Page 198 of Keeper of the Word

The army that Daved brought from Mara raced across the field, assaulting any foe in their path. Exposed and unprotected, now that they’d been abandoned by their comrades, the men with the battering ram gave one last attempt to breach the gate before, one by one, they crumpled onto the field, dropped by arrows.

The battering ram landed on the field with a greatthud.

Elanna wasted no time.

She gathered her skirts and sprinted to the gate; the two Order knights followed.

The key gripped in her hand, Elanna fixed her gaze solely on the keyhole. She ignored all sounds, all smells, all sense that, even with Daved’s reinforcements, she was pursued.

She heard only her own padded footsteps race to the gate, and stars’ light urging her forward. She’d scarcely halted in front of thebattered gate, when she rammed the starstone key into the keyhole, gave an exhale, and turned the key.

Theclickwas not solely for her ears. It reverberated off Asalle’s walls and ricochetted across the field.

A force like a gust of sharp wind blew across her face.

A safeguard had been placed around Asalle and naught but this key would breach through the city of Light now. The first phase to secure Asalle’s Light was complete. All they needed now was theword.

Elanna slouched against the gate.

Someone crept toward her.

Chapter

Seventy-Three

TOLVAR

Tolvar was about to hand his brother the killing blow when the sheet of blinding light had made him lose vision momentarily. It gave Crevan the split second he needed to lift his sword in his other hand and scamper away from Tolvar’s grasp.

The battle of brothers began anew.

When Crevan’s longsword plunged into Tolvar’s shoulder this time, he sank to the ground. ’Twas all but impossible to not give up.

He’d heard Ghlee, Joss, and even Alvie call for him a few times, but they were too thick in the battle to reach him.

Getting to all fours, Tolvar reached for his sword only to find Crevan’s sword at his neck again. “This is the last time. Give me theword.”

Tolvar coughed, pain shooting through his ribs, his shoulder, his arms. Everything. “Here is a word: coward. Here is another word: cock-up. Want another? Scrote. Bastard. Cretin. Oh. That was three words.”

Crevan’s face darkened. “Very well then.” He lifted his sword.

From the corner of his eye, Tolvar discerned Hux dart towardhim. Hux’s sword sliced across Crevan’s back. His brother shrieked out before turning to block the next strike.

“Normally, I would ne’er attack a man in the back, but for you, I had to make an exception,” Hux said, parrying and assaulting Crevan, whose back was soaked with blood.

Tolvar got to his feet; he held his sword to his side. The weapon grew heavy, or mayhap ’twas all the blood he was losing. He offered Hux as much as he could. Dizziness settled in.

“Cease!” the ugly voice gave them pause. Paces away stood another witch—with Elanna. She held her orb in one hand and pointed her other at Elanna, who, despite not being physically held, was clearly paralyzed where she stood. “Say thewordor the Seer dies.”

“Elanna!” Hux yelled, lowering his sword.

Elanna struggled, shaking her head. “’Twill be all right, Hux.”

Stars.

Hux and Crevan stood in a stand-off, neither appearing as though they had the upper hand. Hux’s eyes had lost their playfulness. His face paled.

Tolvar lifted a hand to calm Hux.