Blood of the Wolf: The Crown (Mackenzie Grey Book 11), Karina Espinosa [top 10 ebook reader txt] 📗

him.” He grinned. “You need to learn how to make bargains, little one. Especially with a demon.”

I growled loudly, the sound echoing through the forest.

“Easy, Your Highness.” Abaddon waved me off. “I’m surprised you came here … and alone. Congratulations on following instructions for once.”

“What do you want?” I demanded. “You asked me here, and here I am. Now why am I here?”

“I need something from you,” he said seriously, pushing off the tree. “I need a sliver of the baby’s soul.”

My hand automatically went to my abdomen and my eyes widened. “No.”

Abaddon sighed and rolled his neck. “Now let’s not be difficult.”

My hand went to the hilt of my dagger and I extended my claws, ready for a fight. I refused to make this easy for him.

“I won’t fight you,” he said as he held up his hands. “But your mind is another matter entirely …” He smirked and I suddenly felt unstable on my feet.

The ground beneath me started to crack, making me wobble as large crevices in the earth appeared, the ground crumbling into a deep void. I hopped from one patch of ground to another to avoid the cracks and not fall. My heart pounded, galloping as if it would explode with fear.

As I hopped around, I realized this was all part of Abaddon’s mind games. In reality, nothing was wrong with the earth. If I could conquer my fear and stay still, maybe I could overcome this. Or I would die from the fear of the fall.

A crack was zig zagging toward me, about to split right between my legs. I had seconds to move. It was now or never.

I shut my eyes tightly, attempted to steady my thumping heart, and yelled, “This is not real!”

I felt the lurch as if I was strapped into a roller coaster. My stomach dropped, but I refused to open my eyes. Instead, I grabbed my dagger and gripped it tightly. Without knowing where he was, I ran forward and took a stab in the dark—quite literally.

When I stopped falling, I opened my eyes. I scanned the area, surprised to see that everything looked normal. My dagger was embedded in the palm of Abaddon’s hand. Either he’d been blocking a hit, or he was about to grab a sliver of the baby’s soul. I didn’t know and I didn’t care.

I pulled the dagger out and spun around, gifting him a high kick to the face with every bit of strength I possessed. He vaulted backward, slamming into the tree behind him.

I grinned. “Gotcha, you son of a bitch!”

The stunned look of surprise on his face was priceless. I wished I could capture it in a picture and frame it. I twirled the dagger in my hand and extended my other hand, motioning him toward me. “Come on. Bring it.”

Abaddon climbed to his feet with a snarl on his face and prowled toward me. He tried reaching for my neck, but I swerved out of his way. Instead of my neck, he grabbed a hunk of my hair in a punishing hold.

“You’re such a chick.” I rolled my eyes. Tossing the dagger to my left hand, I stabbed him in the abdomen. When he winced and loosened his grip, I pointed the dagger toward his groin, wiggling my eyebrows in its direction. “You really want to keep grabbing my hair?”

He released me immediately and elbowed me in the face. I heard a crack in my nose, followed by a warm gush of blood flowing down my face. I stumbled, but luckily kept my balance.

He probably broke my nose and I can’t shift to heal. Great. My nose is going to heal crooked now.

“You won’t win against me,” he taunted. “You may as well give up now.”

I shrugged. “I feel like I’m doing all right. Seems like you’re the one struggling. You don’t do any hand-to-hand combat in the Underworld?” I joked. “Or do you rely on your mind games to do your dirty work?”

He scoffed. “You’re quite clever. No one’s been able to resist me before. I wonder how your father is doing?” He grinned.

I straightened. “What did you do to him?”

“Oh, nothing,” he said in a sing-song voice. “Just a little of this and that.” He waved his hand. “I’m sure he’s not too uncomfortable right now. I’m afraid his mind might not be as strong as yours, however.”

“Where is he?” I growled, my hand tightening on the dagger.

He shook his pointer finger. “That’s not how this works. I told you he was my insurance. You know what I want. Give it to me, and I’ll return your father.”

This was an impossible situation. How could I trade the baby for Alexander? And why did he only want a part of his soul now, when earlier he wanted the entire baby? I was missing something. There was more to this story.

“Why do you need a sliver of the baby’s soul?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Because I do. Don’t trouble yourself with such trivial questions,” he brushed me off. “Now what’s your decision?”

I would find out one way or another. I just had to go about it another way. But giving into him wasn’t the right decision.

“Well, what do we have here?” Lucian chose that moment to stroll out from behind a tree.

Abaddon did a double take. “Lucian?” He narrowed his eyes to get a better look. “What are you doing here, friend?”

“I should be asking you the same question. I didn’t realize you were friends with the Queen … though I guess the term friend is relative.” Lucian grinned as he took in our current bloody state.

“I have some business with her. Nothing to do with you. Why don’t we have some tea after I’m done here?” Abaddon smiled warmly, a complete one-eighty-degree difference from our previous interaction.

Lucian tsked. “You’re in my territory. Whatever business you have with the Queen most certainly has to do with me. She is my friend, after all.”

“Friend?” Abaddon choked out.

“Hm. I hope you’re not