lips tugged up tightly as Ruin marked Killian as his target. Chills crawled up my spine. Despite the difference between Killian and me, despite the fact he’d betrayed me, I would never let my father lay his evil claws on him.

Killian’s arrival had saved my ace secret—my darkest flame, which I’d unleash on my father when we had our final showdown face to face.

I stared at the rest of the horde, my knuckles going white on Deathsong. I wouldn’t let Killian fight over one hundred and fifty Shriekers alone. Not while I had a breath in me. I might be badly wounded, but I was still lethal. With Killian fighting by my side, we stood a chance against the horde.

“Get to the other side of the Veil, Barbie. Now!” Killian ordered me. “My men will be here soon. We’ll slay those foul creatures.”

“They won’t know how to kill the Shriekers,” I insisted.

The chaos prince was bad news to the Shriekers, but other supernaturals’ magic, including the other heirs’, hadn’t proven to have an effect on them. The last time, the heirs could put down the Shrieker scouts because I’d secretly aided them and tweaked their combined power to hit the abominations.

The horde shrieked and prowled toward us as one. Killian pushed me behind him, drawling his sword.

“Your blade won’t kill them, Killian,” I shouted, and stepped by his side. “Keep using your death power and lightning.”

He arched an eyebrow. Just then, clamor broke out from the Veil. Silas, Louis, Rowan, and Cade stepped through the shimmer, followed by their warriors.

We now had around fifty supernaturals against over one hundred fifty Shriekers.

The heirs darted their gazes between me, Killian, and the intruders, rage scorching their eyes.

I didn’t look so hot, I knew. In fact, I looked terrible, especially with my golden curls marred with black blood and gores. I could see shock and concern in the heirs’ eyes, but I didn’t need any sentimentality right now. All I needed was killing machines.

The heirs got it. Everyone drew their blades.

Louis raised his longsword over his head and bellowed, “Charge!”

“Go!” Cade flicked his wand toward the mages behind him.

The horde lunged toward our rank, shrieking like hell.

“Weapons won’t kill them, except—” I called, but my shout of warning was drowned out by the warriors’ battle cries.

No one was listening to me while everyone was itching for a fight. I understood their zest to show their superiority and eliminate the horde that dared come to their door, but they weren’t pros like me when it came to dealing with the Shriekers.

I bit my lips in high anxiety. “Killian—” I started, but he raised a hand to stop me as he watched the battle unfolding and waited for his men to come to us. He hadn’t left my side, and he wouldn’t let me go. I hadn’t taken off because I needed to tell him how exactly to kill the Shriekers. I probably had to stand on the sidelines, letting the battle run its course, and then everyone would listen to me.

The heirs were excellent swordsmen, but no matter how hard they hacked at the creatures’ necks or other parts, they couldn’t damage the foes. Encouraged, the Shriekers swatted their scorpion claws at our warriors, and soon we were at a severe disadvantage.

For one, the Shriekers towered over our soldiers. Two, they outnumbered us. Three, only Killian’s and my magic could kill them. I’d only use my darkest flame as the last resort while my father fixed on me through the eyes of his vessel.

A few of our warriors were injured and couldn’t bring down the Shriekers. I couldn’t stand by anymore. I dashed forward, only to be dragged back by Killian again.

“Let go!” I snarled. “I must kill those things.”

“You’re in no shape to fight those things,” he growled. “I do the fighting for both of us.”

He was right about my fighting shape, even though I wouldn’t listen to him. The Shriekers fought to reach me. They only wanted me. They just needed to remove the obstacle between them and me, which was our warriors.

Rock dashed toward us, a gash on his left shoulder. He and other chaos warriors had joined the mayhem as well, but none of them could cut down the Shriekers.

“Our weapons are useless against those fuckers,” he said, breathing hard.

“I see that, and I’ll take care of it,” Killian said. “Escort Barbie to safety and get a healer to have a look at her.”

“Yes, Highness,” Rock answered.

“The realm won’t be safe if we don’t kill all of them!” I screamed. “And only I know how to slay those things. Their weakness is the hidden third eye, the spot between their eyes. Only my evil blade, Deathsong, can kill them.”

I offered Rock the blade. Without a question, the werewolf accepted it.

When he grabbed the hilt of Deathsong, he winced before his face paled. Deathsong giggled eerily while greeting him, Hello, werewolf. I’m the evil blade. Now, let’s go kill the abominations, shall we?

The fae warriors and vampires fought at the front. The shifters flanked both sides. Half of the shifters were in their animal forms, but no claws or fangs could bring down the Shriekers, just as no swords, except mine, could cut through Ruin’s army.

