Page 40

V rok

Smoke billows thick and black into the sky behind us. The flames are spreading fast, just as I intended.

My sword is still drawn, but I don’t sheathe it. And I won’t. Not until we’re far away from this cursed place.

“We need to move while they’re distracted,” I say, my eyes scanning the terrain around us.

The night air is dense with the scent of burning wood and oil.

Shouts rise from the village behind us, growing louder with each beat of my heart.

They don’t know yet that the fire was started intentionally, but soon they’ll figure it out.

The stench of dicro fat and cupressi oil will make it obvious it didn’t start by accident.

Emily helps her cousin to her feet, looping an arm around the pale female’s waist. The look on her face when she saw Lily tied up in that hut… I understand that look. It’s the expression of someone willing to do whatever it takes to protect the one they love.

I take the lead, and we slip into the jungle.

Emily follows close behind, steadying Lily as they move.

The female looks half-dead. She’s thin, streaked with dirt, and covered in bruises that stand out stark against her narrow arms. Her feet drag through the underbrush like she’s too weak to lift them.

I’ve seen warriors in better shape after a Pugj ambush.

But she’s alive, and she’s moving. That’s all that matters, right now.

The jungle thickens around us as the sounds of the village fade. I stay alert, listening for any sign of pursuit. Every snapped twig and rustling leaf puts me on edge. We’re not safe, yet. Not even close.

Lily stumbles with a low groan, nearly pulling Emily down with her. I step in without hesitation, moving to the other side and slipping an arm beneath the female’s shoulder. She flinches at the contact but doesn’t pull away.

Her weight sags between us, light as a bundle of kindling. Too light. Her skin is clammy and her breaths are shallow and uneven. She smells like fear and old pain.

How long was she kept like that? Bound and forgotten, left to wait in the dark for someone to remember she was still alive. The humans are so much smaller than us. How could any Laediriian treat them with such cruelty?

That thought makes rage twist in my chest, but I shove it down. I can’t afford to lose focus. Not when we’re so close to getting out of this.

A shadow shifts, drawing my attention and I watch as it moves from behind the trees to one side of us. Then a voice rings out. It’s calm and cold as steel, and my blood instantly turns to ice.

“Going somewhere, son?”

I whirl around with my blade raised high. Shadows shift at the edge of the trees as more figures emerge from the darkness. Standing at the front of a group of twelve Tussoll warriors stands the one male I was hoping never to see again.

“Father,” I spit out. The word is bitter on my tongue.

His lips curl into a mocking smile. “I knew it was only a matter of time before you betrayed me, but for a human?” His eyes flick to Emily, and disgust twists his features. “You disgrace our bloodline.”

I hold his gaze, refusing to back down. “You dishonor the tribe by joining forces with our enemies. By holding females captive.”

His expression darkens and fury flickers in his eyes. “I do what is necessary.” He takes a step closer. “But you have turned against your own flesh and blood. For them.”

Behind him, the Tussoll warriors shift restlessly, their hands twitching toward their weapons and their eyes gleaming with anticipation. I can feel their hunger for battle and their eagerness to spill blood.

I plant my feet and tighten my grip on my sword. “Let us pass.”

But instead of giving the order to attack, his voice changes.

It becomes lower, almost coaxing, like he’s trying to lure a frightened animal closer.

“The Pugj and Haavor have promised me power beyond anything you can comprehend. I will have a tribe of my own to rule. You could stand beside me, Vrok, as my first warrior and my rightful successor.”

I stare at him. This male who brought me into the world, who trained me, who taught me to survive. And I see him clearly now. Not as a leader or a fellow warrior. Not as a father. But as the cowardly bully he is. A male so weak he took out his aggression on his son.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of Emily. Her shoulders are thrown back, and one of my knives is clenched in her free hand. Her chin is tipped up in defiance, but I can see the fear she refuses to let show.

Our eyes meet for a heartbeat, and without words, she reminds me I don’t have to do this alone.

She’s shown me another way. A better way. My father never cared about me, and he never will. And I don’t want the approval of a male who would turn his back on our people. I won’t be the son of a traitor. I want to be the male Emily believes I am. That’s the warrior I choose to be.

I raise my chin. “I’d rather die.”

His face hardens. “So be it.” He turns to the warriors behind him. “Kill them.”

