Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
LYRIANA
“I’ll take the fuckers on the right, you go left,” I hissed.
Auriel jerked his chin in agreement. “I’m at your command, Lyriana.” Then he cried out, emitting an ancient warrior’s call as he sprinted with a speed that only Rhyan could rival. My dagger gleamed in his hand, ready to strike.
His opponents lifted their swords as Auriel moved between them.
There was glee in their eyes as they watched him race into what should have been a trap.
But I could see what the soturi had been too slow to realize.
He stilled, allowing the soldiers to close around him.
He’d done it on purpose, letting them believe he was trapped.
Auriel spun on his heels, his elbow bent, arm lifted to shoulder level. If I’d blinked, I’d have missed it. By the time he’d turned in a full circle, he’d slashed the throats of both soturi. The wolves dropped instantly, their blood splattering red onto the golden sand.
At the sudden realization of what he’d done, the soldiers that were headed for me ran faster, their auras spiking with anger.
One wolf snarled, his boots kicking sand behind him, “Drop the sword, girl.” He was Ka Kormac, but with a rare show of dark hair, cropped short.
“Now!” shouted the second, his hair fully shaved off.
“Drop it!” said the first. They were both before me, spreading apart, attempting to trap me between them. “You were warned. We have orders to kill you. And we will gladly carry them out.”
“So did the Blade,” I sneered. “Now he’s dead.
” I caught sight of Auriel racing toward the leader.
The turion drew his arm back, then threw his sword like a javelin, aiming straight for Auriel’s heart.
He ducked. The sword soared over him, the blade just barely skimming across his back before it smashed into the Guardian.
There was a sharp clanging sound, before it fell to the sand.
My sword clashed with my enemy, the metal ringing. I gritted my teeth, my muscles straining as I thrust and thrust, until I pushed him into retreat. With another swing of my sword, he faltered, thrown off-balance.
I shifted my weight away from him, opening a space between us just big enough to spring my blade forward, the point lined perfectly with the weak spot in his armor, just below his belly.
I had him, right where I wanted him. Then …
He blocked at the last second, his blade slicing against mine with surprising violence.
Hand shaking, I was forced to readjust my grip.
But the setback gave him just enough time to gain the upper hand, and thrust. I ducked low, barely missing the hit and raced behind his partner.
In the distance, I caught sight of the turion fighting sword to dagger with Auriel.
The turion reached into his pocket, and retrieved something small as he continued to swing.
A vadati stone. Shit! Shit! It was already glowing blue.
If he connected the stone to another general, everyone in Bamaria would know I was here. And then, so would the Emperor.
“Auriel!” I screamed. “The stone!”
I ran forward, leaping onto the back of the soturion with the shaved head.
My sword was already at his throat. He shook beneath me, and for a second, I almost faltered.
Because what did it matter? Rhyan was gone.
Killing this man wouldn’t bring him back.
But then I saw Rhyan’s eyes in my mind, burning with intensity, and I heard his voice, as clear as when he first said these words.
If you need to defend yourself—strike first, think later.
I slid the blade across his throat, pushing in until he made a gurgling sound, and I jumped down, my boots hitting the sand the same moment he collapsed.
“Lyriana!” Auriel yelled, still in combat with the turion. “Behind you!”
Three more seraphim had flown in. The Godsdamned turion had already called for backup.
“Auriel! Take him down!” I screamed, just as the dark haired soturion returned for me.
“You bitch!” he growled, his black eyes moving wildly back and forth between me and his dead ally. “You fucking bitch!”
I raised my arm, bracing myself. There was a clash of steel on steel, and then another. My feet scurried back and forth furiously as I met each thrust.
“Who’s the golden boy?” he taunted, blocking my blade.
He jerked his head toward Auriel. “New lover already?” His tongue dipped across his lips.
“That’s cold. Heard that instead of Kane you were fucking Rhyan and he’s barely in the grave.
What? He didn’t satisfy you? When the golden boy’s dead, can I have a ride? ”
A rage burned inside and I screamed, rushing forward, taking the hilt into both of my hands.
Caution was gone. Sanity, too. There were no thoughts in my head of fighting well, or even winning.
I didn’t care. Only my anger and grief and need for revenge seemed to matter.
I needed to gut him. To make him pay. And I didn’t care about the price.
