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My wards failed him.

Are you all right?Memnon repeats, concern and some more dangerous emotion lacing his words.

I am, I say, fear creeping into my voice,but Ferox is not.

My magic whips out of me then, snaking between warriors and vanishing into the grass a short distance away, where I can just make out a dark lump amongst the tall stalks.

I throw myself off my horse and dash across the field, following the line of my magic. A couple of Dacians try to intercept me, and I mutter quick death curses, ending their liveswithout even getting a good look at them. So much for trying to avoid killing the enemy.

When I get to Ferox, I fall to my knees, placing a hand on his side.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, fresh tears springing to my eyes.

Weakly, Ferox nudges my hand, and I think he’s telling me it’s all right.

My magic is just starting to sink into his when I hear a hiss?—

Ferox’s body jolts as another arrow sinks into his flesh, this one between his ribs.

I scream at the sight, shoving more power into him.

I need to make him a new ward.

“Protect my panther from?—”

I hear the arrow a split second before it lodges into my back, throwing me forward, onto Ferox.

I gasp at the pain, which is so thick and sharp, it’s hard to breathe around. Or maybe I punctured a lung.

A roar echoes across the battlefield.

ROXI!

Another arrow hits Ferox, and again I scream.

Behind me, footfalls close in on us.

“Look what we have here,” a masculine voice says. “A queen and her little pet.”

COMING FOR YOU! HOLD FAST.

I will, I manage.

It’s hard to think through the pain and panic.

Wards.I focus on that one thing. I begin to form the words, blood trickling from my mouth. “Protect—us—” I can’t catch my breath… “From?—”

Fingers dig into my scalp, yanking me back by the hair.

Beneath me, Ferox growls.

“I’m going to cleave your head from your body, and then I’ll fuck this pretty mouth.” The Dacian pulls me against him, bladeto my throat, and I scream as the movement breaks the arrow shaft jutting out of me and shoves the rest of it deeper into my torso.

I WILL END THEM ALL, Memnon raves.

The Dacian’s acrid breath is hot against my ear. “Or maybe I’ll fuck your mouth,thenkill you.”

My eyes meet Ferox’s; his ears have flattened and his lips have curled back in a snarl. He growls low in his throat, his gaze fixed on the warrior at my back.