“I’m not afraid, Jarek,” she says and then her eyes meet mine and I know what we must do.
Together.
“Neither am I,” I say. Squaring my shoulders, I clench and unclench my fists, looking between Jarek and Evren. “You need to get as many people as you can outside of the gate. Take the pups, Alaric and Ruse will stay with me.”
Ruse barks, her teeth barred.
She’s just as ready as I am.
“I want to fight,” Tallulah says, but as she steps out of Evren’s grip her knees go slack. Her face crumples, something broken and defeated passing over it.
“You’ve done more than enough, Tallulah,” I say. “The others will need you, please. Go with them.”
She glances up at me through her dark lashes and nods.
“It’s too dangerous,” Jarek says, grasping my shoulder. I place my hand on his, but only for a moment, before Sam fires an arrow and Evren is swinging his blade.
“There is no more time, Jarek! Get as many people out as you can.”
His attention directs to Sam, to the red trickling from her neck. He nods and then he’s ushering herds of people outside of the gates, leaving Sam and I to fend off the rest of the guards.
I quickly assess the remaining guards before my eyes drift to the people fleeing to the forest.
For so long, I feared my existence would be nothing more than a hollow shell moving across the shadows of the earth.Death, teetering at the edges of my mind, a sweet promise never quite fulfilled. But now I’ve seen death. Seen all it threatens to take from me. And while I do not fear it, I no longer welcome it.
Sam steps next to me, her final arrow trembling in her fingertips.
My fingertips burn, my palms heating. I glance at Sam again, her bow hanging at her sides, her face bloodied.
“This is it, Sam,” I shout against the rising storm of guards now charging from the castle. Most everyone else has left the courtyard and it’s just me and Sam and our magick.
Her eyes slide to her left, then to her right, as if she’s seeking approval from someone who isn’t there. My stomach drops as I watch her face, speckled with crimson.
“I'm ready.” She closes her eyes briefly before they snap open again, milky and white.
Ruse and Alaric don’t wait for my orders before they’re charging toward the guards. A few turn and run, not realizing just how much the wolves love the chase.
As the last wave of guards approach, I take a steadying breath and raise my hands.
The two guards before me fall to their knees, grasping at their chests as their lungs fill with dirt. Sam brushes my arm, her eyes are glazed, her wrists still raised.
“Sam!” I shake her, but she doesn’t budge.
My heart races as two more guards approach her side, but I don’t have time to stop them before another reaches me on my left. His blade nicks my arm, warmth spreading through my tunic. But my magick and I have grown comfortable these last few weeks and now it’s almost as natural as breathing. I move my wrist, calling to the rain to turn to ice and impale the guard’s neck.
I turn as he drops and my eyes go wide as Sam remains in the same position, unmoving, with a dozen dead guards at her feet.
Guard after guard filters toward us, some dropping before they make it a few steps, others managing to weave through the invisible soldiers Sam somehow has control over and make it close enough for me to steal the air from their lungs or better yet turn it to fire.
The wolves haven’t stopped either, their coats matted and teeth red.
The courtyard soon falls quiet. The wolves have disappeared beyond where I can see but pride and rage and joy all war in my chest and I exhale.
We’vewon.
Sam falls, bumping my side with a yelp. Her cheek hits the ground and her eyes snap open, vibrant as flames.
“Sam.” I drop down and grasp her arm. “You have to get up!”
