Page 80 of The Blade in the Ashes
I stared at the scorched earth where I had been standing only moments ago.
“Pay attention!” Rankor's voice was deep, his face contorted in disappointment and frustration.
Patrek rushed to my left. “I warned you to move!”
I hadn’t heard him, hadn’t been aware that he was building his magic to detonate. That was unlike me. I never lost track of my battalion and what their next moves were.
But I also never completely cut off my powers from others like I just had.
“Rankor!” Elaijah’s call was like a beacon to the three of us.
Antoni was surrounded, his flames growing weak as his powers started to exhaust. He ripped for a sword, resorting to brutal force. Behind him, Michone faced down a line of the horde on her own, sword at the ready and eyes narrowed in determination.
But there was more than just she could handle alone.
“Go!” Rankor commanded us, already moving towards his brother.
We charged onwards, our feet a drumbeat on the worn ground, but there were far too many and they were all moving far too rapidly.
Kreyana screamed as one of the monsters locked its hand around her wrist, yanking desperately to pull her out of Kressida’s grasp.
“Kent!” Kressida’s scream was shrill, needy.
The sound of it sent power rushing into me once more, the channels between them and I opening so uncontrollably that I stumbled backwards. It was as if the magic was angry that I had temporarily silenced it, and it came back with a vengeance. I drowned in it. Michone’s exhaustion. Rankor’s concern. Antoni’s anger. Patrek’s focus. Kreyana's and Kressida’s terror.
And Elaijah's sudden spark of determination.
My gaze shot towards the boy who dove under the circling arms of a monster, his feet quick and sure-footed as he darted towards Michone.
“Elaijah don’t!” Rankor warned.
But we were too far away to stop it.
Elaijah pulled the second sword still strapped to Michone’s back free. They both stumbled, her from the missing weight, and him from trying to adjust to it.
The monster behind him roared, opening its jaws wide.
And Elaijah spun, shoving the tip of the sword through its head without a moment of hesitation.
It wasn’t a perfect hit, and he had to tug a few times to get the sword free again, but before long Elaijah was twisting again, taking up a defensive position in front of the girls.
He met my gaze, then Rankor's.
“Stop staring and kill them!” Elaijah orderedus.
I shared a glance with my friend as another of Patrek's explosions blew hot air against the back of our necks.
There was relief flowing through Rankor, surprise too.
And pride.
He shrugged at me, a grin on the edges of his lips. “Shall we?”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Iris
When the soldiers finally cleared out and the sound of crackling flames faded, there was an eerie silence that fell around the glen. We descended the hilltop, weapons in each of our hands and our horses left behind, tied and secured.
