Vanity's forked tongue unfurled as her claws tore faster than anyone had ever seen.
Hoseok closed his eyes, relaxing his body for impact.
Anaphiel was right. Death in the pursuit of what was just was far more honorable than letting it come while he lied down. Before his soul was taken, he thought of giving it to Rin.
"Don't touch him!"
Iron cut flesh. Hoseok opened his eyes. Taehyung stood in front of him, head bent and coughing up blood. Submerged in his chest were the Queen's nails.
Taehyung wheezed, his coarse voice lowered to a whisper. "You can't take him from me."
The Beast groaned, biting his lip as Vanity slowly drew her blades from his ribs. Trembling, he forced himself to face her even as blood filled the back of his throat.
Vanity smirked. "You will take his place, wolf."
She shoved him to the side like a ragdoll. Hoseok had already placed several feet between them, tears stinging his eyes at the sight of limp Taehyung. Nico ran to the side of the unconscious boy. Namjoon barricaded Hoseok next.
Jin balled his fists at his sides. "How. Dare. You."
Vanity casually peered over her shoulder. "I won't you for last."
Jin's body seized instantly, his muscles pulling taut. Vanity pivoted and ran for him, licking the blood from her fingers.
"Jin!" Namjoon shrieked. The leader wasn't fast enough to reach the eldest.
Nico charged. A streak of white and teal lightning, he crashed into Vanity. The entire building shook as the pair flew into the wall. Dust rained down from the ceiling. When the smoke cleared, Vanity was on the floor with the Second King standing over her.
"This is between you and I," Nico growled. "Leave them out of it."
Vanity brought a finger to her lip. This time, her own blood smeared her fingertips.
"I don't want to hurt--"
Nico croaked as Vanity captured him by the throat and shot into the sky. Up, up they went, shattering the smudged glasswork of the ceiling. They were surrounded by stars and midnight and the moon when Vanity threw him back down to the Earth. Like a fallen comet, Nico's back collided with the tiled floors. The ground cracked around his body to form a crater.
Vanity lowered herself, hovering above the Diamond Lounge. She whistled, a curt yet shrill tune that vibrated through seemingly every level of the Ruby Courtyard.
The horde came running.
Barking, yapping, snarling echoed through the halls. So many feet. Namjoon lost count.
The ones on the ceiling dropped, landing perfectly on their feet. All six of their arms fanned around them, reaching and slashing at whatever was closest. That happened to be Namjoon and Hoseok. Three spider demons cornered the Intellect and the Raven. The fourth stalked to Taehyung, who had pushed up onto all fours.
Over the shoulder of one of the demons, Namjoon watched the swarm. Monster after monster filtered through the doors, so many that those doors eventually broke off. Twenty to fifty to at least one hundred. Like a cavalry of nightmarish soldiers, they galloped in to battle to defend their Queen.
Taehyung watched from the floor, awestruck. There were too many for the four of them with Nico occupied. The demons stumbled over one another in an attempt to be the first to reach the angels, cutting each other down if they got in one another's way. Vanity's nails had completely dug into his chest, and maybe if they hadn't he would still be standing. He contemplated the cost of saving Hoseok.
It was worth it.
But the action still made him feel empty. It did not fill him with peace or calm, rather it ravaged his conscious. He was down for the count in this form. The irkan that had already began taunting him seemed to smell it.
They were outmatched and outnumbered. They spread themselves too thin by splitting up and it was Taehyung's fault for even suggesting such an idea. Regret dug at his heart, sharper than her nails. So many apologies he might not ever be able to say.
The irkan grabbed him by the back of his blazer and lifted him with only four arms. Like a child toying with its food, the stinking thing sniffed the Beast. It inhaled the front of his shirt where the blood stained, and it sniffed his face and his hair. Finishing up with Taehyung, the demon made a face. It frowned like he was disgusting.
Trying to get his body to move was like pulling teeth. All of Taehyung felt weak, tired. His body could withstand so much more than this, but it just didn't feel like that tonight.
The irkan sunk teeth into his neck. His eyes almost rolled to the back of his head. A rush of wind kept him awake.
Strong arms tackled him at his hips, his torso becoming weightless as he lifted. Peering at who held him, he stared blankly at Hoseok who had expertly thrown him on his back. The Raven's wings beat over an ocean of gangly limbs and decay; monsters climbing onto walls, leaping onto his friends.
