Page 166 of Lady of the Drowned Empire

“Fuck! Fuck!” Rhyan roared. His sword was already back out as I tried to reach for my dagger, but my fingers felt like ice.

We were on the edge of a cliff, the path not wide enough for both of us to move forward. It was just enough for Rhyan, so I stayed back. He charged ahead as two more akadim came into view, their bodies shadowy in the dark, their large arms rising, their eyes glowing red. There was a catch of silver on one. A choker—identical to the last akadim’s.

“Asherah.” The monstrous hiss came from behind me.

Steeling my nerves, I turned to face another one. This time, I reached for my sword, praying my fingers would find purchase in the cold. I heard the metal sing as I slid it from its sheath. The akadim swiped its claws out at me, and I jumped back, my torso just out of its reach. I lunged forward and slashed, slicing through its arm. Blood trickled onto the side of the mountain, bleeding into the frozen patches of snow.

“Teka!” it roared. “Kneel for Moriel!”

There was a thud behind me. I turned, unable to stop myself. One of the akadim had fallen, defeated by Rhyan. It had been decapitated, and its choker rolled off the side of the cliff. Rhyan was already fighting the next beast, his boots scraping against the icy snow, his cloak swirling out behind him, his arms raised, swords gleaming.

In my distraction, the akadim I fought grabbed me around the waist and hauled me to my toes. I plunged my sword into its hand, kicking and twisting. But he lifted me up and up, my feet dangling above the cliff, as he squeezed me.

I held onto my sword, grunting as I used every muscle I had to turn my body around, to face the monster. When I did, inhaling its putrid breath and staring into its eyes that promised death, I pulled my sword from it, and with both hands, I slammed the blade down, screaming as I used all my strength to break through its chest, pushing and pushing the sword into its heart.

It roared in pain, its eyes widening in disbelief. I needed to retract the blade, move away from it, get to Rhyan, but my sword seemed fused inside the akadim’s body. I pulled harder, my muscles burning, my hands nearly slipping from the hilt, and then it was free. Blood oozed from its chest, as its face went slack. A low groan from deep in its throat escaped its mouth as its arms lowered and its grip on me faltered.

I stared down at the cliff’s edge, leaning my body to be closer to the wall, to make sure the akadim set me on the ground. If he set me down too close to the ledge, I was in danger of slipping and falling. But I couldn’t seem to get out of its grasp, or direct its hand.

Then a light flickered in its eyes. It held my gaze, the red blazing like fire, as if it’d had another life stored inside and had suddenly called it forth. Its hands slid up from my waist until its claws wrapped around my neck. Blood poured from its wound as it held me up again, lifting me higher and turning, walking to the edge, its arm extended, my legs dangling helplessly over the side of the mountain. Nothing between me and the frozen river below.

“Rhyan!” I tried to cry out, but my voice was hoarse, barely loud enough for me to hear.

The sounds of his battle were drowned out by a wintry gust of wind.

The akadim stumbled, weakened by its blood loss. Its back slammed into the wall, bringing me with it. I kicked violently, trying to bring myself back over the edge, to grab hold of the akadim’s arms without losing my sword. I was starting to panic. Desperate to reach the wall, to get out of its grip.

Its eyes started to close, death finally coming for it. But its hand squeezed and the beast looked up at me one last time, as my feet dangled helplessly.

“Please,” I begged. It too wore a silver choker. A red center that seemed to flash with light, before the monster bared its teeth, and the light went out.

“Teka, Asherah.”

Then it threw me over the edge.

A hollowed scream left my throat. My stomach bursting into my heart. My feet kicked and arms flailed, but there was nothing to hold onto, nothing to save me as I plunged down and down and down until my feet hit the ice, my legs shaking with the impact. I collapsed to my knees, my hands smashing into the frozen river, my skin burning with the cold.

“LYR!” Rhyan yelled with a force I’d never heard before.

I thought I saw a shadow flying over the edge.

I shifted, and the ice cracked beneath my feet, and then I was falling again. My chest tightened. My heart stopped. My breath ceased. There was just burning, ice-cold fire filling my lungs as I plunged into the river. The current pulled me down beneath the ice, and I kicked my feet, straining to see the surface, to find my way out, to keep the river from taking me. I swam like I’d never swum before, reaching my arms up and up and up. But I found only darkness, hit only hard, cold ice, again and again, Until I couldn’t see. Couldn’t feel. Couldn’t breathe.

I reached up, one last time. My palms smacking against thick solid ice.

And then the cold took me, as I drowned.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

There was only darkness. Only cold. Then something slammed into me, hands dug into my arms, pulling my body backwards. I was pressed to something hard and sturdy. Then there was more darkness.

My eyes sprang open. Everything felt tight, stiff, frozen. I was no longer in the water. I was in a cave. One lit torch jutted from a stone wall, illuminating the cavern, its fires crackling and popping amidst my ragged breathes.

I gasped in pain, trying to sit up, but there was a heavy pressure on my chest keeping me down.

Rhyan.

Rhyan’s hands were over my heart, pushing down, pumping. His eyes caught mine. He stopped and hugged me to him.