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I clench my teeth, refusing to close my eyes. If this is my end, I face it without cowardice. At least let Ghorzag see I didn’t surrender.

Gaurbod’s spear hurtles forward.

16

GHORZAG

The sight of Lirienne pinned against the temple pillar by Gaurbod’s spear freezes my blood. Her face is pale with terror, her eyes fixed on the blade’s lethal point. A roar of raw fury tears from my throat. I swing my ax in a wide arc, battering aside the last of Gaurbod’s men who block my path. Sparks fly as steel clashes with steel. At my side, Karzug drives forward with a snarl, his bandaged arm trembling from the force of each strike.

But the traitor’s loyalists are determined, slamming shields to form a wall of metal and flesh. I grit my tusks, heart pounding. I must reach her. Over that barricade of orc warriors, I glimpse Gaurbod pressing closer to Lirienne. He means to kill her—here in the temple. And if he succeeds, all our hopes of forging peace die with her.

“Out of my way!” I bellow, forcing my ax downward in a vicious blow. The jolt of impact reverberates through my arms, meeting the locked shields of Gaurbod’s henchmen. These war-hardened orcs buckle but do not crumble. My frustration mounts. If they were only misguided by fear, I might show mercy. But their willingness to murder an innocent woman turns my blood hot with rage.

Karzug fights at my flank. We’ve been close friends since youth, and I feel his desperation mirroring mine. “Chieftain,” he grits out, “they’re too many. We can’t break through in time.”

My eyes snap to Gaurbod. Lirienne’s back is against carved stone, nowhere to flee. The spear’s tip hovers at her heart. She’s going to die unless I— No. That isn’t an option. The War God’s dais thrums beneath my feet, runes flickering with latent energy. If ever there was a moment to channel everything I have—my authority, my strength, my convictions—it is now.

“Stand aside!” I roar again, voice echoing in the vaulted chamber.

One of Gaurbod’s men lunges at me, a short sword aimed for my gut. I twist, letting the blade slide off my ax handle, then bring the weapon back in a savage arc. The orc crumples, howling. Taking advantage of that opening, I surge forward. Another attacker slashes at Karzug, but he deflects the blow, creating a small gap.

“Go,” he rasps, voice raw. “Save her.”

I need no urging. Heart thundering, I force myself between the last pair of warriors still loyal to Gaurbod. My ax hammers into their shields, driving them apart. Just a little more…

Suddenly, the orc on my left tries to seize my ax shaft. I snarl, smashing the hilt of my weapon into his temple. He stumbles, giving me precious seconds to twist free. The orc on my right recoils, momentarily off-balance. I capitalize on his hesitation, hooking his shield with my ax blade and yanking it away.

“Ghorzag!” Lirienne’s scream tears the air. It is all I need. I slam my shoulder into the final blockading orc, barreling him aside in a crash of metal and muscle. The dais under my boots lurches into view, and I spot Gaurbod’s spear gleaming an arm’s length from Lirienne’s chest.

“No!” My roar shakes the temple walls.

I hurl myself across the runic floor, ax raised. Gaurbod whips around, eyes alight with cruel triumph. He pivots just enough to slash his spear at me instead of Lirienne, forcing me to parry mid-stride. Metal clashes with a teeth-jarring clang, and the shock nearly numbs my hands.

“Cousin,” Gaurbod spits, forcing me back a step. “You defend this witch even now?”

I glower at him, tusks bared. “You dare assault my bride inside the hallowed walls of His shrine? Have you no honor?”

His laughter is harsh, echoing off stone columns. “Honor? You lost it the moment you brought a human among us. The clan is in ruin because of you. I’ll set it right—by ridding us of her poison.”

He feints a thrust at my midsection. I block, but the force radiates pain through my battered arms. The beast fights and illusions from earlier times have left me exhausted. Gaurbod, on the other hand, seems possessed by fanatic energy. Our weapons lock, pressing edge against edge.

“You’re the one who orchestrated the sabotage,” I growl through clenched tusks. “The orchard floods, the poisoned cistern, Rakan’s death—wasn’t that your doing?”

His sneer widens. “So you finally see it, cousin. Yes, I helped stoke fear. The clan needed a push to realize you’re unfit to lead—enthralled by a worthless human.”

A cold fury boils in my veins. I shove him back, ax scraping over his spear. He stumbles but recovers with eerie speed. “You let orcs die to feed your ambition?”

He shrugs, eyes flickering with twisted satisfaction. “Sometimes blood must be spilled for the clan’s future. The War God would understand. You? You’re blinded by her.”

“You’re the blind one.” Anger lances through me. “You think the War God condones your sabotage? Murdering our own youth?”

“I’d do it again,” Gaurbod hisses, striking high. I duck, teeth grinding, and parry. The shock wave of steel clattering fills my ears. “Rakan was a necessary sacrifice to inflame the clan. They all see how you cradle this human above orcish honor.”

“I do it because I’m not a coward,” I snap, clashing my ax against his spear. “You cower behind illusions and poison.”

He snarls, stepping into a lethal thrust at my ribs. I pivot, swinging the ax handle upward, deflecting the blow. Sparks fly. I catch Lirienne’s wide eyes behind Gaurbod, terror and relief warring in her face. I have to keep Gaurbod away from her.

The swirling battle around us intensifies as more orcs realize Gaurbod is behind the sabotage. Some try to break through to help me, while others rally to Gaurbod out of blind fear or twisted loyalty. The dais becomes a churning ring of steel and shadows.