"I have to help Namjoon," Hoseok yelled. Taehyung nodded, fighting the urge to rest his head on the Raven's flexing back. "Can you fight?"
He could not. He had lost too much blood.
"Tae, I need you to answer me!"
"Yes," Taehyung said. "I can."
"I'm going to drop you on the second floor, okay?" Hoseok soared towards the mezzanine and tilted so that Taehyung slid off his back and landed on his feet.
Jin shoved a demon away, pushing it into two others. It was nearly impossible to fend them off and watch where Hoseok landed. Standing nearest to the door of the Diamond Lounge, he mistakenly made up the front line of Anaphiel's defense; an impeccably dressed piece of steak for irkans that hadn't been fed in months. And after a while of them trying to cling to his sleeves or nip at his shoulders, he became angry.
They tore apart his suit, they gave him small gashes on his stomach and arms, they knocked him off balance so many times it felt like dancing. Each time it triggered small irritation which accumulated to frustration, and finally fury. He held them off with fists or feet, yet they persisted; one after another, in some instances multiple at a time to get him on the ground.
When would they realize he would not fall? He stayed alive for two hundred years to feel this kind of rush. If they thought they were taking that away on a night like this, they would have eternity to pay.
Jin thought about that as he pummeled a row of irkans with his left fist. Each blow to them was sweet release. Freedom to unleash what he'd buried for decades: bloodlust. At last, one night of his life where he was not concerned with following human protocol or norms. He could be his fallen form in all it's glory.
An irkan drew blood from his leg. It spurred Jin's hatred forward, the abhorrence feeding into a current that raved through his body at the speed of light. He grabbed that demon by the throat, willing his power to fill the bastard from the inside, to freeze his innards, to steal the breath from it's body. The life drained from it's eyes. Jin was so pleased that he stole a glance to the balcony where Taehyung watched.
"Taehyung!"
The Beast heard his name near the beginning of the room. Jin matched his gaze eagerly, those dark irises so twisted in cruel glee that Taehyung barely recognized him.
"I need you!" Jin said, "Let go! Let all of it go!"
Taehyung saw that Jin bled from the side of his face. One of the legs of his pants were dark with blood as well. Still, the Shadow stood firm. One angel against a battalion of Hell.
Nico must have heard the command as well. He matched Vanity hand for hand in her moves and deflections, the two of them sparring more than landing blows. But hearing those words, Nico immediately found Taehyung leaning on the bannister.
"Now, Taehyung!" The Second King bellowed. "Transform!"
Vanity used the distraction to rake her claws against his cheek.
The King's head whipped to the side. But Taehyung did not see only his King, he saw the stupidly maternal and overbearing black kitten that purposely made his life miserable at breakfast. That scratched him without reason. That bothered him day in and day out for more star flakes.
He saw how one of his closest allies would take a hit if it meant cheering him on.
Taehyung roared.
The irkans below paused. Vanity paused. The angels paused.
Namjoon turned to the balcony where the Prince of Beasts called to the masses. He watched as Taehyung stumbled back and keeled over, his body heaving as he swelled in size. He disappeared from the edge for a few seconds, but the leader knew better than to return to battle. So did the demons at his and Hoseok's side. Namjoon trained his eyes upwards, another roar seizing and shaking his heart.
A cloud of onyx fur ran and jumped over the railing. The wolf skid on it's paws while it landed, taking out irkans in droves as it dug it's claws into the floor for traction. He was as tall as Jin or their leader, and as strong as three of the angels combined. One blue eye and one green narrowed on the nightstalkers that surrounded Hoseok and Namjoon.
Warning bells chimed in the leader's head. He wrapped his arms around Hoseok's neck. "UP!"
Hoseok obeyed, propelling both he and Namjoon into the sky at the same time Taehyung bared down on the league of irkans that hopelessly stood there. A trap of fang and claw and muscle, Taehyung captured bodies in his mouth. Long, thick teeth chomped on skeletal bodies and spit them out. He mauled them with front and hind legs, the crunching of bone loud enough to echo to the ceiling.
Across the room, Jin used that roar as fuel. Screaming at the top of his lungs, he balled his hands together, bundling energy between his palms. A ball of black and gray clouds circled there, its own growing storm. It built and built until it pained Jin to keep it one place. He held it longer than he ever had, taking pride in the burning sensation that demolished his arms. And right when he felt like it would burst apart without his prompting, that he would break if he added more, he released his power unto the Ruby Courtyard.
