It was a miracle that she was even conscious.
I shook my head to clear my jumbled thoughts as the room fell apart around me. Everyone was freaking out and forgetting the important part.
“We need to help her. Orion, bring the first aid kit. Now!” I shouted, and the room went quiet as everyone stilled.
It took a second, then everyone started rushing around, trying to find supplies as they realized Arabella was bleeding out and all of us were having meltdowns.
I took a deep breath and went into the bathroom to fill up a bucket of water to clean her wounds.
My hands trembled, but I forced my mind to stay calm and analytical.
I was a Protector for a reason.
And my teammate needed protection, so that was what she was going to get.
We’d iron out the logistics later because there was nothing we needed to discuss now. It was simple. People would die.
Arabella wasn’t the spoiled princess we’d stupidly assumed she was.
She’d been tortured.
Warm water sloshed over the side of the bucket as I absentmindedly seethed over what had been done to her.
I knew firsthand how cruel people could be. How they tormented with words and bludgeoned with fists.
The realms were not nice places.
The bucket cracked as I squeezed the sides tightly.
Suddenly it made so much sense why she’d disguised herself as a boy and hidden from her queendom.
She didn’t kill for power; she’d killed for revenge.
She wasn’t a pampered despot; she was an abused woman on the run.
We’d never been so wrong about someone.
A wave of relief washed over me as I rubbed at the snake-and-chain tattoo on my hip that tied all our lives together.
Thank the sun god we were connected.
It was obvious that no one was protecting her, that no one had ever protected her.
She forgot to breathe, sucked on her enchanted pipe, mumbled under her breath, and drank herself into oblivion because she was suffering without help.
Not anymore.
I was called a Protector for a reason, and she was under our care.
From now on, Arabella would be guarded from harm.
I picked up the leaking bucket and carried it back into the bedroom. Kneeling beside her whimpering form, I worked with the rest of my legion to help her.
I would make it up to her by guarding her with my life.
I vowed it to the sun god.
Then I would kill Lothaire because willful negligence was no excuse. He was at fault. He would suffer by my hand.
Arabella had been mutilated.
It changed everything.
Chapter 43
Aran
THE CHOSEN LEGIONS
Rebirth—Day 57, hour 10
“All students and legions must proceed to the great hall for an announcement.” The enchanted male voice boomed through the room.
I stared at the ceiling.
A pipe loose between my lips.
Less than twenty-four hours ago, I’d been covered in glass shards, hobbling off an arena half-naked.
The loud message repeated, and my teammates grumbled as they woke up.
I’d woken up an hour ago to find all six men passed out on the floor surrounding me. John’s fingers had been wrapped around mine tightly as he’d held my hand in his sleep.
They’d all exhausted themselves stitching me up.
Even the demons.
Despite every horrible thing I’d been through, tears welled in my eyes as I watched them grumble and wake up.
Gratitude made my head light.
John’s warm fingers curled against mine as he rolled over and yawned. He dragged his other hands softly across the top of my cheekbone. “You better now, bestie?” he asked softly.
I licked my cracked lips and whispered, “Never better, dude.”
For a second, we stared at each other.
John’s thick dark lashes fluttered as he blinked his hooded dark eyes. Twin dimples flashed, then disappeared as he stared into my eyes. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
I gave him a small smile. “I prefer barely functioning and extremely sexy.”
John’s callused finger trailed softly down my cheekbone, and he fingered the heavy necklace I’d forgotten was hanging from my throat. The tops of his cheeks turned pink as he gently tugged on the heavy diamond and used it to pull my face closer to his.
John whispered, “I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through.” His voice cracked. “If I could go back in time and protect you, I would.” He smiled at me sadly. “Aran, there’s something I need to—”
The enchanted voice cut him off. “All students and legions must proceed to the great hall for an announcement.”
Scorpius swore loudly, and the demons grumbled.
Malum sat up and said, “We need to go. Now.” He clapped his hands loudly. “Everyone, wake the fuck up. We need to leave.”
He turned his head like he was searching for something in the room.
When he landed on me, steel eyes filled with pity. His expression was shattered. “Are you feeling better?” he asked softly as red stained his cheeks.
I swallowed thickly.
Why was it so hard to breathe?
John released his hold on the necklace, and I tore my eyes away from Malum and asked John, “What did you need to tell me?”
John shook his head tiredly. “Later. Not now.”
I reached up to grab him and pull him closer because I could tell from the sad expression on his face that it was important.
I needed to know now.
“Let’s go, Aran,” Malum’s deep whiskey voice interrupted my thoughts. He stood half-naked and stared down at me and John. For some reason, he seemed angry again.
For a moment, I was distracted by the deep V line that framed his bronze hips.
“Why are you suddenly mad?” I blurted out.
He clenched his fists, and flames shot from his knuckles. “You were keeping secrets. You should have told us about your back. About what your mother did. I would have never…” He trailed off.
“Set me on fire?” I asked softly.
Everyone in the room stopped getting ready.
Six men gave me their rapt attention.
I sighed heavily. Exhaled with a long puff of my pipe.
My limbs tingled.
I felt numb.
My vision distorted.
I shrugged like I didn’t care about anything. “But you did.”
Malum’s harsh features shattered like I’d punched him in the face, and he whispered, “I didn’t know.”
“Would you have cared?” I laughed harshly. “Really, would you have cared? Because a few weeks ago, you were calling me your slave. Two months ago, you were calling women nothing but holes.”
Clothing sizzled as Malum’s sweatshirt caught on fire.
“I don’t feel that way anymore about you,” Malum spoke slowly like he was trying to force each word out. His jaw clenched and jumped as his voice alternated between rough and soft. “I respect you.”
I scoffed. “Good for you. What do you want me to say? Thank you for telling me you view me as a person? Please. I already killed my mother. There’s nothing else to talk about. You’ve made your choices. Leave me alone.”
I was standing outside my body.
It felt like I was watching someone else speak for me.
Malum clenched his fists, and his steel eyes filled with an unnamed emotion. Something flashed across his face.
“But why is it enchanted?” John’s voice shook with anger, but he spoke tentatively like he was afraid of the answer. “What does it do?”