The mages weren’t sword fighters, so they were tossing lethal spells and potions at the Shriekers, which also proved to be useless.

Rock shifted to his warrior form, which was half werewolf and half demon. One big leap, and he joined the fray. Swinging Deathsong, he buried it between the eyes of a Shrieker, which toppled. The rest of the Shriekers realized that Rock was the real threat and rushed toward him.

Killian sent his lightning and death magic into the two Shriekers that broke out of their ranks and raced toward me. The two beasts spasmed and dropped to the ground. The other heirs abandoned their swords and tossed their elemental magic—wind, earth, water, and fire—at the Shriekers. But their magic didn’t have the dark elements that Killian’s death magic possessed, and thus couldn’t reduce the Shriekers to a pile of burned corpses like he had done. But even the chaos prince’s power couldn’t strike all of the Shriekers in one go. And there were too many of them.

A dozen tentacles got Rock and lifted him into the air like he was a toddler, the enemies’ scorpion claws ready to pierce him. He slashed at the tentacles frantically. He had two blades in his hands, but his own one couldn’t cut the Shriekers. Only Deathsong could.

“Killian, get everyone behind me, or we’ll have more casualties,” I said urgently. “I know how to kill those things. Trust me this once, please!”

“Stay here, Barbie!” Killian said, and lunged forward to join his friends.

His death power and lightning struck here and there to open the path for the warriors to retreat, then they all came to my side.

I stood in the center, facing the horde of the Shriekers, thrusting my palms out.

“Hit me with your magic!” I told the heirs. “Let me be your channel.”

“Are you sure?” Silas asked.

“Now!” I shouted.

Cade flicked his wand, and his fire hit my back.

I turned toward the closest female Shrieker, and the mage fire rushed out of me. As soon as the flame hit, it was burned to death, screaming.

Gasps huffed out behind me.

“More. Hit me!” I bellowed. “I need more!”

All the princes, except for Killian, unleashed their magic into me. It joined within me, and I threw my dark ingredient into the mix. Then I send the transformed power into the ranks of the horde.

The new power took the shape of a scythe—the kind carried by the Grim Reaper—and sliced through the Shriekers. Two-thirds of the enemy army fell into pieces, their machine parts melting.

A shock wave of our blended power rumbled across the battlefield, sending dirt, rocks, and dead trees shooting into the air.

“Holy fuck,” Louis called.

Silas laughed. “That was some real shit.”

Rowan nodded while studying me, a light of anticipation flashing in his silver eyes. He sniffed, scenting Sy. And Sy rolled in me, like a fool.

Do you want more pink diamonds or not? she snapped.

I swiftly dropped eye contact with the fae heir. I didn’t have the energy for him to ask about Sy. He was crazy about her. Addicted, even. Well, the sex must’ve been good, then, I thought sarcastically. I was a relationship cynic now.

The sex is fantastic. Sy grinned. Send me to work tonight. We need to feed, like, yesterday.

She was as exhausted as I, even more so after she’d given me all the energy that she’d hoarded to fight the Shriekers, but seeing Rowan renewed her vigor. He was her drug. Also, thanks to the earlier feeding from Killian, I was still standing after my serious injury.

“With Barbie joining us, we proved to be an excellent team,” Silas said. “Even more so than when Killian joined.”

He was saying that they didn’t need Killian now that the heirs had me.

“Good job, Barbie,” Cade said. “Joining my house works out for you. You’re a mage through and through.” Then he frowned, pointing his wand at me. “Aren’t you supposed to be in the dungeon? Who let you out?”

“I broke out,” I said. “Your minions forgot to bring me my meal, and I was bored to tears.”

“Don’t tell me that you destroyed my five-star cell. It’ll cost a lot of money to fix it, and the court is on a tight budget.”

I blinked. “But we’re mages. The house has money. Don’t they say that there’re many poor white men, but there’s never a poor mage?”

“Who are they? Who said it?” he barked. “That’s a lie!”

I nodded to concede, a compromise made.

Ruin was still here, and I needed to deal with him. I turned my head and locked my predatory gaze with my father’s. I pondered—what if I’d added some of my darkest flame into the mix when I sent the heirs’ magic to his abominations? Ruin wouldn’t have detected it, would he? Should I risk it again and let him taste being burned by my flame while he was inside his vessel?

His dark gaze traveled between the heirs and me, taking them into his memory and marking them one by one. Fear, anxiety, and guilt boiled in my middle. If any heir died, I’d never forgive myself.

The realm was no longer safe because of me.