Obsidian mist and smoke left his palms like one thousand unforgiving storm clouds.
Just behind him, the Queen of the Merciless dove for the Second King of the Eternal Realm, who welcomed her attack.
:::
Malignant, vengeful energy pulsed through the octagonal chamber.
Jimin had felt something like this once.
The violence. The rage. It wanted him to die. The thought of his suffering enthralled this beast. Any drop of blood would stroke it's satisfaction. Whether that demise came swift or everlasting, no such thing mattered. The goal was punishment. Atonement for following the light.
Very few times had he heard the name Mangrith. Hundreds of years before when there were no nations but feudal territories, this original demon roamed the Earth. No mortal dared to address its presence in more than a whisper. Its name fluttered through the wind and streams. It mocked innocent prayers and it dragged dreamers from their sleep by the ankles left above cover. It had such a hold on the world that Jimin remembered how he first became acquainted. In a Council meeting, where he had no other choice but to descend and banish it to where it came.
The Silent Killer, he called it.
There was no wonder why it's voice was so familiar. Why it seemed thrilled to see him.
"We meet again."
Jungkook pointed his sword ahead. "Show yourself."
A figure formed at the edge of the black fog. It had neither a face nor any definitive features. It was darkness, but bent and crooked at certain angles; broken branches that made up legs and arms.
Jimin did not take his eyes off of that shadow. To Yoongi and Jungkook he said, "Whatever you do, read my lips. Stay close."
"You sent me away."
"You have a plan?" Yoongi asked.
"Yeah, I think so," Jimin said. He tossed his bow to the floor. "Can you guys cover me?"
"I will eat the marrow from your bones."
Jungkook shouted. "Go for it!"
But it wasn't that easy. Timing was everything. There was one thing about Mangrith that he studied and remembered. Thankfully, he had that same weapon in his possession. How effective it would be in the face of Mangrith's replenished strength...
"I can't yet!"
"You sent me to exile!"
"Why not?" Jungkook stabbed at pieces of shadow that wrapped around the legs of his pants.
"Never again."
"It's getting pissed off," Yoongi shouted.
"You will perish!"
Jimin steadied his breathing. The darkness felt like ice against his lungs. "Not yet!"
Wait for it, Jimin thought. He could feel Yoongi ready to rush at his side. Jungkook started to get antsy with his blade. They couldn't run for it. They were as good as fodder if they did that. Mangrith was a demon of patience and swiftness. A coil and strike.
Over the howling blackness, Jimin yelled. "You have to wait for it to--,"
The black mist covering Mangrith dissipated. The demon was inhuman. White as bone, it's arms were twisted and gnarled like they had been broken over and over again. White hair, thin and wiry flowed all the way to it's shoulders. Four completely red eyes spread over the bridge of what should have been a nose, but was nothing but a hole.
Jimin paled.
At first, the original demon simply stood there. Then, he grew.
Mangrith roared to reveal three rows of sharp teeth. It's two bony legs jutted backwards, folding in on themselves. From it's sides, six more arms ripped from it's flesh to put the demon on it's belly. His head almost touched the ceiling when all of his limbs finally stretched and raised his body. The width of his body spanned from wall to wall. The demon was a perversion of a spider.
But it was more than that.
As soon as it assumed it's full size, silence pierced the room, so deafening that Jimin could not hear his own breathing. That was Mangrith's power too: quieting his prey.
Jungkook immediately grabbed his throat. Yoongi did the same. Mangrith vanished into the wall of shadow for its first attack.
Jungkook's lips read, I can't talk!
Jimin turned to his friends, gathering their attention by waving his arms. I know! Don't touch the walls, he mouthed.
Jungkook nodded, Yoongi pressed closer to Jimin.
Those shadow walls created an arena and Mangrith was the audience. They acted as a vision and sound screen that shielded movement. The monster could crawl from any part of them to drag it's prey away--which is why when people tried to run, they ran right into it and no one heard their screams.
Yoongi snatched Jimin and Jungkook by their shirt and tugged downward. Mangrith struck from the ceiling, one iron talon stabbing in their direction. Jungkook swung his katana. The metal clanged against spider leg without making a cut. From above, Mangrith smiled and retreated into the dome.
Jungkook shouted, but Jimin had to read his lips to understand.
It doesn't work?
Jimin shook his head, whipping his flashlight from his belt. He mouthed: This!
