Page 26 of Scorched Earth

“You could kill them both, if you wanted,” the voice crooned, breath hot against her ear. “Or you can allow them to kill him. Choose.”

Lydia chose.

Her hand latched like a vise onto the woman’s wrist, and with all the desperation burning in her soul, Lydiayanked.The woman’s eyes widened in shock. Her lips parted just as Lydia drained the last of her life, and her body exploded into dust.

Lydia saw only red.

Felt onlyneed.

With speed not meant for this world, she flung herself at her fallen sword, swinging it at the forelegs of the deimos between her and Killian. It shrieked as its limbs severed, falling, blood spraying, but Lydia already raced toward the other deimos.

It tried to take flight, but Lydia was faster.

Flinging herself onto the creature’s back, she wrapped her arms around its neck as it rose in the air, teeth snapping at her leg.

Lydia only dug her fingers into its leathery skin andtook.

The desperate creature flew higher, trying to shake her free, the battle a blur of shapes as bolts of lightning danced through the sky.

Then the ground was rushing up to meet her.

The dead deimos exploded into pieces of brittle bone and dust as it struck, the impact snapping Lydia’s arms. She barely felt the pain, the excess of life the sweetest pleasure as it mended her body, making her whole.

And so very powerful.

In her periphery, Rufina bolted, a blur of black racing from the fight. Lydia considered pursuit, but then her eyes fixed on the gleaming beacon of life that stood before her. How had she not noticed before how bright the queen of Mudamora shone?

“Lydia!” Malahi gasped, taking a step back. “Don’t. Please don’t.”

Lydia took a step after her, then another, closing the distance.

“Please.”

In the back of her mind, Lydia heard her consciencescreamingthat Mudamora needed Malahi. That this young woman was their salvation. But louder was the hunger, and it whispered,All Malahi has ever caused you is grief.

“Lydia…” Malahi lifted the knife in her hand even as Lydia’s muscles bunched, readying to attack.

She’ll hesitate, the voice instructed.Take her life now.

Lydia took a step—

Only for something to strike her in the back with violent force. The ground rose up to meet her, and for a heartbeat, everything went dark.

11KILLIAN

The speed at which Lydia moved told Killian everything he needed to know as she attacked the deimos, but there was nothing he could do with Rufina pressing him hard.

Their swords clashed in a symphony of steel, it feeling to Killian as though they picked up from where they’d left off the last time they’d fought. A battle that never ended, because they were too evenly matched.

Then the queen of Derin skittered backward and said, “Malahi will never break, which means she is no good to me.” Her laugh was cruel. “So I’ll let Kitaryia do my dirty work.”

She turned on her heel andran.

Logic demanded Killian pursue. Rufina was the heart of all the horror consuming Mudamora, and killing her would end it.

But his instincts demanded he turn around.

Lydia stalked toward Malahi, who took one step back. Then another step.