Page 167 of Keeper of the Word

Mayhap he had seen worse, but Tolvar would not lie to himself. This was perilous at best.

He took a breath and flexed his healing thigh. This would not salve its healing. “Gus, you make for the StarSeers and smash that orb. Get them to safety. The rest of you, on my command. We’ll take the weapons from the guards first. Avoid the arrows.”

Hux smiled. “This should be exciting.”

Tolvar rolled his eyes and launched himself at the two nearest guards. He snatched the first’s sword, used it on the other before ramming into the first as the second one fell. He had two more downed, and the others each having one down before the rest of the camp realized what occurred.

Someone from the far end of the camp shouted orders, and men sprang up from their meals to gather their weapons. At the same time, Greenwood exited the tent, followed by Turas and another man unfamiliar to Tolvar. Turas murmured frantically while Greenwood shouted orders.

Tolvar had taken up a long knife in addition to the sword and made use of it to fight two or three at once. A sword swiped at him, and already Tolvar had dodged out of harm’s way. The more men came at Tolvar, the more vigorous he felt.

An attacker ran at Tolvar from behind. Tolvar spun, dropped his weapons, lifted the man by his neck, hurled him over his shoulders, and plowed him into the ground. Then Tolvar broke his neck. The next two opponents came at his sides. Tolvar gripped the first by his shoulder, hurtling him into the other before retrieving his sword and driving it through both. Tolvar jerked the sword through their impaled torsos before sliding it out. They slunk to the ground.

The trace of Adrienne was evident on both their necks.

Barrett, Joss, and Hux were preoccupied with battles of their own. Joss and Barrett had wisely taken the tactic of fighting back to back so they could defend one another at the same time as attacking. Tolvar briefly wondered if ’twas the nature of their relationship that assisted their odds.

Hux was becoming increasingly overwhelmed by the growingnumber of guards surrounding him. Tolvar gripped the tip of the long knife, squinted, and launched it into someone’s back, giving Hux one less opponent.

“I need not your aid, but I thank you all the same,” Hux shouted.

Gus and Elanna neared closer to the StarSeers. Three of the soldiers who’d been guarding them lay on the ground, dead. Gus’s sword dripped blood as he fought.

’Twould be only a matter of seconds before reinforcements buried them.

Tolvar strode toward them, his sword e’er wielding.

Elanna knelt on the ground.

Tolvar quickened his steps, fearing the worst, fighting off and downing opponents as he did so.

But she was not injured. She was praying. In the middle of a battle.

Eyeing the other Seers, they, too, prayed.

The sun was high in the sky. Could they call to the stars in the middle of the day?

The witches remained engaged in the same trance as when they’d entered the camp.

Tolvar downed another opponent. Close now.

Suddenly, Elanna plunged her hands forward toward the circle of StarSeers and witches. A light as bright as the sun exuded from her hands as she let out a cry that eclipsed Tolvar’s fiercest war cry.

Whoosh!

The blinding light waved and quaked, first through the circle and then the camp behind them. Everyone—including the witches—in the path of the vibrating sunlight fell first to their knees and then dropped unconscious face-first into the dirt.

The light seemed to have no impact on the StarSeers.

For a breath, the battle paused. Everyone stood motionless, transfixed on Elanna.

Elanna, eyes closed, collapsed to her side.

“Elanna!” Hux cried, pushing his way through the combatants. This resumed the conflict.

“Shatter the orb!” Kyrie shouted to Gus, who seized the now-dim orb and smashed it to the ground. The orb splintered into innumerable pieces.

Two other witches appeared from out of a tent and cried out, writhing their long, bony fingers in distress.