“Alrik, I’m sorry. They surprised me. They jumped me while I was sleeping.”

“Krishnoe!” commanded his mother.

Abby’s lips snapped shut but not on their own. His mother wielded magic to do all of her biddings. God, what he would do to see that power stripped from her.

His mother strode toward him and placed her hand upon his shoulder. He tried to lift a hand to snap her wrist in half but her icy magic once again engulfed him. Even as he tried to turn his head to sink his teeth into her hand, she controlled that too.

“See the fallen king bowing before me like a coward. Is this the kind of man that makes your human blood hot?”

Alrik stiffened even as he waited to hear her answer. That’s right, even now he was unsure of what she thought of him. She’d said the words but they were still so fresh and new in his head. She said she loved me. He was acting like a coward. He’d already willingly bowed to Salindra.

“He is not a coward, but you are,” his Abbigail said.

Sharp fingernails the color of bright red blood cut into his shoulder. “What say you, human?”

Alrik might have grinned if he didn’t know better. However, he did know better and his mother could kill Abbigail.

But Abbigail could kill her?

Alrik had no idea what chain of events was about to happen next, but nothing prepared him for what his mother had planned.

Chapter Twenty-one

Abby lifted her chin. “I said you’re a coward. Why else did you need to possess Alrik to get him here, and why else did you send a horde of demons to get me, a mere human, when you could have done it yourself? You’re scared. You’re afraid of us.”

Abby didn’t know how to get them out of this but she’d do whatever it took. She’d save Alrik if it was the last thing she did.

Maybe if they’d acted sooner they’d be sleeping comfortably in her bed in her little rented house right now, and not in the grasp of an evil demon with tremendous powers and a horde of idummi following her. But, they couldn’t go back. She couldn’t change what had already happened. All she could do now was try to keep them both safe.

As she met Alrik’s stricken eyes it only solidified her conviction. She would die for him.

Abby shifted her stance and spread her legs shoulder-width apart keeping her hands open at her sides. She was ready. Magic stirred inside her as she called it forth. It was subtle like a warm blanket settling over her and gradually warming her.

“Release him and let us both leave here and no one will get hurt,” she said calmly.

The queen—an elegant and fantastical looking woman with gorgeous golden skin, a mane of hair worthy of a shampoo commercial, and violet eyes so piercing they might be beautiful if madness didn’t linger there. The queen’s jaw fell open at Abby’s order, then it snapped shut so hard and fast she could hear the clink of teeth.

“How dare you, you loathsome little human? You are nothing!” The woman’s hands shook as she clasped them together and took a loud seething breath. “You are nothing compared to me. To even dare so…you will pay.”

That didn’t sound good. Abby’s stomach clenched. She wasn’t worried about herself. It was Alrik.

“Bring me my potion!” the queen screamed, her voice shrill. Her eyes glowed with uncontained madness. Even her movements weren’t graceful as if she was becoming unhinged.

An idummi stepped forward, his ugly face smiling to reveal sharp pointed teeth yellowed from neglect. He held a tall glass in his hand. It reminded her of a vase that one might put a single flower within. Inside the container was a vile looking substance. It looked murky brown like thick muddy water, but that wasn’t what made her run for Alrik. What made her run for him was the look in the queen’s eyes and the aura of magic surrounding the potion. Something evil had been put into that potion.

She’d nearly made it to him. The muscles in his neck and back strained as he fought invisible bonds holding him down.

The queen smirked and gave Abby a look that clearly said: I know something you don’t.

“Alrik!” Abby shouted.

There was no time to decide what kind of magic to use, to know which spell might be best. She just went for it. With a slash of her hand, she cut his invisible bonds. He tore free and lunged for his mother.

Abby panicked, fear guiding her actions. She wanted to scream at him to run away with her. They could only make an escape together. It didn’t help that his precious swords were back at camp lying next to where he’d been sleeping. What could he do without his weapons?

“Abbigail get out of here!” he bellowed and charged through a path of idummi standing between him and his mother.

The idummi didn’t draw blades but attempted to tackle his midriff and slam him to the ground. Abby ran after him. No way could she leave him.

“Not without you!” she called back.

Alrik’s icy magic shot out from his hands. Demons went slamming back as if a tidal force threw them.

Idummi surrounded Abby. She let out a sound unlike she’d ever made before. Her knees bent and her body tensed for battle. The roar she let out was one made from many waging war in the history of the world. Hers mixed alongside Alrik’s and together they fought their opponents. They sought blood on their hands. They fought for justice and love.

Abby cast spells as if she’d been doing it her whole life. Demons went soaring through the air. Four swarmed her from her left and she turned to them letting out a fiery spell that encased the demons in searing hot flames. Their chaotic screams were barely heard over the rumble of adrenaline in her ears.

She’d turned into a violent creature that reacted to the threat and took action without any thought or remorse. She would protect herself and she would save Alrik’s life—she loved him more than anything.

More demons lunged at her from behind as they tried to grab her. She barely ducked away from one when another grabbed her. The green creatures were strong for something so boney and withered looking. It easily pinned her arms at her sides effectively keeping her from throwing out spells.

Abby fought to catch her breath. A demon on either side of her kept her in their clutches. Their claws nearly cut into her. Their grip was so tight she could feel her skin pinching and blood bursting to the surface. Nothing they could do would make her flinch. She stayed strong and didn’t show any pain. No weakness.

Alrik was slammed to the ground by demons. He landed hard, his head cracking against the ground. Demons surrounded him turning him onto his back. They grabbed his arms and legs and spread them out from his body in an “x” position.

“What are you doing?”

The queen still had that smirk on her face. Abby wanted to beat it off of her. Not a trace of fear could be seen in her eyes.

That nagging feeling came back in full force. The queen had something up her sleeve and it had to be an ace.

Dead carcasses littered the ground. Abby had only done some of that damage. She eyed the dead demons and could have laughed at how many more Alrik had managed to take out in that same amount of time. Her chest puffed up with pride. Her man was a warrior.

The demons hauled her forward. They stopped just as she reached Alrik’s feet, literally.

“Hey honey,” she said softly to him.

Apparently now was not a good time for sweetness for his glare nearly singed the hairs off her head. “You should have listened to me.” Anger laced his words and burned bright in his eyes.

She suddenly started blinking fast to keep any possible extra moisture at bay. “Yes, well, I won’t leave you. I told you that.”

His chest strained against the arms holding him, but his eyes held hers and in them she saw a cold, dead fear.