Free Bedeviled by Sable Grace Page B

see Ryker watching intently, his body tense and ready to join the fray. But he stood steadily in the doorway, obviously aware that she needed to be the one who finished this.
    She quickly flipped Haven over, straddled her waist, and pinned her shoulders to the filthy, threadbare shag carpet. “Damn it, Haven. I don’t want to hurt you.”
    Haven, apparently, didn’t have the same issues. Her fist connected with Kyana’s jaw, knocking her off balance long enough for Haven to shimmy to her feet. “You want to stop me?”
    Prepared to strike if Haven moved toward her father, Kyana nodded. “You know I have no choice.”
    Eerie blackish eyes that shifted to yellow locked on Kyana. “Then you’ll have to hurt me, because I have to finish this.”
    â€œYou don’t want to do this.”
    â€œOh yes, I do. I want to kill that bastard. Then I’ll finish my task and bring Cronos back from the grave.”
    They circled each other. “You know I can’t let you do that either.”
    â€œI know. When the time’s right, I’ll have to kill you too.”
    The hard, lifeless look Haven directed at her wasn’t bluffing.
    â€œWhat are you waiting for?” she goaded. “Come on, Haven. Show me what you can do.”
    With a chilling laugh, Haven nodded. “Okay, we can play. It’s about time someone knocked the mighty Kyana on her ass.”
    In a blink, Haven was on her—fangs bared and claws surprisingly accurate. They raked across her cheek, spilling blood that only seemed to inspire the lunatic inside Haven.
    She tried to dodge her attacks, to let Haven wear herself out so she could bring her in safely, but Haven moved so quickly she could only duck every other swing. The cat-and-mouse tactic wasn’t working anymore. She smashed the hilt of her dagger into Haven’s jaw. The sharp crack of bones snapping sent Haven to her knees, her hands cupping her face.
    Taking advantage of Haven’s moment of weakness, Kyana let loose a roar and gripped the front of Haven’s shirt. The instinct to drive her fangs into Haven’s exposed throat made her stomach cramp. Afraid she might act on the lingering Vampyric impulse, she slung Haven into the kitchen. She landed on the table, but was on her feet again before the broken furniture hit the floor.
    She lost track of who hit whom and whose roars of rage echoed louder. However, soon Haven’s swings became slower, more off balance. Seizing the advantage, Kyana gripped Haven’s throat and dangled her in the air.
    â€œThis ends now.” She squeezed lightly. Even though Haven didn’t need to breathe anymore, the constriction would cut off the blood flow, but it would be a fine line between killing Haven and knocking her unconscious. “When you wake up, you’ll be on the road to finding yourself again. I’ll be there with you. You won’t have to face this alone.”
    Haven’s laughter came out in gasps. “You don’t get to win.”
    Her smile was sly and chilling, her eyes shifted from eerie yellow to lifeless black, glassy and narrowed with venom. “I know where Zeus keeps his staff. Amazing what a father knows about his sons . . .”
    Before Kyana realized Haven’s intentions, she shifted to Lychen. Her fur-covered body slipped from Kyana’s grasp as Haven shot across the room and out one of the grimy windows.

Chapter Nine
    â€œN o!”
    Kyana’s scream was echoed by Ryker’s curses. He leaped out the front door and onto the pavement, where he attempted to use his telekinetic powers to restrain the wolf and failed.
    â€œI need ambrosia,” he yelled, running back to her. “Where’s your bag? I can’t chase after her—”
    â€œGone,” Kyana whispered. She had no idea where the barbed-wire fence that had stolen it was or how far away it might be.
    He cursed and kicked the skirting. She