There was something protecting Lawler’s life force. I could see Astrid’s as bright as day. A bright pink spark churning behind her solar plexus. Is that what a soul looked like? It was like a little ball of light flickering and dancing behind her ribs.
Lawler’s chest appeared empty. I wasn’t an expert in this, but I figured that meant he had some kind of ward around his life force. He must have assumed this could have been a possibility, that Wilder would ascend into his power and defeat the King. I almost admired the amount of planning he’d come up with.
I dragged myself to my feet, ignoring the pain in my chest and stalked closer to Lawler and Astrid. Any semblance of humanity was stripped away with every step that I took.
“Don’t come any closer,” Lawler shouted, his voice thready and desperate.
My face emptied of any kind of emotion and his eyes faltered as he took in my expression, as if he saw the monster beneath the thin veneer of my ghostly smile. “Let Astrid go.”
“Or what?” he spat, his head bobbing over Astrid’s shoulder as he used her as a shield.
I pulled my knife out of the sheath on my belt. “I’ll have some fun removing your body parts.”
“Let me go, and I’ll give you your potions witch back,” he said.
“You’re in no position to beg,” Wilder said savagely as he penned in his father from the other side of the open space. The park was littered with dead demons and thick black blood. Damyr and his men were fighting the last few demons who’d been left behind by Belial and now there was only Lawler to deal with. He definitely wasn’t in a position to be making any bargains.
“Now, Son, you don’t have to be doing this.” Lawler’s face was pinched with a little bit of fear.
Wilder drew on the tether again as his magic curled into a large ball of bright purple electricity. It hovered above his hand, and he held it there like he was toying with it. “No, I do, Father. You see, you need to feel at least a modicum of the shit that you put me through. It’s your turn to suffer, you sick fuck.”
Lawler scoffed. “I’d do it all over again, if I could. You know why?”
“Enlighten me,” Wilder said, his head cocked to one side in curiosity.
“Because Ienjoyedit. It was so easy to siphon you. You were weak. Pathetic. Fuckingworthlessuntil I realised your value.Your power gave me money and status and that was all you were good for,” Lawler said, his face twisted in a sick grin. “And do you know what? I’d do it all over again if I could.”
I couldn’t bear to listen to any more his sick bullshit, not when I could feel the anger, shame and unfiltered rage drifting through the tether from Wilder. I pulled my gun, aimed, and shot Lawler in the shoulder.
He yelled as his body jerked backwards.
Wilder looked at me. “Get Astrid!”
Lawler turned on his heel and started to run.
He didn’t get far.
Wilder wrapped his magic around Lawler’s neck like a lasso. It cracked like thunder as it seared his skin and Lawler screamed in agony.
Jesus, the sound shot a bolt of lust straight to my balls.
Watching Wilder like this, was the hottest goddamn aphrodisiac.
I grabbed Astrid and pulled the hood from her head. “Can you walk?”
She nodded as I pulled the gag from her mouth. “Yeah. Thank you.”
I pointed to the guys behind me and pushed her in that direction. “Head over there. You’ll find the Morozovs. They’ll take care of you.”
“Byron, wait,” she called after me, but I was already stumbling my way over to Wilder. I didn’t want him to do this on his own. I wasn’t sure if he could face killing his father, or what it would do to him if he did.
When I got closer to Wilder, his father was on his knees, his head thrown up to the sky. Wilder had tightened the lasso to the point where Lawler couldn’t breathe.
“I should kill you and then bring you back to life, again and again just to see how you like it,” Wilder roared.
He let go of the lasso and, while Lawler was sputtering and catching his breath, he punched him in the face. Once, twice, three times.
My knee buckled, and I fell forwards into the grass, pain radiating through my chest. I crawled forward, pulling myself towards Wilder.