Heat exploded in my chest, my torso alight with fire as golden light streamed from my heart. My arms broke free, and I pushed him off me with such force, he stumbled back in shock.
“Arkturion,” yelled an akadim in concern. But several had already stopped working, watching me with violence in their eyes, and blood rushing to their dicks.
Rhyan’s eyes flashed, and I charged forward, punching him in the face.
He stumbled back, and another akadim yelled for his attention.
“Arkturion, there’s a problem outside.” A problem? Auriel!
“Deal with it,” Rhyan roared, rushing back to me. I shifted again trying to get to the shard. But he was too tall, the swordtoo out of reach. I ran back, urging him to chase me, and then I reversed course, leaping into his arms, and reaching over his shoulder, withdrawing the blade. It was glowing bright and red. I held it up, I just needed to position it. Get it into his heart. Nowhere else. I couldn’t miss. I couldn’t miss. Or I could kill him.
But he was holding me too tight, and suddenly he was running, out of the mines and into the next room where he slammed me against a rock.
The air wheezed out of my lungs and I let go of the sword, hearing it clatter to the ground.
He kicked it behind him and it slid several feet out of reach. No!
“Fine,” he said. “I was going to be gentle. But not anymore.” He opened his mouth, his fangs out, and he bit down on my neck.
“NO!”
Rhyan was a force to be reckoned with when alive. As an akadim he was unstoppable, even with Asherah’s strength.
All I could do was push my hand out, begging him to stop. My palm settled against his leather armor—right over his heart.
And suddenly, Rhyan stumbled back, releasing me. He looked stunned. Confused.
My heart shattered. His eyes. His eyes were no longer red. They were green.
He blinked, looking startled and lost. “Lyr?” he asked. And his voice. Gods. His voice. It was his!Hisvoice. Soft and alive, and warm, and lilted.
“R-Rhyan?” I asked.
Then he blinked, and the green was gone, and so was the warmth and any semblance of humanity. The akadim had returned. The void. He looked bewildered, like he knew he’d lost a moment he couldn’t account for.
“What the hell? How did you—?” But he paused and shook his head, suddenly aware of the sword on the ground. I ran for it, but he was faster, scooping it up, and flexing his arm before pointing the blade at me and charging. His arm shot out and he grabbed me as I was running away. With a grunt, I kicked out my foot, and tripped him, but we toppled together to the ground. Rhyan landed on top of me, flipping me onto my back. He gnashed his teeth in my face. “That wasn’t very nice.”
“Well, I lost my manners,” I gritted.
His claws dug into my arm, cutting me open—right where I’d been injured on the beach.
I screamed, and managed to knee him in the groin.
He winced, pausing just long enough for me to escape. This time I didn’t hesitate. I ran. I had no weapons, just my strength. But I was unbound, and I had two arms, and two legs, and the stamina to run, and the energy to punch and kick at any akadim that got in my way.
Almost immediately, one got in front of me, and a second later, my fist was in his face, and the path was clear.
I could hear Rhyan screaming my name from behind. He was gaining on me. But he was also helping me escape by demanding everyone back off, and not touch me.
I pumped my arms at my side, urging my feet to run faster and faster, until I was past the carts and the rocks. I was back on the path that led to the tunnel that would take me up to the cliff, and back to the bridge.
“Lyr!” Rhyan roared.
But I wasn’t stopping. I only ran faster on the incline, practically flying to the top of the mountain. And akadim stood there, waiting for me.
I didn’t slow—I shoved him aside, and he slipped over the edge, catching the rock with his claws.
Then I kept going. Racing past another, before being grabbed from behind as an akadim leapt out of the shadows. He lifted me up, his claws around my waist as I kicked, suddenly finding my feet dangling over the edge.
