Page 117 of Obsidian Dream

Chapter Fifty-Four

KHALIDA

The ground shook betweenthem.

Khalida took a step forward.Or tried to, but something held her still.Whatever it was, she couldn’t move a muscle—couldn’t even take a breath.She tried to reach her knives, but the hold was too strong.

“Fuck,” said Khalida, the word draining her of all her energy.

Up above them, the sun had moved again.How long had she been frozen for?The surroundings looked like a massacre.The limbs of the gallu remained scattered through the once-vibrant green grass, their body parts withering into something that resembled wood more than flesh.It was closely followed by the overarching smell of burned flesh.

Ninhursag stumbled, her face contorted in pain as a delirious smile spread across her face.Red and black blood dripped from her fingers.The world around the god shimmered, and a shadow stepped out of the light.

Khalida blinked, lurching toward the newcomer.She tightened her grip on her knives, but she barely moved a foot.“No!”

The sound was guttural.It echoed through the frozen landscape.

The shadow cradled Ninhursag, engulfing the god’s body in darkness before it stepped back into the shimmer and disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

Khalida stumbled forward, hitting the ground with a thud.She gritted her teeth as she let the pain subside and looked around, forcing herself to rise to her knees.Just in case more wayfarers or the gallu appeared.Palming the knife in her hand, she surveyed the area, her knuckles white.

Something silver glittered in the bright sunlight.She moved without thinking toward the object.Her heart thundered as recognition flooded through her.There on a patch of peonies were her swords.

Black boots stuck out of a pile of dying flowers not far from her as tree roots shrunk into small gnarled clumps.

Khalida stopped breathing.

She had found Talik.