Razor-sharp bones protruded from the fleshy purple tentacle. It lunged toward Kai’s neck. He extended space, forcing it to come up short. The tentacle shot forward again. Alira showered it with ice daggers. It recoiled.

  We can’t keep this up.

  He’d run out of soul essence soon. His suit was empty. The fabric writhed. A bad sign.

  His shoulder was healing too slowly. He’d been too rash, too naive. Lilith had warned him about Renzo staying two steps ahead. But he’d dismissed it. Thought her a lacklustre schemer compared to himself.

  Now he saw the truth.

  Hair rose on the back of his neck. A shiver stroked his spine. How could he beat Renzo if the bastard could predict his next move?

  No, that couldn’t be true.

  He’d need a Gift from Time God to know the future. But fundamental gods didn’t give Gifts to humans.

  Renzo controlled others through that snake-shaped entity. That had nothing to do with Time. He needed to figure out Renzo’s Gift, but first, they had to escape Dakas alive.

  They kept running; Dakas kept chasing. Their feet pounded stone as they passed the village square.

  Thanks to Levi’s gluttony, he couldn’t teleport everyone far enough - and that was without Lilith and Merek.

  The choice was simple: if he couldn’t teleport, he’d fly.

  “Get ready,” Kai warned.

  They kept running toward the outskirts. Kai hoped they’d heard him. It’d be inconvenient if he surprised them and they attacked the Demon that suddenly appeared.

  He focused his mind on that bastard Renzo who sent him to die. The monster Dakas who killed him.

  The bloody pieces he’d turn them into. The revenge he’d wreak. The despair he’d spread.

  Hot blood raced through his veins. Dark horns forced themselves through the flesh of his forehead. Onyx covered his skin. His teeth sharpened into fangs. Red haze coloured his vision.

  The dark suit had anticipated his command, transforming into a dark flowing robe. His back split open. Two dark wings shot out, spreading wide.

  “Fall in!” The shout came out distorted. Deeper. Demonic. “Grab onto me if you want to live!” Alira looked at him, lips pursed and brows furrowed. She stepped closer. Kai grabbed her waist with his working arm.

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  Rusk had no hesitation. Thick thread looped around Kai’s torso, the other end connected to Rusk. He kept pace with Kai to avoid dragging him down.

  Levi carelessly grabbed Kai’s right shoulder. Pompous, inconsiderate bastard. Pain hammered his thoughts. His wound opened wider. Shoulder separating from body. Seconds away from sporting one arm.

  A sharp pain stabbed his shoulder. Like multiple needles poking at him. The wound closed.

  Rusk’s threads.

  Kai didn’t give Dakas time to launch another attack. As his crew clung to him, he lengthened his strides. Then he leapt. His dark wings flapped, and they rose into the air.

  Kai sent a command through his soul bond, hoping Shadow would receive it despite the distance.

  Retreat. Go. Cave.

  He counted on Shadow’s cunning to carry out his wishes. The wolf would guide the others to Levi’s cave.

  Dakas fell behind as they flew. Kai sensed another Dakas following behind the first, Renzo’s avatar clinging to its back.

  Alira’s body tensed. “Is this safe?”

  “Hardly,” Kai replied. “But it’s safer than taking our chances down there.”

  She squeezed her eyes shut. They pulled further ahead of Dakas, passing over the village outskirts. A graveyard of burnt houses stretched beneath them.

  Kai focused on his task, resisting the urge to look back as they glided through the air. The end of the outskirts came into view. He sensed a projectile flying toward him. Too fast to turn and expand space while carrying passengers.

  He swerved left. His inexperience with flying and the burden of three people caught up with him. Something tore through his back, then chest. Agony bloomed. His body jolted forward.

  Ashes.

  Kai glanced down. A purple tentacle covered in sharp grey bones stuck out of his chest. Dakas got him. The bastard tore off his own tentacle to skewer him.

  He forced himself to think through the pain. He looked back. Two dots moved closer. Dakas’s accuracy and strength were commendable but unfortunate.

  Warm blood leaked from the wound in his chest, soaking his robe. The fabric-like entity drank greedily. It stopped writhing across his skin. He hoped that meant it’d block the next projectile.

  “Kai! Kai!” Alira screamed. “Are you—”

  He coughed, blood dripping from his lips. “Not dead yet. But I’m getting there.”

  The options were slim. His onyx skin was receding. The healing would drain his essence without restoring him fully. Then he’d lose his wings and crash.

  Time for tough choices.

  Maintaining his Demonic form without a blood supply was a lost cause. Healing himself was the same. As his limbs slackened, he made his decision. His dark wings extended fully. He tilted forward, gliding toward the ground near the insufferable forest.

  He sent a command to his dark robe.

  Protect them.

  His chances of survival were low. Unable to fight or heal - he was useless. Renzo might let his crew live if he found Kai dead. If he saved his crew, he’d give them a chance to regroup and avenge him.

  And Kai was unlikely to stay dead for long anyway. There had to be a way back for Death God’s heir.

  A faint hope. The cruel mistress he’d recently relied on too much.

  As the grass grew closer and the pain grew sharper, he issued a final command to his crew. “Survive and avenge me by killing that bastard.”

  “Ashes on that!” Rusk’s voice cracked. “You’ll avenge yourself.”

  “Wait!” Alira screamed.

  Levi scoffed. “You can’t die without fulfilling your contract.”

  A smile crept onto Kai’s lips as the grass rose to meet him. Then darkness filled his vision, and he knew peace.

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