Blood Prize {Bloody Dance Series #1} BoyxBoy

TWENTY-FIVE

"I can't stay here knowing that everyone else is out there. He killed my family. He has been the monster in the dark all my life. My grandfather promised to ever let him get away. My father . . . my mother . . ." Rai choked and I stroked her hair. "He killed my mom."

I pulled her closer to me. I wanted to give in. I wanted to tell her to come with us. That once she killed Kenji the hurt inside of her would go away. That would all be a lie though. I couldn't lie to Rai. Not when her life depended on me being honest. She didn't need pretty words right now. She needed the cold harsh truth.

The the truth was she would be slaughtered if she went out there. Rai would just be in the way of everyone else. She couldn't take out an C-Classed demon with her skill set right now. There was no way she could kill Kenji. If . . . when Ban showed up it would just be worse. This wasn't a battle that she wanted.

"Look around Rai, what do you see?" I asked her. She pulled back from me so that she could look around the room.

"Mages ready to fight to kill two demons." I looked around the room as well.

"I see men and women who are saying their final peace. Over half of them won't come back here. They will die in this battle. Do you want to know why no one is laughing, joking, smiling. Because before they came here they said goodbye to the people they loved. They told them to go on if they didn't make it back.

Shu should have done the same with you. He always believed he was coming home though. I believed it for him. Because I wanted him to always come home. This isn't a game, Rai. You don't get extra lives. You can't hit the continue button when your health points run out. You only have this life. You have to protect it, guard it, treasure it for all time."

Rai opened her mouth to speak, but I held my head up halting her words. Leaning down I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you so much, Rai. You have been like an annoying little sister to me since Amy brought you into this world. I know you're going to be upset. I know that you will hate me. I just want you to know that I love you. That my actions are because of that love. Please find it in your heart to forgive me one day."

Touching the center of her forehead with my black flame she dropped but I caught her before she could hit the floor. She would sleep for the rest of the day and when she woke up win or lose this battle would be over. I scooped her up into my arms so I could put her in her bed.

"Zero," Soji called to me as he walked into the room.

"Rai will sit this one out," I told him and he looked down at the sleeping girl. His eyes followed mine as he nodded his head. He wouldn't fight me on this. There was nothing to fight over. I carried Rai to the room she was given. My fingers pushed the hair out of her face as she rested in her bed. When she woke up, I hope I would be able to tell her it was over. That Kenji was dead. That the battle was won.

Pressing a kiss to her forehead I moved away from Rai. Now it was time to join the others. We were working under the pretense that Kenji would come for Soji. Ban wanted Soji, he needed him. Kenji wanted to please Ban so he would get the white mage for him. At least that was how this plan was supposed to work.

Coming into the courtyard I stood beside Soji and Fang. All of those who were a part of this mission had gathered. Rhett looked down at his men from his high place on the stairs. The pretension asshole was going to make some kind of speech. His type always had to.

"Brothers!" His booming voice carried throughout the yard. "Sister, friends!" They all bowed to him slightly. Fang and I seemed to be the only people here unwilling to bend our backs for this idiot. "We are gathered here for a mission. Not just any mission but the most important one we have ever taken on."