Page 85 of Red Ruin

“Iris? Are you okay?” Crispin’s soul-silk tentatively strokes my cheek.

I jump away from the too-intimate touch. “It’s Guide or Commander.”

His lip juts. “Even to me?”

“To everyone.” I knock away his clinging silks. His energy curls, still trying to get cozy.

I’m even less tempted than before.

Crispin may be warm, but he’s a tea-light compared to Vhex. Not even enough of a project to keep me busy for an afternoon. “How did you get separated from your squad?”

“They sent me to find Sentinel Simms before the base was overrun,” he sighs and ruffles his sweat-drenched hair. “I got pinned instead. The kobold numbers were insane.”

“Simms didn’t fight?”

“He never leaves his suite,” Crispin says bitterly.

A guard’s strongest Sentinels always set its tone.

With Vhex, Remy,andSimms each flaking in their own, special ways, the Farguard would struggle against a spawn of butterflies, let alone basic barbarian kobolds.

“I’ll discipline him.” I have to at leasttryturning this clusterfuck around. When the palace hears an ancient undead is about to rise, they’ll send someone scarier than me to take control.

I’ll happily shuffle into second-in-command.

Silence confirms the end of the battle. I start to rub sticky palms against my thighs but hit the strips of kobold leather.

Right.

No pants.

Wincing, I wave over the squad that’s spread in a half-moon formation around the kobolds on the lawn. “Nevin, right? Let me check you out.”

“Me first.” Crispin blocks the other Sentinels.

“You’re all set.” I retract from his clingy silks, giving him nothing. “Go tell Warden Dell that we need every kobold corpse collected and burned within the hour.”

I step past him, reaching for Nevin.

“Thanks, Commander.” The giant of a Sentinel stoops so I can touch his jaw. I connect with an earthy, jumbled energy.

“Iris,” Crispin says and grabs my arm. “How can you?—”

Before I can throw him off, his body is gone above the wrist.

His severed hand sticks behind, holding on to my sleeve.

I blink, not sure if I’m seeing what I’m seeing.

“Don’t speak her name.” Remy’s shadows peel off the clinging fingers, then he slingshots the hand a few football fields over the base.

Crispin screams as his uniform bursts into pink flames.

“Stop!” I spread my silks full-blast, connecting to every Sentinel in range.

Fifteen of them.

Their souls greedily welcome mine, but two points devour more than their share. I redirect my flagging energy to my two biggest problems.