Page 163 of Sands of Atonement

Eshe hadn’t moved an inch from her threatening stance, and her eyes remained locked on Tolomai. Knowing none of these men had ever seen anything quite like her, she knew they weren’t sure how to be prepared.

Perfect stance, perfect aim, and I could feel my pulse quicken.

Tolomai’s eyes leered against Eshe’s stance and flitted back to me, shaking his head with another scoff. I knew exactly what he was thinking because I thought the same thing months ago. But he was too arrogant to understand that Eshe’s skills surpassed his prejudice.

He was calculating whether Eshe could kill him from where she stood, if she was indeed as skilled as he was.

It happened so quickly when he flung a dagger toward me in perfect precision.

That was his first and last mistake; he underestimated Eshe’s skills.

Eshe was faster as she flew hers at the dagger, causing it to veer away from heading toward me, and she threw another dagger toward Tolomai’s wrist. She didn’t wait for the dagger to hit his wrist—which it did—she threw another at his upper right thigh, puncturing what sounded like bone.

Crack.

Tolomai howled, and his knee fell to the stone floor.

Without wasting another moment, I took two steps forward and seized his sword that had fallen to the ground. His head whipped toward me, eyes widened, and he gave me a perfect angle.

I slashed his head clean off his shoulders.

Blood splattered against my robe, and I shoved my foot on his hollow chest, causing him to drop, dead, upon the limestone. Another dagger appeared in his mouth. I quickly glanced up at Eshe, who was flipping daggers in her hands, making that beautiful calculating look of hers.

I smirked.

God, she was perfect.

By the time Eshe and I made it back to the center, the fighting was done, and I could tell immediately by those who were loyal to me still breathing that the traitors were dead.

I wanted Eshe to get out of here, and she was about to go back in the direction of my tunnel when I stopped her for a quick moment.

I couldn’t believe the words that were leaving my mouth, but I didn’t care to restrain myself anymore. “Head back to my room. And… don’t leave, Eshe.”

I could feel my eyes pleading with her gray ones, hoping she wouldn’t disappear on me. She nodded.

Another moment went by as we stared at each other before she turned and disappeared into the tunnel. I whirled around, my eyes immediately searching for my brother.

My men clapped a hand or two on my shoulders as I trudged down the stairs to the lowest level. Crimson red painted on the steps, the walls, and the stone floors. The acrid smell of blood filled the air, and I could almost taste the metallic tang.

Casimir was lying on one of the stairs with a wound he was holding on his thigh. But he was alive.

A wave of relief coursed through my body as he looked up and caught my eye. He smirked and gave me a wink, letting me know he was all right.

Lazerak met me by the platform. “That was quick.”

I grunted, thinking it wasn’t quick enough. “How many?”

Casimir appeared to the right of me, my eyes doing a quick scan to ensure he wasn’t injured anywhere else.

He wasn’t. Just the gash on his thigh, but nothing I hadn’t seen before.

I wanted to roll my eyes when I noticed him doing the same to my body.

“About a fourth of the men,” Lazerak admitted with a weight on his shoulders.

So one-fourth of the Atrove had betrayed me and died. My men were all prepared, and that was the reason why it was a quick slaughter. A massacre.

But I couldn’t compel myself to care for those who had betrayed me.