King of Tides (The Immortal Iron Brothers #3)

Chapter 45

Ben kraliceyim

My back has been placed against a wall and I hate it. My babies are under attack and my family is in the middle of something they probably don’t understand. Kenji’s voice fills my head.

“You are not who they think you are. You are who you know you are. That’s the difference between a winner and someone who’s willing to lose.”

All my life, I’ve been told who I could be. Who people thought I should be. Every time, I’ve proven them wrong.

I’m not about to let these people take my life from me. I’m not going to allow my family to be taken away. I have children, I have love, I have a safe home.

“Ben krali?eyim.”

intikam voice fills my head for what feels like the last time. “That you are. Well done, young master. Finish them.”

Ardan

I can’t believe my eyes. Billy transforms right before me. It’s such a beautiful sight.

Her avatar awakens and stands behind her in all her glory. A crown on her head covered in ice and surrounded by flowing water just like mine. The avatar reaches to straighten her crown and winks in my direction.

A glance out of the corner of my eye tells me the woman is standing with her mouth open, too transfixed to move. I take that moment to fluid the block of ice Carson is in—melting it.

His true human form begins to fall to the floor. Beck glides toward him to catch him and bring him to the ground safely.

A popping sound fills the air—like the sound of two guns going off—causing me to turn my focus back to Billy. I find her spinning two smoking pistols, one in each hand. She then slams and twists them together at the butts, causing her naginata to reappear as it gleams in her palm.

Billy pops her hip out and nods in satisfaction. She then holds her arms open and squats. Beck and Bourne rush into her arms back in their natural forms. She stands with them in her arms and smiles at me.

“We will fix him. We will bring back his balance, or we will love him as he is,” she says through our link as she repeatedly kisses the top of Beck’s head.

“That we will.”

I look around and find Mack shaking and sobbing beside Carson. The woman lies on the floor with a bullet hole and blue smoke coming from her forehead. I wouldn’t give her the respect of calling her a queen. A puddle of water rests where I last saw Bardo.

The illusion vanishes and we’re back in the middle of the temple where the real battle is happening. My brothers and my other half are still trapped. I need to get them free.

Suddenly, the room begins to shake. The ceiling is crumbling, falling to the floor. At first, I think this is another illusion being forced. Then, a spine-tingling cross between a growl and a grunt fills the air.

“Holy shit,” I breathe as I turn my head toward the sound.