Each strike made my heart race a little faster. To win, Zyion had to take Knox into the salt barrier, where he would have to rely on his defensive skills to fend off Knox’s aggressive, lethally-aimed strikes. If Knox took Zyion down, that was it. He’d mercilessly slaughter Zyion, as there was no humanity behind the creature wielding the fortified blade that he attacked with.
If Zyion went down, I’d be forced, along with the others presently watching the vicious assault, to flee for our lives. Knox had to be forced into the circle, or at least one of the others we’d spent endless hours placing in case he couldn’t be walked into this one easily. Zyion pushed Knox forward, but for every one step forward, Knox pushed him two steps back.
Stepping closer, I lifted my hands, fighting the worry over the battle waging before us as I tried to find the end of the thread of darkness, or something to grab on to. I needed a way to unravel the layers Hecate had needed in order to control Knox. No matter how hard I searched, I continually came up empty. It was as if she’d forgone merely adding the slimy layers, and poured it into him, instead.
“Do you honestly think I’d allow you to have my girl?” Knox snarled vehemently. His eyes crying the black sludge in rivers of tears.
“Fuck you, Karnavious.”
Realization that it wouldn’t work as we’d expected, tightened painfully around my heart like a vice, squeezing until my heart fluttered. Each violent strike clattered like a war drum into the night. How much longer could Zyion endure defending before being forced to go on the offense?
Closing my eyes, I tried again to find a way to unravel the insane amount of darkness within Knox. Hecate had either anticipated I’d try to remove it, or she’d felt it when I’d attempted to remove the darkness before. Each attempt drained the well within me, as if I was merely feeding Knox my power. It was worrisome, forcing me to back out, even as frustration washed through me.
“You think I’ll let her live? You’re smarter than that,” Knox taunted, his words bitter with acid burning me from each thing he said.
“I am smarter,” Zyion returned.
If he didn’t start taunting Knox back, we’d never force him to the surface. What the hell was he waiting for? An invitation? I’d told him to use whatever he needed to incite and provoke Knox harshly. We had to force him to fight against Hecate’s hold. Alone, we’d fail to eviscerate her from his being.
“You don’t have it in you to fuck Aria the way she needs it, Vicious. That little slut takes a beating and still begs for more. She’d fucking eat you up and spit you out, little boy,” Knox sneered. While I wasn’t concerned about the world’s opinion of me, I also didn’t want it to be disclosed. “Hell, she even took my entire knot into that greedy cunt of hers and liked it like the filthy whore she is. You think you’ll ever be able to fulfill her needs? Nah, that’s right. The first girl you loved? Didn’t that bitch swan dive off of a cliff? Total header, right? Oh, I remember now. The idea of returning to your tiny pathetic prick after having a real dragon made her want to die, right? She knew you’d be unable to quench her thirst for a real man so she did what was needed to escape you.”
Zyion’s strike against Knox’s blade sent him back, forcing him to dig his feet in as he smoothly countered it. Knox’s fingers tightened against the pummel of the blade, as sweat trickled down my back. My nails pricked against my flesh as my stomach roiled with tension. Knox swung then lifted his foot, kicking Zyion in the chest, sending him staggering back a few steps. The color fled from my face as I watched Knox bring his sword back, then swung it with a killing blow. Zyion turned just in time, missing the blade connecting with his chest by a hair’s breadth.
“Do you remember the second woman? I do. I remember her screaming for you as I ended her life. And she did, Zyion. She pleaded for me not to kill her, too. But I ensured she sang for me before I allowed her to find the blissful nothingness of death. That whore sang like an angel as she took every fucking inch of my blade through her supple, tender flesh. So, do you honestly think I’d entrust my whore with you? You’ll never have her, Vicious. At least, not while I still live.” Fear fluttered through my awareness as the vicious determination on Zyion’s face, as his body grew taut and rigid with murderous rage.
“I already fucking have her, Karnavious. I’ve had her many fucking times, and I’ll have her many fucking more now that you’re out of the way. And your girl? She sings so fucking pretty when I’m inside her. Fucking hell, it is so deliciously beguiling to want her to continually sing her sweet, lustful song again so soon after I just had it humming around my cock as I fucked her throat, raw. Your girl even sang my praises as she purred against my lips, promising to be a good little slut and let me use her however I’d like once we’ve finished up here. Of course, I wouldn’t say she sang like an angel, but she did gag prettily as I forced my entire cock down her throat. She’s exquisitely primal. That is why you like her so much, isn’t it? She doesn’t just give you her submission, she makes you fucking take it from her.”
My eyes fluttered in shock at his words, even as Killian’s gaze burned into the side of my head. I had told him to use whatever he could to bring Knox to the surface. There hadn’t been time to specify what would be out of line.
Turning to glance back at him, I exhaled before whispering, “I said whatever it took, Killian. Do you honestly think I’d have fucked Zyion and then brought him home with me to meet Knox?”
“You best hope he doesn’t remember what Zyion just said, Aria. Knox has spent his life hunting Zyion because he’s the one who removed the head of Dracarius Karnavious. Knox’s grandfather and the former King of Norvalla. You brought him right to him too,” he hissed back with his eyes on the duo currently fighting. “If he thinks you fucked him, there won’t be any coming back from that.”
“That pussy of hers?” Zyion asked. “It’s fucking delicious, isn’t it? She let me fuck it like I owned it. I enjoyed every whimpered gasp as I stretched her tight pussy out to ensure it knew who it belonged to, though. That girl is vicious, and knows how to fuck, I’ll give you that much. However, that knot of yours must not be as impressive as you think. Getting into her cunt wasn’t an easy feat. Her walls were a snug fit, but easier once I’d had a few good, hard, lengthy bouts of breeding her. But I wasn’t hearing Aria complaining about the length or width of my prick, Knox. But I assure you, before I’d finished with her, my seeds were planted and growing in her womb. She’s going to make me a daddy.”
Knox stumbled, but as quickly as he did, he recovered. The sound of his steel crashing against Zyion’s rang out through the darkening night. Every move was fluid, graceful, and driven by murderous rage. Horror entered my mind as the men became blurs of movement, each aggressive slice faster than my mind could process or my eyes could even register.
I’d known Knox moved with an impossible, inhuman speed. But I’d never considered it being employed in a sword fight. Zyion still met every swing with a defensive blow. Zyion was tiring from the relentless blows vibrating through his arms. Knox parried, then sent his blade thrusting forward, piercing Zyion’s shoulder. His scream of pain tore through the night as horror shot through me faster than any bullet could have.