Page 189 of Lady of the Drowned Empire

He was going to be the problem—he was the most out in the open. If we attacked him first, we’d alert the remaining soturi. But if we waited too long, he’d notice something amiss.

I pulled Rhyan’s face to mine and kissed him. “We’ve got this,” I said.

“I’ll start on the right. You take the soturi on the left. Leave Dario for me. He’s dangerous.”

I nodded, noting he was giving me only two of the five soturi, the ones who weren’t standing before the seraphim. Each one was by a tree or small growth.

“They’re taller than you, so you’re going to need to jump high. The minute you hit their back, take your cloak, wrap it around their head, and choke them. Use both your arms, tight as you can around their neck. You’ll feel their head go down first. When that happens, don’t let go. You’re going to jump back and ease them to the ground so they don’t wake.”

I’d learned this before in training. But had yet to test my ability to choke someone out. Rhyan had offered, but I could never do it to him. My chest tightened, and I steadied myself, my eyes on my targets. “Ready,” I said.

“I’m going to take you to the first one. Be quick and run to the second. I’ll run interference if you get into trouble.”

Rhyan came up behind me, his arms around my hips, positioned to lift me as soon as he reached our destination.

“Go,” I said.

We jumped. My feet were airless, weightless, and then Rhyan’s boots hit the ground, and he hoisted me up. I latched onto the soturion’s back. Before he could finish his shout of surprise, I had the edge of my cloak over his head, shutting his mouth, my arms around his neck, squeezing as tightly as I could.

He went slack almost instantly. But I kept holding on, feeling him stumble backwards, about to fall. Keeping my arms tight, I kicked back, my feet hitting the ground with a soft thud as I carefully laid him down and removed my cloak from his face.

He was out. My heart pounded, guilt gnawing at me. But he would be okay.

One soturion down. Five to go.

I had to get to the next one. Through the trees where I’d been concealed, I could see the shadow of Rhyan already choking out his second soturion.

Three remained.

A sudden snap of movement caught my eye—Dario had shifted, his keen gaze now alert. He sensed something amiss. I felt his aura reaching out, probing. Suspicious.

I ran to my next target, staying on my toes as much as I could, and then I leapt. He yelled out before I could cover his mouth by throwing my cloak over his head. He was faster than the other, his arms reaching for his neck to block my attack. But I just managed to squeeze in, my arms choking him before he could stop me. My left arm kept the right secure as my grip tightened, and just like the first, he went down.

I gently laid him in the snow, and in the distance, heard Rhyan shift, laying down another soturion.

We were almost there.

A blade slid across my throat as I was grabbed from behind. I held my arms up in surrender, my breath still as Dario lifted me to my feet.

Rhyan was in front of us a second later.

“Take your hands off her, Dario,” he snarled.

“Hello, to you, too, Rhyan.”

“Release her, now!”

“Why? She mean something to you? Also, welcome back.” His accent was deeper than Rhyan’s, as was his voice. “You have some real fucking nerve.”

“Dario, I’m sorry.” Rhyan sounded desperate. “I want to explain.”

“No doubt. I expect you have a great story to tell, a legendary tale to back up your crimes. Tell me, friend, why I should let her go? Huh? Why shouldn’t she receive the same fate you afforded Garrett?” He squeezed my arm, the blade digging in—not deeply enough to cut but enough to leave me trembling. “You afforded my father.” Dario spit.

“Please. I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Just like you didn’t want to hurt anyone else here, right? It was all one big fucking accident?”

“Another time, I can explain to you. To Aiden, How fucking sorry I am. What really happened. And…I’ll let you take your swing at me. As many you want. Aiden, too. But this is bigger. Please! Who ordered you here? What did they say to you?” Rhyan asked.