Page 29

Where We Kick Some Ass

“I t’s not like anything happened,” I mutter to Zayne. “We were just keeping warm.”

He reaches across and pats my arm. “Of course you were.” He chuckles. “You should have seen that asshole’s expression as we came around the corner and saw you two lovebirds all tangled up together. It was worth an all-night ride.” He winces. “Though my balls are killing me.”

“Good.” I presume by “that asshole,” he means Khaosti, who has studiously ignored me since his arrival and that one searing look we shared. I suspect—from the smug expression on Thanouq’s face—that he was quite aware of their approach and could easily have moved me into a less compromising position if he’d wanted to. Which clearly, he hadn’t. No, because winding up Khaosti is a much better option.

Not that it’s any of Khaosti’s business who I… keep warm with.

We’re leading the horses and heading in the direction of the camp. Apparently, there’s no time to waste. We need to hit them while they are preparing to set off on the day’s march, when it will all be a little chaotic. Thanouq, Khaosti, and Therion are walking together, going over strategies that don’t involve me and Zayne because we won’t be taking part in the actual fight. Me, for obvious reasons. I get that I’m less than useful usually, and right now even more so. Though I actually feel better than I have in a while.

I thought Zayne was going to argue about his exclusion, but Thanouq spoke quietly to him—no doubt telling him that he had to look after poor little helpless me in case everything goes wrong. Because I would never find my way to the Crone alone. Grr. One day, I swear I will be strong. In the end, Zayne gave a nod. He usually hates authority figures, but he seems to respect Thanouq.

Up ahead, the sky is filled with a dirty haze. Smoke from the campfires, I suppose. As we get closer, my stomach ties up in knots and the sour taste of bile floods the back of my throat. Part of me wants to tell them to turn around, to let the slavers go on their way. I don’t want my friends in harm’s way, and I certainly don’t want them to die. Even asshole Khaosti. Okay, maybe especially asshole Khaosti. But the rest of me can’t help thinking about that dead little girl and how many more could die if we do nothing.

I can smell the camp now. Not just the smoke, but…actually I don’t want to think about what I’m smelling. It clogs my nostrils and coats my throat, filling me with an almost overwhelming urge to hurl.

Beside me, Zayne gags. “That is just so not right,” he says.

The sun is up now, and ahead, I can make out the camp. Just an indistinct mass of people. We keep going, and slowly individuals take form, moving in the haze. I can’t help but think they’ll see us. Finally, the others come to a halt behind some small scrubby trees. I’m guessing this is where they are leaving us. There’s no other cover to be seen. This area is like a desert.

We stop beside them. Thanouq and Khaosti tie their horses to the trees. Therion mounts his—he’ll be riding into the fight.

Thanouq turns to us. “You know what to do?”

“Don’t worry,” Zayne replies. “We’ll be fine. I’ll look after her.”

That’s sort of sweet and irritating as hell. But I don’t say anything because I feel like crap, and Zayne is being all mature and protective, and I don’t want to put him off doing it in the future. Just not with me.

Thanouq walks away, and a moment later, he’s gone, his griffin standing in his place. Which just leaves Khaosti. He steps up to me, and the rage is gone from his face. He reaches out and touches my cheek. Beside me, Zayne gags. I ignore him and lean into the touch.

“Don’t die,” I say.

He looks like he might say something but then steps back, his arm falling to his side, and he gives a brief nod. A moment later, the man is gone, and a huge black wolf pads away. He doesn’t look back, and my heart hurts. What if he does die?

Thanouq beats his great wings, sending a wave of warm, foul-smelling air over us, then launches himself into the air, heading toward the camp. Therion’s horse gallops after him, Khaosti’s black wolf at his side.

I stare after them, wondering if I’ll ever see any of them again.

Zayne takes the reins from my hand and ties Stella to the tree beside his own horse.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

“Well, I’m not waiting here where I can’t see what the fuck is happening.”

Good point.

We head across the sand on foot, side by side. He glances at me. “Are you okay? I never asked. Can you walk?”

“Obviously,” I reply, continuing to walk.

I slow my pace as we get closer. There’s no sign that anyone at the camp has seen the others coming. I scan the sky. Thanouq is high up, just a dark spot. On the ground, Therion and Khaosti are racing toward the upcoming battle. I presume they’ve made a plan. We trudge up a small rise, and at the top, we’re close enough to see the individual people and differentiate between the guards and the slaves, who are dressed in rags and herded in a line ready to set off.

Zayne puts a hand on my arm. “This is close enough,” he says.

I agree. “Maybe we should get down. You know, so they don’t spot us.”

He nods, and we sink to the sand to peer over the rise.

I hear a distant roar. Thanouq. And then he’s diving for the ground. I can see him getting bigger, heading straight for the center of the mass of people. Therion and Khaosti split up, going in opposite directions around the camp. I know the moment the guards become aware of the imminent attack. I hear a shout, followed by another. They are staring up into the sky now; I don’t think they’ve noticed the other two yet.

Thanouq swoops down, and chaos ensues. Guards and slaves are running in all directions. Thanouq sweeps up a man in his talons and hurls him into a group of guards. Slaves stumble and fall.

Therion rides through the throng, sword swinging.

Where is Khaosti? Then I see him. He’s come around the other side of the camp. He crouches down, then leaps at a running guard, who crashes to the ground, then lies still with his throat torn out. Then another. He slashes with his claws and rips with his teeth.

But there are so many guards. They’re rallying. Maybe they realize that there are only three attackers. Maybe we should go and…

“Don’t even think about it,” Zayne says beside me.