A sudden surge of adrenaline pulses through my veins. My muscles tighten and my senses sharpen, while my heartbeat hammers in my ears, faster and louder than ever before.

The warriors move as one unit as they pull their swords free.

At the front is Zahrik, the Tussoll tribe’s first warrior.

I’ve only seen him in passing during trading missions.

He’s always been a silent shadow at Haavor’s side.

Now, his scarred face is an unreadable mask and his stance is tense and ready for battle as he steps forward.

He has a reputation for being deadly and the best warrior in his tribe.

I shift into a defensive stance. “Emily,” I whisper. “Take Lily and run. Now.”

“I’m not leaving you?—”

“Go!” I roar. “I’ll hold them off. Get to safety.”

She hesitates, just for a heartbeat, but I see the fear for me in her eyes. And I lie to her. Because I know the truth. I’m not going to survive this, but she can’t know that. She has to believe I’ll find her. She has to live.

“I’ll find you when this is over,” I urge, softer this time. “Just please, go.”

Finally, with tears in her eyes, she nods. “Don’t you dare die on me,” she whispers.

Then she turns and runs, dragging Lily with her as their footsteps fade into the darkness.

The Tussoll warriors surge forward, and Zahrik reaches me first.

I brace myself, ready to meet his attack head-on, but at the last moment, he pivots, spinning with deadly grace, and cuts down the warrior behind him with one slash of his sword.

I stare in shock as my mind struggles to process what just happened. What is he doing? Zahrik’s expression is as hard as stone as he steps to my side, his blade slick with blood. He’s turned on his own tribe. Why?

There’s no time to ask before a warrior lunges at me, his blade aimed for my chest. I sidestep it neatly, letting his momentum carry him forward before I counter with a slash to his neck that sends him crumpling to the ground in a pool of blood.

Zahrik and I move in sync, fighting back to back, our blades flashing in a deadly rhythm. More bodies fall around us as the rest of the warriors surge forward, surrounding us. Their bright eyes gleam with bloodlust.

“Hold your ground,” he calls out. His voice is calm and steady despite the chaos around us. “They fight with rage. Let them.”

I’ve fought beside others before, but never beside an enemy. Never beside the male who once stood at Haavor’s side, just as ruthless and cold as the Tussoll chief. I don’t trust him, but in this moment, I don’t have to. I just need to survive long enough to protect Emily.

Two more warriors rush me, their eyes wild and their fangs bared. I parry the first blow easily. My attacker is young and not as battle-hardened as I am, and it’s obvious. His movements are sloppy and desperate. It only takes one swipe of my blade before he collapses into a heap.

The second attacker is on me before I can catch my breath, and his blade slices into my shoulder. The pain flares hot and sharp, but I grit my fangs against it. He grins, thinking he’s bested me as he lunges forward.

He’s wrong.

I twist out of his way at the last moment and slam the hilt of my sword into his face. Bone crunches and blood sprays from his shattered nose as he stumbles back, dazed. I don’t hesitate as I plunge my blade deep into his chest. His body spasms, then falls to the ground.

Another warrior charges me, but Zahrik’s blade finds him first, striking him down with one clean blow. The male drops without a sound. Zahrik’s gaze meets mine. There’s no mercy in his eyes. Only the will to live.

Our attackers continue to come in waves, and we cut them down one after another, our swords singing through the air.

Then, I catch a glimpse of movement at the edge of the clearing, and my heart sinks into the pits of my gut.

Emily stands there, frozen. She must have doubled back, thinking to help me.

Stubborn, foolish, brave human. I should have known she’d never leave me behind.

A warrior spots her. His lips twist into a cruel grin. He moves fast, too fast for me to reach him, and his body crashes into her. Emily cries out, twisting and kicking. She reaches for the knife at her waist, but he’s stronger and his arms lock around her, pinning her tight.

“You’ll make a fine prize,” he snarls before yanking her closer and burying his face in her hair as he inhales her scent.

Emily jerks her head to the side and bites down hard on his arm. He roars, but he doesn’t let go of her.

Something inside me snaps. White-hot fury explodes inside me, searing through my veins. My vision blurs, turning red, and a roar rips from my throat. “Release her, or you die!”

I don’t wait for an answer.