“Shove ‘em through your gut and watch your innards fall out if you don't get the fuck out of my way,” she growled. “I'm after Silas, not you,” she added.
The guy watched her before he stepped aside and let her pass. She kept an eye on him until he was out of sight in case he was trying to trick her.
“Silas!” She spotted him heading to the bunker doors. “Get the fuck away from there,” she snarled.
“So that's where you're hiding her. I want what you owe me, bitch,” he hissed. He wasn't alone but neither was she, because in that moment Rafe and Baz caught up to her.
“There you are! You disappeared on us,” Baz said, eyeing Silas and the two men with him. “You're not getting in there,” he added to them.
“Try and stop us,” Silas retorted.
“Look around, Silas. You're outnumbered seven to three. Walk away, now, and you can still live,” Kaia told him.
“Doesn't matter. We're not leaving without the woman,” Silas replied. He made a motion with his hands and the two men with him moved to attack.
Kaia charged at Silas, daggers drawn and ready to strike. He darted to the side and she missed but she went after him again. They danced around each other, each swiping at the other with a blade and trying to get the upper hand.
A pained cry caught her attention and she saw Rafe go down. “Rafe!”
“I got him,” Micah called out just as Silas barreled into her.
“Oof,” she groaned as she landed. Silas tried to pin her but she got her legs under him and tossed him off her and rolled to her feet. Before Silas could react, Kaia was on him, her dagger digging into his ribcage. Warm blood cascaded over her hand and he gasped.
“I guess I do have blood on my hands after all. Yours,” Kaia told him. “I told you to walk away but you wouldn't. Now your life is forfeit,” she added, twisting the blade before withdrawing it. She watched as Silas choked on his own blood and the light faded from his eyes.
“We need to announce his death to see if it will stop the fighting,” Baz said.
“We can announce it over the loud speaker,” Kaia replied, striding to the comms room. Once there she hit the right button and spoke. “Attention! Silas is dead. If you surrender now, you can collect your dead and wounded and leave without repercussions. Keep fighting and you all die.” Then they headed outside to see if it worked.
Outside, they found the fighting had stopped and Kaia silently thanked Edite, the God of Battle, for being with her people, and Saros, the God of Victory, for their victory. She watched as their attackers gathered their wounded and dead and left, then turned her attention to her own people. “What are our damages?”
“Three dead, eight wounded,” Makai told her.
Kaia closed her eyes before she murmured, “May Shenbus see their souls safely into the afterlife.” Shenbus was the God of the Afterlife. “Wait, Rafe!” She just remembered he was among the wounded.
“I'm fine, babe,” he said, leaning heavily on Tuck. “I just…need to lay down soon. It's not from the fight. It's from the, uh, pills Doc gave me,” he hedged.
“What pills?”
“Something to help with my symptoms. He warned me not to double it, but I needed to for the fight. Now that they're wearing off, it's kicking my ass. I'll be flat on my back for a few days,” he admitted.
“Rafe! What in the hell were you thinking?” Kaia asked as Baz moved to support his injured side.
“I was thinking I needed to fight at your side,” he growled.
“You stubborn, stubborn man,” Kaia grumbled. “Tuck, can you help get him to our room while I let the others know they can come out of the bunker.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Tuck said, and he and Baz led Rafe away.
Kaia went to the bunker while Makai and Aratha took care of the wounded and dead. She opened the doors, with Micah's help, and stepped inside. “The fighting is over, everyone can come out,” she told them and Shar came rushing to her.
“Baz? Rafe? Are they okay?”
“Rafe was injured, but it was nothing serious. He took some pills Doc gave him that gave him a little more stamina for the fight, but now that they're wearing off, he's hurting. Baz and Tuck are helping him to our room.”
Shar sighed. “Thank Olene everyone is okay.”
“Well, not everyone. We lost three people,” Kaia said gently.
