Page 85 of Red Demon

She cried out again, her eyes on me as Istaran pulsed in my hand.

I attacked.

One moment I was staring at Mahakal’s smug face, the next I’d twisted behind him to cut across his lower back. I sliced the weak spot between the Chaeten leather shirt and pants with enough force to cut his kidneys, just as I saw Faruhar do. Mahakal dropped to his knees.

“Go, Faruhar!” I bellowed, throwing the churn of everything wild in me into my voice. “Go!”

Mahakal turned over from the ground, his eyes wide and panicked, darting to the few soldiers flanking. “All forces to the third hill. Now!” he said to his comm.

Faruhar had another man dead before his finger twitched on the crossbow, bleeding though she was.

She cut down another on the ridge with his hand on his comm. Istaran pulsed as I moved to finish Mahakal. I’d never killed a man; my first would be Chaeten-sa.

Asher planted his body in front of me. “Jesse, brother.” He aimed a trembling crossbow at my face.

“Out of the way, Ash!” I growled.

“SBO aggression, Eirini!” Mahakal rasped, desperation replacing his earlier arrogance. “Do your duty.”

“Is SBO even a real thing or is that another lie you’re pulling out of your ass?” My sword hung in the air, but I doubted I could disarm Ash before his bolt took me down. “Is the queen in on all this?”

Mahakal just laughed. “He’s insane.”

“Ash, please trust me.” I gripped Istaran tighter.

Asher took a step back, his crossbow still trained on me.

“Such a waste,” Mahakal said, laughing at me.

“You need to go, Jesse. Bria said they are coming to kill you too,” Faruhar rasped behind me.

“Why are you still here, Far?!” I demanded, leering at the blooming trail of blood on her torso. “Run!”

“Jesse,” Asher said, emotion heavy in his voice, looking between her and me. “I don’t understand.”

“Use your dahn. Look at her and look at him!” I gestured to Mahakal, my sword shaking in my hand.

“We need to go, Jesse,” Faruhar said. “Now!”

A streak of silver whizzed past my ear. The crossbow bolt buried itself in the oak ahead of me. My breath hitched, the world snapping back into focus as Mahakal rose to a stand. Another bolt, launched in quick succession, found my back as I began to run. I reached back, finding I’d been saved by Chaeten leather.

Faruhar cursed, running down the hill, darting between trees and around the broken earth from the aerial assault. I plowed through the grotesque shadows in the moonlight, the frosty air filling my nostrils as soldiers pursued.

“Ash!” I yelled, hoping he was right behind me.

Chapter 36

Ruins

Iclipped Istaran to my belt to hide its light as the towering trees loomed over me in judgment, their bare branches grasping. Footsteps pounded behind us. “Ash! That better be you back there!”

“They can hear you.” Faruhar breathed hard through her injuries, but kept pace beside me.

“They can track our heat signatures too. This would be a great time for that sister of yours to help out,” I said as a crossbow bolt whizzed between us.

“She’s resting.”

“Her friends can destroy whole towns!”