Page 120 of Brimstone

I had been training only with him, though. One male. I was trying to fend off five now.

I could almost hear him laughing as I spun and dropped low, striking up and sinking my right short sword into one of themale’s chests.Come on, Fane. You’re selling both of us short. You don’t think I’m worth five of these fuckers?

The guard gasped. I yanked my weapon back without assessing the damage and immediately blocked up, parrying another null blade.

A thud to my left.

I slashed at another of the male’s ankle tendons.

Spun away.

Blocked.

Mentally shoved another blade away with everything I had.

Blocked.

Blocked.

Retreated.

One of them—the one I’d stabbed in the chest—was on the floor, dead.

Only four of them now.

Ha!Onlyfour of them.

I danced back on the balls of my feet—that’s what this was now, a dance—letting them come for me. They prowled forward, eyes blank, faces emotionless.

Don’t panic. You’ve got this. Preempt them. Youknowwhere they’re going to be, Saeris.

“Last chance,” Orious called. “There’s still time to change your mind. Thekingwon’t extend another opportunity.”

My canines felt long in my mouth. I was bleeding from my leg somewhere; I could smell it. Setting my jaw, I ran the edges of the short swords together, and burning blue-white sparks leaped from the metal. “Igaveyou my answer,” I snarled. “Let’s get this over with.”

The guards didn’t wait for Orious’s command. They charged.

Sharpened steel rained down on me.

I gulped down air, forcing myself to breathe. One at a time, faster than fast, I rebuffed the males, pushing their weaponsaway with my mind as best I could, or else meeting them with my own.

One of them broke through my guard. Fire tore up my side, pain igniting fury in me as I went after the bastard who had cut me. I scythed my right god sword at him, the weapon trailing blue-white light behind it, and slit the male’s throat wide open. Blood spurted from the clean slash I left behind, and down the male went.

Three left now.

My breath sawed out of me. I’d never moved this fast in my entire fucking life.

One of them kicked, aiming to blow my knee out, but I darted closer to him, hooking my elbow and smashing it into his face. He staggered back—

—and the other two were in my face.

“Fuck!”

I ducked and spun through them, scissoring my swords, spinning them in my hands. One found its mark, biting through the guard on the right’s arm. The other guard lunged sideways. I followed him, blocking his downward blow, driving upward into his gut—

“Saeris!”

My heart stilled.