Then we wait.
And wait.
Until pounding feet and a howling wolf break the silence. Thane comes into view first, rushing straight at us, between Seth and Roarke, then past the horses. He leaves them whinnying and protesting the predator.
I hadn’t picked Killian for the running type, but he can move. He stops and stands his ground directly underneath me with the briefest glance up before his attention is on whatever is coming.
“Plan?” Seth calls down.
“Take them together,” Killian growls.
“If we can’t keep the advantage here, move the fight to the west, and Roarke will get Shade out of here. We’ll regroup and repeat for as long as we have to,” Pax orders.
Three women step out of the blades of moonlight right beside Killian. Just step out of it, like it’s a chuckin’ open door.
For a split second, they look like they’ve taken him by surprise, but he spins and cuts the nearest woman down before she can even lift her weapon. Blood stains his blade as he turns to face the other two.
Movement behind Killian snatches my attention. Darkness is blocking and attacking, attacking and blocking, all with his back to a new Saber approaching. The guy walks, without a hint of magic, directly towards the horses. I can’t see much of him, just the top of his head and his primitive leather armor.
He’s not rushing, like he has all the time in the world and is rather enjoying the show. Each step brings him closer to my Killian.
“Boo,” he says to the horses, making them skitter and whinny.
I slip a dart from my wrist, aim at the guy’s throat and give it a flick. Lightning quick, he doesn’t just catch it but traces its path. His gaze lands squarely on me – chuck.
Thane jumps over the backs of the animals, tackling the guy and ripping his throat out before moving on to someone else.
Swallowing hard, I try to regain the ability to breathe. Eyes glued on the body of a Saber with seriously bad vibes, and who is now seriously dead.
But he’s not alone.
Five, ten, fifteen more Sabers. All using their powers or simply moving in like this is an orphanage and the dinner bell just rang.
No, a menagerie. This is a noble’s exotic stable full of crazed carnivores, and we are dinner.
They move through the light, make the ground tremor, or punch with fists that are on fire – as well as all the normal weapons. Swords, daggers, spears. I didn’t get to see what was happening at the cottage, too busy trying to follow the serious instructions among Seth’s jokes and put the fire out. Maybe that was a good thing because this is scary.
Seth and Roarke don’t step into the fight until it’s pretty obvious that all the bad guys are here. Then the Elorsins close in, forcing the Sabers to cluster, slowing their movements, cutting them down.
There’s only five left when a tree vanishes from the edge of my vision.
Gone.
Dust.
Then another.
A path begins to form. Taking Thane’s attention, and letting his opponent cut a clean slice across the wolf’s shoulder. He howls, rolling to the side, then struggling to his feet. Somewhere in the middle, he swaps places with Pax. And it’s a very naked man who stands, bleeding, to face the danger.
Roarke’s a blur, suddenly behind Pax’s attacker. He jabs upwards into the Saber’s lower back so ruthlessly that the tip of his sword pokes out through the man's throat. Pax snatches up the dead guy’s sword, his face stone cold.
Bile rises in my throat – but I refuse to become a problem. To draw attention or distract them in any way, and I doubt a wave of vomit falling out of a tree would be missed.
Roarke moves around Pax like a dancing bodyguard. Clearing the way in a direct line toward the vanishing trees.
I’m not sure it gets much worse than this. Me going into the Spring wasn’t even close because they were all safe. Right now, none of them are safe. Sure, they ended up with a smaller number of attackers, and between them they’re using the trees and the more confined space to their advantage. No archers raining down. No unknown ambushes. But seeing Pax stalk toward the trees, toward what must be the Cataclysm, plummets me to a new depth of fear and desperation.
His left arm looks almost useless, but the sword he’s claimed in his right is held strong. An air of determination, of anger, of violence, floods the space around him. I’ve never seen him like this.
Never seen him looking so scary.
It’s wrong. It’s all so wrong.
The wind whistles, rustling the trees and shifting the filtered rays of moonlight. Moonlight that Pax is suddenly standing in. ShimmerSeeds from the far left, where Killian was seconds away from killing them, suddenly vanish then reappear beside Pax.
Slicing, without hesitation.
Each cutting deep gashes open in Pax’s legs and dropping him to the ground. I choke, frozen, tears in my eyes and unable to move as they step back as if they’re not allowed to finish him.
As if they’re doing this to torture me.
Pax’s cries are strangled by a whimper from Thane, and slurred curses slip from his mouth as he tries to get back on his feet. But his legs are torn open! Of course, he can’t get up. Roarke throws himself between Pax and the Sabers, outnumbered and struggling.
What can I do? What can I do?!
My mind smashes against my skull, needing to do something, but there is nothing!
And at the same time a bolt sails through the trees and slams into Killian’s shoulder. Not an arrow, not a spear, but something bigger. Into his shoulder and out the other side, tossing him back and embedding itself into the tree behind him. Spikes slice out in all directions, like thorns on a rose, making it impossible
