Chapter 44

As hot blood bubbled across my neck and pain hit my nerve endings, Death's blade dragged across my heart. Was this it? Had the Grim Reaper finally caught up to me, ready to escort me to hell to be punished for all my bad deeds?

Would Fane feel it when I took my last breath? Would he care?

A thunderous roar suddenly erupted, vibrating the debris scattered across the lab, and the glass fragments tinkled like tiny bells. It didn't take long for that vicious battle cry to reach a crescendo, filling my soul with a breath of relief while it forced Barric to freeze.

Hope blossomed in my chest, and Death took a step back. No one else except Fane could have halted the head alpha right before a kill.

Fane strolled into the lab, harsh angles cutting into his face as the shadows crawled over it, his tattoos twitching, and eyes bloodred. "Back the fuck away from my mate ."

The words, the claim, sent a thrill through my veins even though I could die any moment .

"I'll get you out of this, Teague."

Fane's voice in my head was a welcome balm soothing the pain and emptiness from the loss of the Infernal Sol.

Had the witches removed the spell? Fane and Logan couldn't have possibly traveled to Illyria and had a complex enchantment performed.

Barric didn't remove his claws from my throat. "Come any closer, and I'll kill her." He snorted. "It's only fair. A mate for a mate, right?"

Black sickle talons extended from Fane's fingertips. "Except I didn't kill my mate like you did. And for that alone, I should shred your flesh from your bones and let demons feast on it while you watch. And then I'll tear your throat out"

The picture Fane's words painted sent my stomach roiling, but I wouldn't mind watching Barric get what he deserved. Even if he wasn't hell-bent on slaughtering me, he still killed his fated mate and tormented his own kind because he was a racist prick.

Knox had been right about Barric all along.

"You're not going to do shit with my claws stuck in Tate's throat." Barric's talons dug deeper, and I winced, more blood flowing down my neck. If I lost much more, I'd need a transfusion.

The red in Fane's irises intensified as his power infiltrated the air, making my skin hum and muscles heat. Barric's jaw clenched while he thrust his own alpha influence out, attempting to surpass the demon shifter.

Fane wasn't an alpha, but he naturally had that power without the title or pack. The air thickened in the lab as the two battled for dominance, and somewhere the other occupants began to stir. The keening groan of metal echoed, and more glass shattered as someone crawled out from the wreckage.

"Hold still, fiera mika," Fane said into my mind as Barric' s hold on my throat tightened. "If you move, he could cut you too deeply, and you're already bleeding too much."

As if Barric knew exactly how precarious my state was, a smile hitched the edges of his lips, sending my pulse racing. Would he really kill me and risk Fane's wrath?

A faint whistle suddenly hit the air, and moments later, Barric staggered back, his claws falling from my throat.

"What the fuck?" He snarled at the arrow protruding from his shoulder.

My head snapped to the far right of the lab where Nik loaded his crossbow with another arrow.

A silver-tipped arrow.

Barric jumped, but Nik was the head of Ruin's security team for a reason and anticipated the alpha's move. The arrow struck Barric in the back, shooting through his chest. He staggered toward the other side of the lab for the stairs to escape.

But the silver permeating his bloodstream already impaired his movements. He fell to his knees and then collapsed on the white tiles.

Barric wasn't dead, but if the arrows were left in, he would be.

Fane rushed to my side, his nostrils flaring as he realized just how much blood I'd lost. I was practically swimming in it. "You're going to be fine." His words came out in quick bursts, attempting to hide the worry curling around each syllable. He didn't even hesitate to take away my pain, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"The Infernal Sol…" My gaze drifted back to the amulet as it lay a few feet from Barric, Nik wrapping him in silver chains. I'd like to think the dux demon was doing it on my behalf, but it was most likely because Barric had killed Nadia .

"I know the amulet is out of you." Fane found a few towels in a drawer and pressed them to my stomach. "I felt it."

Did he also feel how much I wanted it back?

I licked my dry lips as Fane easily tore off the binds chaining me to the metal table. "Maybe it would heal me?—"

"Logan, help me!" he yelled as the high demon appeared in the lab, having entered through the door leading to Ruin's secret lab.

Oh God. Hawk was still in there. And Wrath.

"I saw everything , Tate." Fane's jaw clenched, his teeth grinding so hard the vibrations rattled my own bones. "I know all about Ruin's betrayal."

The fury that throbbed from him almost stopped my heart.

"We're going to get you all fixed up, roomie." Logan bolted across the room and lifted a demolished set of cabinets, revealing Estella. "You're going to help." He dragged her out of her hiding spot and yanked her in the air until her feet dangled. Her lab coat was torn, and smudges of ash and black blood speckled her.

"I'll do whatever you want." Sobs spilled from her mouth as more tears leaked out of her already red-rimmed eyes. The waterworks weren't all from her fear. Ruin's death brought them on.

She'd loved him.

The high demon dropped her to her feet. "Do you have any Emaculum elixir?"

When Estella nodded, he released her, and she dashed around the corner, rummaging through cabinets. Emaculum was a highly rare healing potion, but I wasn't surprised Ruin had it for emergencies. It still wouldn't have helped his lying ass this time. He evaporated into ash. There was no coming back from that.

