COLD STEEL, BLEEDING HEARTS
It raised its arm, and a hidden blade slid out, glowing with sick, purple heat.
“Home is a human word,” the King said. “Target: Queen. Delete.”
The King lunged.
Maya rolled out of the way. Years of skating paid off—her body knew how to move. Even hurt, she was quick. The King’s blade slammed into the stone wall, slicing through like it was nothing.
She scrambled toward the back of the cave, to where the eggs pulsed with fear. She had to protect them. They were all she had left.
“You cannot hide, Maya Rossi,” the King called. It turned, moving slow and heavy, every step shaking the ground. “I can track your pulse. I can feel your fear. Your heart is a loud signal in the dark.”