Hot Blooded Episode 1: The Prodigal Prince (Supernatural Thriller Series) by Eliza Hastings Read Free Book Online

of the shattered trunk. “Fuck, am I stuck?”
     
    Takar’s hand swooped down.  His hand landed on Kilar with such force, the trunk of the tree shattered underneath his weight.  Kilar groaned, feeling the pain of his ribs push against his organs.  His breath came in gasps.  Takar brought Kilar up to his face, shaking him.  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?  Leaving our fight and killing my underlings?  And for what?  For the humans?  Don’t make me laugh.  You’ve never cared about anyone but yourself!”
     
    Kilar lifted his head, though it was hard for him to do so.  He felt his whole body wearing out.  He grinned up at Takar, the muscles on the back of his neck straining.  “You’re one to talk.  Do you even know the name of the guy I just killed?”
     
    Takar smashed Kilar into the ground.  The sand didn’t do much to cushion the blow.  Broken rocks jutted against Kilar’s body, some piercing through his skin.  Kilar gave an involuntary cry as the pierced wounds cauterized.  Takar let go of Kilar with his hand, then stood upright.  He brought his right foot forward, squashing Kilar against the sand and broken rocks.   
     
    “Someone’s touchy today,” Kilar said, his voice muffled against the ground.  He winced, fighting back the crushing pain of his brother’s weight.  He scraped his arms against the ground, bringing one hand at a time to rest underneath his body.  Drawing in as much breath as he could, he attempted to push himself off the ground.  His arms shook, the muscles tearing within. 
     
    “Nice try, but I’ve got you beat this time,” Takar said.  He bent forward, pressing his right hand against his right foot, magnifying the pressure.
     
    The intensity became too much for Kilar, and the bones in his arms snapped.  He howled as the bones burned to their very core, the magma inside of him unwilling to let him take on the slightest injury.  The bones set at once, which doubled his pain as Takar’s pressure continued to increase. 
     
    Then, release.  Takar’s pressure was no more.  Kilar held his breath for a long moment.  His mouth opened, the sand he inhaled falling out of it.  “What the hell?  Am I unconscious?  Wait, I couldn’t ask that if I was unconscious...could I?”  Kilar made his way to his feet, standing upright at last.  He felt as light as the first feathers on a baby bird.   His euphoria was short-lived, as Takar’s screams tore through his thoughts. 
     
    Blood spurted down Takar’s face.  He stamped his feet as he wailed.  Kilar jumped onto Takar’s right foot to avoid being trampled by his brother’s rampage.  He gripped Takar’s ankle with both arms and legs as Takar thrashed his body, decimating the trees that got in his way.  Kilar jumped off of Takar’s ankle and landed by Akna.  “What happened?” he asked her.  But he soon understood.
     
    Akna squatted in front of a boulder larger than her own body, stretching her arms to reach each side.  Gritting her teeth, she stood upright as she pulled the rock from the earth, hoisting it over her head.  She sprung up into the air, hurling the second boulder at Takar’s face.  Instead of hitting his eye again, the boulder smashed against his hand, which covered his eye and forehead.  The blow knocked Takar off his feet, sending him crashing down against the edge of the grove.  Kilar’s mouth dropped open.
     
    “Prince Takar!  Say something!”  The soldier shook Takar’s shoulder, gasping when he felt the body go limp.  Relief overtook him as Takar began to wheeze. 
     
    Takar hacked out drops of blood the size of a human head as the soldier brought him to his feet, wrapping Takar’s arm around his shoulder. 
     
    Takar grunted into the soldier’s back, awakening.  His vision was cloudy, and his head throbbed.  The air was murky, and he realized that he could only see out of one eye as his vision became clearer.  He knew that someone was