The War of Two Queens (Blood and Ash 4)

“Fine,” I bit out, withdrawing my swords. There wasn’t enough time to explain everything. “It’s Malec. He’s dying. That’s what’s causing this. He dies, and Kolis will be at full strength.”

“If that happens, we will all pray for death. Get to him. Now,” Reaver said, and then he rose. A shimmery, silvery light erupted all over his body as he lengthened and grew. Scales replaced flesh, and wings sprouted from his back.

Reaver lifted into the air, roaring a stream of fire that cut through the space above my head as I struck a dakkai rushing me. My heart lodged in my throat as I glanced over my shoulder to the Temple grounds as Reaver lit it up, and I…I knew I could do nothing to aid the soldiers down below. Malec couldn’t die. That was the priority. I turned, withdrawing the wolven dagger as I thrust my sword into a dakkai’s stomach and spun, coming face-to-face with a Royal Guard. I didn’t let myself think or feel as I drew the dagger across his throat.

I jerked back as bright silver flames erupted inches from my face and Nithe flew overhead. I jumped to where the cracks in the Temple weren’t so wide. Gods, it was mayhem—the snarls and grunts coming from the fire, the mist and smoke, the twisting, falling bodies. I caught sight of Hisa, her helmet gone and blood dotting her face as she shoved her sword through a dakkai. She spun, her eyes meeting mine. “We can—”

I jerked as her words cut off, ending in a gurgle. We both looked down at her chest, where a shadowstone blade protruded.

The soldier yanked the blade free, and Hisa folded, her body hitting the ground, limp, and her eyes open. I knew that if a shadowstone dagger to the heart could kill a god, it surely killed an Atlantian quicker. I locked eyes with the Revenant who’d killed her and launched forward, my swords slicing through leather and bone. I cut through the Revenant’s shoulders, severing the arms as the back of my throat burned, and eather pressed against my skin. I leaned back, kicking the Revenant into the path of Reaver’s fire, and then spun back to Hisa. I started toward her—

“The dagger!” Millicent thrust her sword into a Revenant’s chest. “We need to get the dagger out!”

My attention snapped to Isbeth, to where her hand was on the hilt, her eyes closed. Hisa. Oh, gods, there wasn’t time. Fury poured into me as I cursed, forcing myself away from Hisa.

I caught a dakkai as it leapt, bringing my sword down on the back of its neck as its claws grazed my arm. The pain was fiery hot, but I ignored it as I whirled, slamming the wolven dagger into a guard’s chest. Through the chaos of death, smoke, and mist, I saw Casteel spinning as he struck dakkais and guards alike. He had blood on his throat. His arm. I saw Kieran closer, his body not faring much better as he kicked a dakkai off a soldier. A high-pitched yelp spun me around. Dakkais swarmed the black-and-brown wolven, taking Rune down. I started forward, my path cut off as a Revenant came through the mist and smoke.

“Shit.” I blocked her swing with my forearm as I searched for Rune with the notam, my throat burning more and more when I felt nothing. The eather pulsed violently in my chest as I twisted, kicking and catching the Revenant in the chest. Ignoring the call to use the essence, I spun and dragged the sword across her throat, severing her head—

A blur of white leaped out of the smoke. I sucked in thick, blood-heavy air as Delano’s paws landed on my chest, knocking me back, out of the path of a stream of fire.

“Thank you,” I gasped, briefly clasping the back of his neck as I kissed his forehead. “We need to get to Malec.”

I’m with you, came his answer.

We rose, fighting our way across the Temple. Delano leapt, taking down a guard racing along the lower walls of the structure. I shot forward, thrusting my sword into another just as a dakkai took down a guard, its jagged teeth tearing into the man’s throat. It became really clear that while the dakkais avoided the Revenants, they did not make an exception for the mortal guards.

“Naill!” Emil shouted, shoving the body of a dakkai off him as he rose, the chest of his armor ripped open. Crimson streaked his stomach. “Fuck!” He grunted, jabbing his sword back as another dakkai leapt toward him.

And Naill…he was down, on his back, his hands open, his armor torn apart. My heart cracked.

“No.” Casteel spun, golden eyes flashing as a beast launched off the wall, knocking a wolven aside. Picking up speed, he slid under the creature, dragging his sword across its belly. He popped up to his feet and took off for Naill.