Yoongi frowned, blanching as he yanked Jimin forward by the coat. Mangrith's claw had been centimeters from the nape of his neck. When the demon disappeared again, he whirled on Jimin and asked: The flashlight?
But Jimin was shaking his head, eyes locked on the swirling fog at his feet. Yoongi had pulled him too hard. He had dropped the flashlight.
A white finger wrapped around Jungkook's waist. Jimin didn't have time to react. The youngest angel's mouth hung agape as Mangrith dragged him into the shadows.
Yoongi sprinted to where they disappeared. Jimin grabbed the back of his shirt before he could jump in.
GET OFF ME, Yoongi mouthed.
Jimin shook his head. DON'T.
Tears muddled Yoongi's black eyes as he tore away from Jimin--and stayed.
Flashlight! Find flashlight!
The Wraith wiped his face and sank to his knees. His hands felt through the smoke and mist. It felt more like cotton that cloud, but he sifted from wisp to swirl trying to find something solid.
Jimin did the same on the opposite end of the room. Mangrith's silhouette whipped about the perimeter, staying in his peripheral. The flashlight had to have rolled to one of the corners. But searching there meant searching for his death warrant. Jimin looked up in time to watch Yoongi scurry back on his hands and feet as Mangrith charged from the walls. Jungkook was halfway in it's mouth, halfway kicking it's bone exterior.
Jimin darted past Yoongi, jumping until he clamped two hands on the bottom of Mangrith's jaw. Grunting with all his might, he pulled down on the teeth that cut into his palms. Mangrith whipped it's head from side to side. Jimin hung tight, yanking again when the demon settled.
Mangrith dropped Jungkook.
The youngest angel screamed silently, rolling over and gripping a part of his back stained with blood.
Jimin leapt off Mangrith before it could drag him too. The monster recoiled for it's next strike. They couldn't take much more of the suspense. Jimin could see it in the paleness of his brothers. There was a terrifying quality of silence that triggered everyone's deepest fear. Perhaps it was the thought that no one could come to the rescue. How could you fight something you couldn't detect?
Yoongi wrapped his arms around Jungkook, burying his head into the side of the youngest angel's neck. Meanwhile, the Assassin aimlessly pat the ground for something at his side. Then, he clamped around whatever it was, dragging it up from the mist.
Jimin gasped and dove for the flashlight. He tested it against his palm first. The warmth streaming from the beam was just enough. He turned it off, gesturing to the other two to stand up. They obeyed, watching him intently.
Jimin mouthed, I flash. He pointed to Jungkook. You run.
Yoongi waved hello. Jimin quickly gave him his role.
You defend!
Yoongi nodded, pulling his daggers from his back.
Mangrith's roar split their eardrums.
Wait for it, Jimin thought. This time, he was ready. Licking his lips, he scanned the abyss for motion.
Mangrith came at his front, two thin legs above it's head. Just as the spider brought them down, Jimin clicked on the light. The beam shot directly at it's forehead.
Mangrith shrieked and leapt for cover in the shadows. Instead of following the monster, Jimin illuminated the walls. The darkness shrunk away from it like shriveling vines to reveal pure blue wall beneath. Jimin studied every inch of wall, his heart beating almost out of his chest when the flash shone on the open door leading to Grey.
Her voice shattered the silence. "I'm in here! Please!"
Jungkook's head snapped in her direction. He took off. Jimin let the flashlight rest. Shadows encompassed the door a second time. But at least Jungkook was safe.
Pivoting, he came face to face with Yoongi battling Mangrith. The spider couldn't keep up with his tempo. He winnowed until he was everywhere yet nowhere at once.
Growing frustrated, Mangrith trotted on all eight legs to skewer whatever part of the Wraith it could get. What it did not realize was that Yoongi was behind Jimin.
Jimin aimed the flashlight and clicked. The light bore into Mangrith's skull. It's flesh smelled of sewage and trash as it burned. The beam bore holes into it's bones, and though the demon could not reach for them, it still tried.
Yoongi suddenly remembered what he had in his own pocket. What he'd planned to use at Grey's birthday party. He fished the lighter from his pocket and flicked it open. A steady, blue flame whirred to life. On a hunch, he tossed it to the pile of skin beneath Mangrith. The tatters burst into flames, engulfing the demon in cerulean. And as the fire crackled beneath their nightmares, Yoongi heard the sound of his breathing again. The sound of his heartbeat--a sound he never thought he'd miss.
