"Do you think I'll let you?" Emperor Kaan snarled, raising his hand.
The dust around him surged like a living force, racing after the trail Riona left behind. But he focused too long—just long enough.
Thorin's fist connected with his jaw in a brutal arc, snapping Kaan's head to the side and halting the spell. The emperor staggered a step, the attack jarring him out of his tunnel vision.
"Your opponent is me," Thorin growled. "What's the matter? You'd rather chase a girl than face me? I thought vampires had manners."
He wasn't insulting Riona—never that. He knew her strength better than anyone. She could go toe-to-toe with him and win if she wanted.
But he knew exactly what would get under Kaan's skin. And this—this was a direct hit.
"She rejected you. Move on. I thought even you had more pride than this," Thorin said curtly.
Kaan wiped the blood from his split lip, eyes dark with fury now, not amusement. Thorin's words had hit somewhere deeper than his jaw.