"The spell?" I asked Fane .

He shook his head, his expression grim. "We never made it. I knew something was wrong, so we turned around."

My heart sank even though I'd guessed there hadn't been enough time.

"We'll try again, Tate." Logan gave his boy-next-door grin, but it was tight around the edges and didn't reach his eyes.

A small bit of relief loosened the tension in my chest when I realized Logan had never been in on Ruin's plans. He hadn't known anything about the demon lord's deal with Barric, the shifters, or Warin's death.

I couldn't take losing him too.

Estella finally returned with a tiny vial full of shimmering aqua liquid and passed it to Logan. "She should drink it all." Strands of emerald hair fell into her face, and she refused to meet my gaze.

Logan nodded but before he went to my side, he sent her a glare. "Stay right there. We're not finished with you."

Her shoulders slumped as she kept her feet firmly in place. The pretty dux demon knew Logan would hunt her down if she tried to escape.

"Drink all of this in one go." Logan tipped the bottle to my lips as Fane helped me sit, and I swallowed the tart concoction, trying not to gag.

As soon as the potion infiltrated my system, tickling wriggled over the wound, and the skin began to heal. It wouldn't happen instantaneously, and it was so severe that I might still need stitches. My attention fell on the Infernal Sol again. I wouldn't need stitches if I had the amulet…

An explosion rocked the lab again, and Fane jerked me into his chest, shielding the debris from striking me.

Son of a bitch.

My ears rang, and clouds of smoke and ash permeated the room, covering the white tiles and stainless steel in soot. Logan crawled out of a broken cabinet, picking glass out of his hair. Estella wiped black blood from her face and shook Denton, who'd finally come to after the second explosion.

Power choked the atmosphere as Roman strolled into the room, going straight for Barric.

Logan cursed and darted toward them, but an invisible barrier like the one at the safe house tossed him back on his ass.

"No!" I hissed, struggling in Fane's grip, wanting to stop my father's escape. He didn't get to walk free after all he'd done.

Fane's hold tightened, knowing I'd only hurt myself if I tried to break the barrier. "He won't be free, Teague. Everyone will know what he did, and he'll be on the run."

That still wasn't enough.

"Barric, wake up." Roman used magic to shatter the silver chains into a hundred pieces, freeing the head alpha, and then he yanked the two arrows out of him. "We don't have much time."

A low snarl rattled Fane's chest. "You're going to regret this, Roman. You picked the wrong side."

"My loyalties were decided a long time ago." The blond witch shrugged. "It's just the hand I was dealt."

Barric finally stirred awake, his face pale and bloody while more crimson dripped from his wounds. Too bad he'd survive. "Get me out of here."

"What do you think I'm trying to do?" Roman grabbed Barric's arm to haul him up.

A growl echoed through the demolished lab as Nik stood, his glamour dropping to reveal the bulky muscles and lethal spikes along his arms. "You'll pay for killing Nadia, Barric." His hands curled into fists, and he rushed the barrier, striking it. Instead of getting tossed aside, he held onto the wall even as his feet lifted. Then he struck the invisible blockade over and over again .

My breath caught as hope unfurled in my chest. Maybe Nik could break through.

But Barric's sinister laugh had ice descending over my spine, and when I turned back to him, his attention was locked on me.

"You may have uncovered the truth about me, Tate, but I see a whole new crop of opportunities for greatness coming my way."

My brow furrowed at his words until my gaze lowered to his hand, a gold chain dangling from his bloody fingers.

A storm of emotion detonated in me, and I jumped out of Fane's arms and off the table, crashing right into the barrier. "He's got the Infernal Sol!"

Fane materialized by my side, his hands pressing against the wall, searching for any weakness. He knew as well as I did Barric was the last person that should wield something so dark and powerful. Coltrane would have been a better choice than him.

"You have no idea what you're doing." The voice coming out of my mouth didn't sound like my own, one warped in fury—and envy. "The Infernal Sol will never be yours."

Barric pursed his lips and shoved the medallion into his pocket. "Thanks to this, the possibilities of The Collective Hunt are virtually endless now."

Roman's stare fell on the head alpha's pocket, probably feeling the call of the amulet himself. "Let's go. Jax is waiting."

I slammed my fist into the wall as they disappeared up the stairs, my heart hammering while panic hemorrhaged through my veins.

Logan flanked my other side. "This is bad, guys."

"Stating the obvious," Fane muttered.

I ran my hand over my face, wiping away cold sweat as I turned to the demon shifter. "We can't let Barric have the amulet. There's no telling what he'll do." Fine tremors raced through my body, and I barely felt the pain anymore. "We have to get it back."

"We will. I promise." Fane turned me toward him, his attention falling to the sun tattoo still marking my abdomen beneath my torn shirt. He swallowed hard, trepidation ricocheting through the bond.

The Infernal Sol had left its stain on me, and I wasn't sure I'd ever be free. Even now, the ache for it filled my veins.

I could pretend my intentions were noble—that I wanted to get the amulet out of Barric's hands to protect the world—but I'd be lying. The Infernal Sol was mine. It should be with me.

I wanted it back. I needed it.

I craved it.