Bodies littered the beach, thrown in every direction. Most of them appeared to be moving, but that had been a massive amount of power. Even if Cenric’s experience with sorceresses was limited, he knew that hadn’t been normal.
Those who had been closest to the blast had been thrown back into the trees. The surge of power had forced the water up and away, but the river continued to flow, washing pieces of the broken ship and flotsam of the blast out to sea.
Cenric found his sword and snatched it up. He came across a shield and though it wasn’t his, he picked that up, too, slinging it over his left arm. His shoulder ached and his whole body felt tender after being stuck by the blast, but he ignored that for now.
Armed, he didn’t wait for the others to join him. The warriors for the sorceresses that had been closest to the blast were helpless right now.
Cenric came to the first man lying on the riverbank, groaning and scrabbling at the ground for his dropped weapon. He sliced down sharply through the man’s neck, severing the spine in a clean blow.
Not far away, a young woman lay on the beach. It was one of the twin sorceresses who had served Selene. She whimpered as she rose, bedraggled, black dress covered in mud. Blood flowed from a cut on her temple as she tried to claw away from him.
“Where is Brynn?” Cenric demanded, stalking after the girl.
She looked to still be in her teens, her dress wet and sticking to her like a shroud. She shook her head and raised her hand in his direction.
Cenric realized what she was doing the next instant and raised his shield on instinct.
A blast of fire rippled across the wood, then winked out.
Cenric batted it aside and lunged. He stabbed straight into the girl’s chest, just below her collarbone.
She screamed, her whole body seizing. She looked down in shock at the blade, her wide eyes making her look even younger.
Cenric yanked his sword free and slashed sideways, the force of the blade shearing through her cheekbone and into her brain. Her body hit the mud in a gory mess, and he stepped over it toward the wreckage.
Where was Brynn?
More of Olfirth’s thanes staggered through the trees to the riverbank, rushing on the men who had served the sorceresses. Some of the men recovered, drawing weapons. Others were slaughtered in the mud where they lay.
“Anselma!” screamed a female voice.
Cenric spun around to see the other twin sorceress clawing to her sister’s side.
“You killed my sister!” the girl screamed.
Cenric raised his shield to face the girl. He had seen what Brynn could do and wasn’t sure a shield would be enough, but there was no way out of this fight.
The girl’s nostrils flared and her eyes were wide in horror and rage that Cenric knew well. She raised her hands, and he could only guess she had drawn power and loosed it.
The lashes of magic clawed across Cenric’s shield, scoring like whips but not piercing.
Cenric didn’t hesitate. He charged and swung in with his sword.
The young sorceress lashed out again, but her spell glanced off Cenric’s helmet, failing to find purchase on the metal. It was a single mistake, but it cost her life.
Cenric’s sword caught her in the ribs, ramming up from her side to pierce her heart. There was a moment’s shocked horror where she stared with wide eyes at the man who had killed her.
He ripped his blade free and let her fall to the ground. Hopefully, Brynn would forgive him for this.
Brynn
She was weightless. Formless.
There was peace in the silence. Rest.
Brynn felt as if she floated over an endless void, at the precipice of infinity. All she had to do was wait.
Brynn.
