CHAPTER 62

CHAPTER 62
SOPHIA

I’m lying on the floor, my face burning from the slap I took, the taste of blood still in my mouth.
The king is right in front of me, transformed, his chest still dripping blood where I drove the dagger in.
His muscles seem to pulse beneath skin that’s becoming paler and more translucent, almost scaly.
His eyes glow a red so intense it’s like staring into burning embers.
He raises his hand, ready to strike me, his fingers curled like claws.
I scoot back until my spine hits the cold wall.
Everything inside me screams for me to run, but I’m frozen with fear.
That’s when I hear quick footsteps.
A rush of wind.
And Adam appears between us, sword drawn, eyes blazing with fury.
The king stares at him, surprised.
A crooked, cruel smile appears on his lips.
“Adam… protecting the human?”
Adam doesn’t answer.
He steps even closer in front of me, like a wall.
The king goes on, in a mocking tone:
“So that’s it. It’s her. The little whore messing with your head?”
My face burns with shame and rage.
I try to push myself up, though every muscle in my body aches.
I spot the dagger lying on the floor a few meters away, glinting in the torchlight.
I have to try again.
I have to kill the king, no matter the cost.
While they exchange looks of pure hatred, I slowly crawl forward, reaching out for the dagger.
But before my fingers can touch it, the king moves so fast I almost can’t see it.
He grabs it first.
“Did you think you could kill me, human?”
Before I can back away, he seizes me by the arms and slams me so hard against the wall that the air explodes from my lungs.
A dull crack echoes inside my chest, like something has fractured.
“You’re nothing but a toy to me!” he snarls, his face so close to mine I feel his warm breath reeking of blood.
“Go to hell!” I scream, unable to hold back my fury.
I remember the strikes Adam taught me.
I try punching the king with powerful blows, just like Adam made me train.
But he dodges them easily, his face twisted with contempt.
“Pathetic.”
He wraps his huge hands around my neck, squeezing.
I feel his fingers digging into my flesh.
The world starts spinning.
I try to suck in air, but I can’t.
I thrash, scratching at his arms, kicking his legs, but it’s like striking stone.
My eyes widen as tiny black spots dance across my vision.
“Let her go!” I hear Adam roar.
In an instant, Adam plunges his sword into the king’s body, driving it through the hardened flesh as if it were wet wood.
The king lets out a guttural growl and releases me.
I collapse to the ground, gasping, dragging in air like it’s the first breath of my life.
I raise my head just in time to see the king battling Adam.
The king looks even stronger, every blow from him shaking the hall like thunder.
The dagger falls to the ground and I grab it.
Adam is quick, dodging, spinning the sword with precision, striking again.
The sound of steel hitting flesh echoes off the walls, mixed with the king’s bestial snarls.
The human girl, still naked and bloody, seizes the chaos to try to run for the door.
But I see her move, and my body reacts before my mind.
I stagger to my feet, run to the door, and slam it shut, shoving her away.
“Stay there!” I shout, pointing the dagger at her.
She starts crying, but doesn’t dare try to escape again.
I turn just in time to see the king shove Adam with brutal force.
Adam crashes into the wall, knocking down a red embroidered tapestry.
The thud is so loud I’m sure something broke inside him.
“Adam!” I scream, my heart in my throat.
Adam tries to get up, coughing blood, still clutching his sword.
But the king grabs him by the hair and hauls him up, forcing him to kneel.
Then he drives Adam’s own sword into his body, burying the steel to the hilt.
“No!” I scream, feeling despair consume me.
Adam cries out softly, his face contorted in pain.
The king lets him fall to the floor, but he doesn’t stop there.
He grabs him by the throat, one huge hand completely encircling Adam’s neck.
He looks at me, his eyes blazing a cruel red, and smiles.
“Please, no!” I beg, taking a step toward them.
He doesn’t even look at me as he says:
“You’ve just condemned someone else’s life, Sophia. Now you’re going to watch him die.”
“No! Let him go! I’m the one who tried to kill you!”
He tightens his grip around Adam’s throat.
The veins in Adam’s face bulge, and his gaze begins to go blank.
I feel my heart shattering inside my chest.
I remember the dagger in my hand.
I clutch the hilt tightly.
My whole body trembles.
I know I have no choice.
Either I finish what I started… or Adam dies.
The king lifts Adam a little higher, as if about to snap his neck with a single twist.
“Say goodbye to your lover, Sophia.”
“No!” I scream, feeling hot tears streaming down my face.
It’s my last chance. And either I kill the king now… or no one will leave this room alive.