Page 204 of War Queen
Soren’s blades sat buried in the man’s gut, to the hilt as well. Their eyes locked, the man’s realization sinking in. In a final effort, with his final breaths, the blood sport fighter tried to twist his weapon in Soren’s shoulder, but Soren butted his head forward, knocking him with acrack, and shoved the man off his swords. The fighter pulled his blade with him as he fell backward, and Soren bellowed in pain.
“Everan!” a man cried out.
The rest of the men were on him in an instant. A searing burn ripped across his arm, but he ignored it. Soren drove his exhausted body purely from muscle memory, from instinct. He let his rage fuel him. He didn’t know where Salara was. He’d lost her. Adrian was missing from his side. Had death claimed him? He forced it from his mind—he couldn’t let his desperation take over.
Only two of the blood sport fighters were left now, but there was no relief. His left arm could no longer hold a weapon. Something struck him in the back of his head, and he fell to his knees. Another blow to his stomach took the wind from him, and he fell forward. He struggled to raise his head.
Was this how it ended?
Phillip’s horse galloped by, riderless. He couldn’t draw a breath.
All around him Rael swarmed, drowning him. Darkness closed around him.
He fought blindly now. Blood ran down his face. He wasn’t sure if it was even his own, but it didn’t matter—he’d fight until the life ran out of him.
And it was running out.
The earth shook underneath him. Was it coming to swallow him in eternal sleep? No—not yet.Salara.Mikael.Phillip. He couldn’t leave them yet…
The vibration underneath him felt like thunder.
He wiped back the blood from his eyes, but it still clouded his vision. A sword came for his head, and he knocked it from the air—the sword and the arm that held it dropped to the ground. Screams rang around him.
The thunder—another Raelean wave of attack.
He wiped his face again and turned to meet the clash of battle he heard coming from behind. He turned to meet his end.
But it wasn’t the rush of Rael.
A wave of Horsemen crashed into the sea of carnage.
They came in the thousands. More warriors than the Uru—so many.So many Horsemen.Not just the Uru, he realized. All of them. All the tribes. Some he recognized, some not. Some were friends of Kharav. Some weren’t. But they all came and launched themselves against Rael.
And leading them—Tahla.
Riding Sephir.
Her sword gleamed under the blood-misted rays of the sun. She charged high in the saddle, her blade in the air, her lips peeled back in a snarling scream that he didn’t need to hear to feel—the scream of battle.
Soren struggled to keep his footing as the masses rushed past him.
A distance away, he spotted Adrian. Emotion swept through him, but he managed a nod as their eyes met. Adrian gaped at the tidal wave of Horsemen sweeping around them and locked eyes back with Soren in disbelief.
With a newfound energy, Soren charged into action. He needed to find Salara. He cut down men as he went, but froze as his eyes caught a fallen body on the field.
No…
He raced to Cohen and dropped down beside the boy. Blood poured from his partially severed arm.
But the boy pushed him off.No, I’m fine,he said.Go! Salara needs you!
“Cohen!” Adrian yelled and was beside him in a moment. He stripped linen from his undertunic to bind his arm.
Cohen struck Soren in the shoulder. The injured one. Hard.Go!
“I’ve got him,” Adrian said. “Go!”
Soren pushed on and dodged through the battle, looking for Salara. Where had they taken her? The small consolation he carried was that they wouldn’t kill her. But it was avery smallconsolation.