It wouldn’t bring Rhyan back. It wouldn’t change things, yet, I needed him gone.
I got close enough to land my hit. Too close to make my mark safely.
Strike first, think later.
I skewered him like I needed to, forgetting that my left was exposed.
But he hadn’t.
I screamed in pain as his blade sliced through my bicep. The cut wasn’t wide, but it went fucking deep—I swore I felt it touch bone. Fuck. Sweat burst at my forehead as I pushed through the pain, gnashing my teeth. And then my sword pierced through his stomach.
His eyes widened in shock. “No!”
I threw my weight forward until I felt his body give into my weapon, my blade slicing past muscle. Then there was a pop as the sword’s tip pierced through his back. Blood filled his mouth, and I held his stunned gaze until the light left his eyes.
“Lyriana Batavia!” came a scream. Another squawk. More seraphim carriages filled the sky, their wings casting shadows in the sand.
“Drop your weapons. Put your hands up.” The call came from above. “You’re surrounded. Surrender now and live to see trial in Numeria. Fight, and you die today.”
I tugged at my blade, but it remained stuck inside my opponent. Blood ran down my arm, dripping from my fingertips like raindrops. I leaned back, holding on tight and kicked his stomach. My sword slid free and I stumbled backward.
For a moment, the horizon tipped sideways, my vision blurring. My skin heating. Fuck! The beach had filled with seraphim, their carriages unloading more Kormac soturi.
A sudden scream filled the air. Auriel was still locked in battle with the turion, their bodies so close I couldn’t see who was winning.
With another shout of pain, the turion collapsed at Auriel’s feet, his eyes still open in death.
The hilt of my dagger protruded from his chest. Auriel, despite using a smaller weapon, had managed to sever his armor.
In one swipe, he released the weapon. Blood spurted across the fallen general’s silver chest plate.
I reached for the sword of the dark-haired soldier before me, and then ran for Auriel, stopping only to collect the weapons of the other soturion I’d defeated.
I was sweating profusely, and out of breath.
My arm was burning, and there was a sudden wave of dizziness that washed over me.
But I was determined to take every sword I could carry.
We had to get out of there and we needed every resource we could find.
The beach was filled with wolves. Another five rushed toward us on foot.
Seconds later, five more leapt from their carriage.
“Come on,” Auriel shouted, his hand gesturing wildly to me. “To the seraphim! Run!”
I raced for it, wildly thrusting four swords into my sheaths and through my belt loops. With my uninjured arm, I strapped the last one to my back. I bit my lip to keep from crying as my arm continued to throb, the pain burning like fire. Drops of blood splattered, leaving a trail behind me.
In front of the carriage, Auriel reached for me, his hands firm on my waist as he lifted me up and pushed me inside. But already five soturi were upon us, swords out.
I crawled forward, reached over the ledge for Auriel. “Get in!”
He stumbled back as a soturion grabbed hold of his neck. His meaty hands wrapped around him, squeezing violently, as another trapped Auriel’s right arm, forcing it back at a disturbing angle.
He grunted in pain.
“Get off him!” I screamed, and smashed the hilt of my sword into the nearest skull I could find.
Auriel’s face reddened, his airway cut off, as he struggled to free one hand, attempting to twist the fingers of his first captor.
But the bastard was holding on for dear life, choking him even harder.
I dug my hands in to help, desperately trying to free him, even as I felt the injury from my arm spreading.
Fuck. I had to do this. I pulled harder, until I finally managed to snap one finger.
But it wasn’t enough. I reached for my blade again, preparing to strike, but Auriel’s eyes met mine.
For a second, they were full of desperation, and then his lips curled into a vicious snarl.
His eyes moved to my hands then lifted up, signaling for me to let go.
I frowned but did as he asked just as he threw his head back, knocking out the soturion behind him.
Coughing, Auriel reached for me, his fingers tight around my wrists as he leapt up into the carriage.
I pulled him onto the floor, and together we slammed the door shut.
I’d barely bolted the lock, forcing it into place, before the metal started to shake.
The bastards were pulling on the knob, trying to rip the door off its hinge.
Auriel thrust his body forward, both hands on the door as the bolt rattled.
Glass shattered, exploding across the floor as a blade pushed into the window behind us.