He pat Jimin on the shoulder. "Send it back to where it came from," he said.
Jimin nodded. Yoongi shot into the darkness after Jungkook.
The chamber beyond was wide and empty except for wooden rafters that made up the ceiling and splintered wood for floors. In the center of the room was a birdcage, it's iron door open and leading to a shared embrace between Jungkook and Grey. The Assassin cradled the girl in his arms, his face nuzzled in the crook of her neck. She cried on his shoulder. Another girl stared at them with pure disgust. Yoongi found her extremely relatable.
"Get off of her," Yoongi said.
Jungkook pulled away. Grey peered at him next, and maybe he'd been imagining it, but her eyes softened.
Either way, he had no time for the way that made him feel. That hug really pissed him off.
He asked her, "You ready?"
"For her?" Grey's voice was coarse like she'd been screaming for days.
Jungkook frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"Secure Amelia," Yoongi commanded, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. To Grey he said, "Joon said you had a knife."
She crawled away from Jungkook to the corner of the cage where Joon's hunting knife lied. Yoongi found himself a bit more upset. That was Namjoon's favorite knife. He never gave that one out. Not even when he personally asked for it.
"I'm ready," Grey said, standing up. Her knees were scraped. Bruises marked her neck and collarbone. A welt the size of a gumball stuck to her forehead.
Jungkook and Amelia were stuck in a staring match; two animals sizing one another up. He made a move to inch closer.
She raised her chin defiantly. "Touch me and you die."
Grey frowned at her best friend. Yoongi cleared his throat to remind her of what was next. The Runner wrapped her arms around his neck, and he snaked his arms around her waist.
Yeah, Yoongi thought. This was right. This was where she belonged. It emboldened him, and he looked down at her just enough so that their noses were almost touching. He felt her catch her breath.
"You ready for this?" He asked.
Grey wondered why that question felt like it entailed much more than he let on.
Still, she nodded.
:::
Grey's head spun as they landed in some sort of ballroom or lounge. She covered her ears as soon as Yoongi let her go. Everything was so loud. Cracks of thunder, walls breaking, bones snapping. And the smell? She tried not to gag.
Namjoon's knife was warm in her hand.
This was it. One chance to strike.
Yoongi stuck his head from behind the pillar to watch the battle. Over his tuft of hair she caught most of it too.
Jin's eyes were wholly black as he struck demons to his left and right with waves of shadow that swept them from their feet. He was breathing hard, but the poise and grace from centuries of training had not faltered.
Hoseok handled the irkans on the walls, picking them off one by one like bugs. He would swoop to one, grab them by the arms and fling them down while keeping rhythm with his wings. Black feathers coated his arms all the way to his fingertips. In fact, Grey saw feathers even in his hair.
Namjoon used a curtain rod as a spear. He stood atop a stack of bodies, fending off every demon that rushed up the miniature mountain. He wiped three from the top of the pile. Two of those clung to the curtain rod, ruining Joon's balance. He stumbled into the hands of four that waited hungrily for him to fall. Seconds before they could sink teeth in, Grey covered her mouth.
A black wolf, taller than her and sporting two horns similar to a gazelle's, rushed the stack. It stomped the irkans that weren't at eye level with it, and it bit the ones that were. It was so careful not to touch the leader, but that diligence cost him. The nightstalkers grabbed onto tufts of fur and climbed onto his sides. They bit into rippling muscle like ticks.
The wolf tilted onto its hind legs and howled to the moon. When he landed, he shook his coat hard enough that the monsters latched onto his ribs slipped away. Grey did not watch as the beautiful dog targeted each demon that had fallen to the ground. But she heard their skulls crack and she heard Taehyung's growl.
"Nico!" Namjoon yelled.
The Second King was positioned in such a way that he sat upright at the foot of the stage. His shirt was in tatters, crimson streaks of blood designing his chest like war paint. His white hair was gray from debris. He slowly looked up at Vanity.
The Queen of the Merciless strut towards him. Grey noticed the limp. Blood leaked from a gash in her side, but other than that she remained practically unscathed.
Grey's heart clenched. He insisted on not hurting his sister.
What kind of love was that?
Yoongi stared longingly at Namjoon. The Intellect pretended not to see him.
Grey expected the Queen to say something. To utter some catch phrase she'd been practicing to say when she finally won.
Vanity said nothing. She plunged her nails into Nico's chest, right where his heart beat.