“Think what?”

“You’re tensing up. You’re not going in there. I made a promise, and you are not going anywhere near that fight. Besides, you’ll just be a distraction.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” I mutter. But I know he’s right. Hurling myself into the fight won’t help. I don’t even have a sword, never mind know how to use one. “I hate this,” I say. “I feel so useless.”

“I know.” He slips his hand into mine, squeezes, and holds on.

Khaosti is up against three guards, and my mouth floods with saliva. I’m scared—I admit it. I can’t lose him before he’s even mine to lose. Then Thanouq dives into the group, knocking one down, dragging another away, and Khaosti finishes off the last.

I close my eyes for a moment just as a roar of rage fills the air. There are arrows flying. One hits Thanouq in the side, embedding in his golden fur. He rises higher in the sky and hovers out of range.

I try to see where the arrows are coming from. An archer stands behind the cover of a wall.

“Why aren’t the slaves helping?” I mutter, squinting into the chaos. “Why are they just standing there?”

“They’re tied together,” Zayne says. “Not much you can do with your hands tied behind your back and tethered to someone else.”

“Crap.” I hadn’t even noticed. I can see it now. They’re standing so close it’s hard to tell.

“Bastards.”

Thanouq can’t head down; as soon as he gets within range, the archer shoots at him. And without him, Khaosti and Therion are being swamped. They won’t last long.

“We have to help.”

“How? You can’t fight, and I have to look out for you.”

“I can’t fight. But they can.” I wave a hand toward the slaves. “Come on, Zayne. They’re going to die, and the slaves will still be slaves. And it’s complete chaos over there. We can slip in, cut them free, and be out of there before anyone notices us.”

Thanouq dives down, and the sky fills with arrows. He lets out a shrill scream, more eagle than lion, and soars up again. I can hardly see Khaosti—he’s just a flash of black in the chaos. Without waiting for Zayne to answer, I stumble to my feet.

Pain shoots through me, but I ignore it. Somehow my legs move forward when they should be running away. Behind me, Zayne curses, but I hear him follow, and he grabs my arm, pulling me along while keeping low to the ground. But I reckon everyone is far too busy to notice us. I almost trip over the first dead body. Ugh. His throat is ripped out, and he’s staring with sightless eyes. There’s a knife in his outstretched arm, and I pry it from his grip.

Here, the smell of fresh blood fills the air. Not surprising. There’s a lot of it around. As I approach the slave line, they see me coming and back away. I probably look like a crazy woman brandishing a knife.

“We’re here to help,” I say, but they’re beyond listening to reason. Someone crashes into me, and Zayne growls, wrenching the man away. I catch a glimpse of Zayne’s face. Holy shit. Something far from human stares back from his eyes. I have to get him out of here. “Zayne,” I yell into his face, “stay with me. Pull your fucking self together.”

He shakes his head and then he’s back. “Hurry.”

At the end of the line, there’s a woman—or maybe a girl—she looks young, with short, matted black hair and a thin face. Her gray eyes gleam with intelligence, and she stands her ground as I approach. I hold up the knife.

The man tied behind her is babbling, his face a mask of fear, but she snaps at him in a language I don’t understand, and he goes still. I move closer and cut the rope that ties her to the man in front, then she twists so I can slice through the bonds behind her. She breaks free and holds out her hand. I realize she wants the knife, and after a moment’s hesitation, I hand it to her. “Tell them to help the wolf and the man on the horse,” I say, and she nods. “Oh, and get whoever is shooting the arrows.”

Zayne pulls me away. “Let’s get out of here. We’ve done what we need to do. And all the blood is having a weird effect on me.”

I turn to look into his eyes—they’re flashing between human and serpent, and his nostrils are flaring, and maybe his teeth are getting bigger. He’s right. We need to get out of here.

The girl is moving down the slave line, cutting people free and talking to them fiercely. I hope she’s telling them to fight. Because if they don’t, and we lose this one, they will be back tied up before I can say “serves you right.”

But most are yelling and heading into the fray, picking up whatever weapons they can find along the way. They look quite… eager. Our job is done, and I allow Zayne to tug me around. Time to get out of here.

Easier said than done. A solid wall of guards is heading our way. There’s no getting through that. Zayne must think the same because he drags me around in the opposite direction. I catch a glimpse of Khaosti. For a moment, I falter. He’s surrounded on all sides, fighting with tooth and claw, jaws dripping with crimson. Then we’re running again. Pain fills my body. I’m pretty sure I’ve torn open the wound in my side. I’m losing blood, and my head is swimming.

Then we skid to a halt. A huge figure bars our way. We can’t go forward, and a quick glance behind shows that route’s no better.

“Shit,” Zayne yells. “Run. I’ll hold him off.”

No way. I search frantically for something, anything that can help. But we’re unarmed, and the man has a big knife. He lunges toward us; we dodge, but he’s nimble for someone so big. There’s nowhere to go. And he knows it—there’s a grin on his ugly ass face. Zayne holds me tight.

“Sorry,” I hear him whisper.

This can’t be the end. But the man is coming toward us, knife held high. I’m filled with regret for what will never be. Except, only a foot away, he lurches and falls forward, crashing to the ground. A knife sticks out of the back of his head. The black-haired girl stands over him, a look of hatred on her face.

“Thanks,” I croak.

She nods and then disappears into the madness, and Zayne scoops me up and starts running. But there are people everywhere. Now I do close my eyes so I don’t see the end coming. And I don’t open them until something grabs Zayne from behind, and he screams.