Chapter 191. The False Apex

Eryndor’s POV

Theron was nothing like I’d expected an enemy to be. Fighting him reminded me of my battle with Hermione and the way her pheromones disrupted every sense, yet somehow Theron’s tactic felt different, more insidious. He hovered behind a wall of thick pink smoke he had conjured himself, taunting us as though every moment we struggled in his haze gave him pleasure.

“Come on, boys,” he jeered from within the swirling fog. “Is that the best you’ve got?”

I hated opponents who refused to fight face-to-face, especially when I was outside my comfort zone. True, I had the assistance of a dog—Varian—to shield me from direct attacks, but Theron had already seen through my strategy. In one swift motion, he’d sliced my forearm with his golden dagger, leaving a burning gash that throbbed with every heartbeat.

I winced, clutching my wounded arm, while Theron laughed as if I were nothing more than a fool on display. He lingered on every moment of my pain,