The Second King's scream could be heard in the Eternal Realm. He quieted soon after through sheer will power or strength, Grey could not discern. She watched as Nico offered her a beautiful smile.
"What is mine is yours," he said.
Grey hadn't realized she'd been crying until Yoongi covered her mouth. One of his tears dropped onto her collarbone.
Vanity, Pride reincarnated, fixed her bewitching, golden eyes into hatred.
An arm, quicker than the speed of light knocked her onto her back. Intense, purple fire blazed around her in a ring, the flames and their heat catching a dusty couch behind her. Vanity recoiled from the heat, curling her knees underneath her chest.
"YOU FOOL!"
Rowan manifested from a plume of colored flame, his eyes burning with it, his mouth full of it.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?"
Vanity hyperventilated, jumping at every word.
Rowan marched forward, purple fire wrapping around his fist. For a power so terrible, it glowed magnificently. He cocked it above his head. Yoongi tensed, Grey tensed, Namjoon tensed.
Teal lightning blasted Rowan to the far wall. Vanity's eyes darted from brother to brother. The flame circle around her disintegrated.
Nico used the stage to stand. Rowan simply pushed onto his feet.
For the first time, Namjoon looked at Yoongi.
"Shit," Yoongi swore. Grey held on to the knife for dear life.
"Nicolai, do not start something you cannot finish."
Nico groaned and fell back onto the stage. He'd expended too much energy. Even his muscles seemed stiff, unwilling to work for him. Grey realized that in a few seconds it would be Rowan against a black cat.
"I won't let you hurt Variel," Nico spat.
"Watch me," Rowan chuckled. Fire surged up his arm and balled in his palm.
Lightning zapped and charged around Nico.
Namjoon shouted. "Yoongi! Now!"
Grey gripped Yoongi, felt the travel between worlds, and landed in front of their Queen. Those golden eyes latched onto hers, and for some reason, she felt Variel. Saw it their in those pools of amber.
Pure light and love inviting her in for the kill.
Namjoon tackled Rowan as a column of majestic fire shot forward. Jin threw himself in front of Nico, a ball of lightning slamming into his chest.
Grey plunged the dagger into Vanity's heart.
The human girl saw white. Electricity coursed from her veins to a deeper place where pieces of Grey, integral to her very being, to her essence, split apart like atoms. She could not breathe, could not move. But there was nothing quite like it. Her soul shifted to the side as raw, untamed power circuited from her fingertips into the blade.
Vanity's eyes rolled back, light blinding Grey and Yoongi from the rest of the ballroom.
Hoseok covered his eyes. Namjoon covered his eyes. Taehyung covered his face with his tail. Rowan grit his teeth and squinted to see through it's brilliance. Nico watched in horror as Vanity crumpled to the ground at the hand of Grey.
Grey's ring finger sizzled and bubbled where the aura ring touched her skin. Yoongi watched the silver band turn black, the aquamarine gem turn scarlet. He snatched her other hand and dragged the ring off even though it seared his skin.
Grey was holy. She was love. Then, she was Grey again.
Thank you, a voice whispered to the corners of her mind. A warm kiss pressed against her cheek.
At last, she fell apart.
:::
The Ruby Courtyard shuddered under Namjoon's feet. He thought the tremors came from the light, but the wear of battle, the amount of power released tonight brought it to it's knees.
Grey and Vanity were laid out on the floor. Yoongi scooped up Grey and tossed her over a shoulder. Hoseok willed his wings to disappear as he ran to Jin. Nico and the Raven stared down at his limp body.
"What have I done?" Nico whispered through his tears.
Yoongi whistled to Taehyung, pointing at Vanity. "Here, boy!"
The wolf galloped over and grabbed the Queen with his teeth.
Anaphiel descended through the enormous glass window and over the balcony--all except Namjoon. Rowan had his hand about the leader's wrist, his eyes alight with wrath.
"Run, Namjoon. Run to the corners of the earth where you think I will not find you or your friends."
The first piece of ceiling crashed to the lounge floor.
"I will find you again," Rowan said. "Mark my words."
Namjoon wriggled from his grasp. The First King let him go and muttered one final warning.
As Namjoon made his way through the beginning of dusk, he could not stop trembling. The Ruby Courtyard collapsed in his wake with Rowan inside, but he heard his King loud and clear.
"I will take your kingdom and everything you love. I will bring you war from Heaven and Hell and every world in between."
:::
Next release: 10/5 (October 5th)