Get your job done, but stop blaming yourself, Sy growled. I’m fed up with your playing a victim or a martyr. Magic in the realm has started to gain strength since we came. Without us, it’ll fade altogether in less than a century. Ruin will find this last magical realm sooner or later, even without our leading him right to the door. We’re the protectors of Underhill and Mist of Cinder. We’re the first defense line, just like what we did today. We bled for the realm and will bleed for it again. We’ve chosen our path. So don’t be a useless, whining cunt. Tits up! I won’t let you spread bad vibes and drag us down. In war, there’ll always be casualties, and we’ll have to live with it. But with the heirs backing us up like today, we can drive away Ruin and his abominations. And soon, we’ll be strong enough, and we’ll take the fight to him!

I’d never thought that Sy could be so eloquent, but she kept evolving and learning at a rapid speed. The showdown between my father and me was inevitable. It was time to ally with the heirs, and we might pull it off and finish off our father in the end.

I straightened my spine, despite my caved ribcage, the crushed organs, and the agony in my every breath. I’d see the end of the battle before I allowed myself to collapse, and all the while I was fighting not to siphon magic from the Veil or anyone to heal myself.

Ruin fixed his chilling stare on me with a dark promise, as if he’d heard my silent challenge. Cruelty and greed was etched on the Shrieker commander’s monstrous face, tainted further by Ruin’s touch. I was still terrified of the ancient god, but I did not shake like a leaf but stood my ground, leveling my steady and vengeful stare on him. I’d have looked more badass if I pointed at him with Deathsong, which I’d stolen from him, but Rock was holding my blade.

The werewolf was getting the hang of it as he fought by Killian’s side and hacked at the remaining dozens of Shriekers, burying the evil blade between their eyes. The chaos prince cut through the horde mercilessly with his death power and lightning. He was an apex predator after all, formidable and a sight to behold.

An ache burned in my core and longing seared my eyelids. I looked away from him, for fear the mating heat would jump back into me if I kept drooling over him.

The Shrieker army started to retreat, following their commander. If my father had gained his full strength and come in person instead of remote-controlling his vessel, none of us might stand a chance against him.

I needed to be ready before he came knocking again. An urgency hit me like hail, a flood of anxiety whirling in the pit of my stomach, as I sensed that we were running out of time.

“We can’t let any of them escape,” I shouted across the bloody battlefield. “Kill their commander first!”

I was in no shape to chase them myself, and without my invitation, the heirs wouldn’t risk channeling me again. I didn’t know what would happen to us if we kept mingling our powers. This was new territory, and I was always dangerous to anyone around me, so we needed to tread carefully.

Killian and Rock could handle a dozen or so Shriekers. Killian led the hunt, and Rock followed. Then the retreating horde crashed into a force field that blocked their exit. Queen Lilith stepped into their path, starlight and hellfire bursting out of her and engulfing the commander. His shrieks didn’t last long before he became a pile of ash, bones, and machine parts.

No one but I had caught a moment between her and the commander with my father in him. They’d traded a look before her power hit his vessel. When her starlight and hellfire lit up the commander, my father was absent. He’d left his vessel a second before getting torched.

I was the daughter of God of Ruin. I would sense his terrible presence everywhere. No one else, except Killian’s betrothed, had realized that the ancient god had hitched a ride, and he’d been right outside the Veil to Mist of Cinder within his vessel.

It meant that he’d come soon in person. My blood iced over again.

As a former fallen star and the ruler of the Underworld, Queen Lilith could also kill the Shriekers. She shared a look with Killian, then they both raised their hands, like a perfect fucking team. Their powers rushed out of them, joining forces, and burned the rest of the horde.

She beamed at him, her hand on his broad shoulder.

My relief at our victory against the Shriekers turned so sour at the sight of them together that I was afraid I’d heave out all the contents in my stomach right where I stood now on shaky legs.

The heirs stalked toward me, questions in their eyes.

I stretched out a hand, summoning Deathsong. It wouldn’t do Rock good if he carried the evil blade for too long.

Rock, I like you, but my mistress is calling, I heard the blade say in Rock’s head, and his eyes widened. It’d take a lot get used to an evil blade talking. Hope to see you soon.

Deathsong peeled itself out of Rock’s large hand, sent him an air kiss, and flew toward me. When my fingers curled around its hilt, it greeted me in glee. When’s the next happy hour, Mistress Barbie?

“I gotta go. Shower time,” I shouted at the heirs before they reached me.

I zoomed toward the Veil, not looking back, not wanting to see Killian and his powerful betrothed together. As I dragged my exhausted body through the shimmer, a falling sensation swept over me.

And I was falling and falling.