“You’ve caused me a lot of trouble, little bird,” he growls, his body a mountain lumbering toward me. “Trouble that I intend to make you pay for.”
I grip the pistol tightly, biting down hard on my lip. I should shoot him. After everything he’s done to me, to Asa and his people, surely he deserves it. But who am I to decide who is deserving? A girl who betrayed my country, who left my dying brother; who let my life partner be shot for my choices; who left a man who once saved me to be mutilated by a monster. Am I any better than Shivhai?
My indecision costs me. Shivhai grabs me, circling his large hand against my mouth and dragging me backward.
“Mirren!” Shaw shouts, his eyes drawn from the battle. I shake my head frantically, because in his distraction he doesn’t notice Dumi creeping up next to him. My eyes widen in horror as she shoves her blade into Shaw’s shoulder. My scream echoes Shaw’s roar of pain, but the sound is lost beneath Shivhai’s massive hand covering my mouth. He grabs for the gun in my hand, but my hesitation is replaced by feral desperation; all thoughts of morality eddy from my mind and now there is only a primal need to survive. I curl my finger against the trigger and the gun kicks back roughly as another shot rings out.
Shivhai howls in pain, dropping his hand to clutch at his foot. I run toward Shaw. His left-hand dangles uselessly at his side as he fends off Dumi and the remaining soldier with his right. He doesn’t take his eyes from the battle, the sounds of his exertion ragged and painful. “Mirren, take the gun and run! Now.” His voice leaves no room for question. It is a command.
Blood pours from his shoulder. His lips have gone pale. The blonde soldier lays unconscious, but Dumi and the other show no signs of tiring. And I’m not foolish enough to believe that Shivhai has been felled. I cannot leave Shaw now, not when he risked everything to help me. When he pushed aside his own will to survive to help Asa and his people. “I can’t—"
Shaw shakes his head wildly, unadulterated agony written all over his face. His arm trembles as he meets Dumi’s blade once more. In a flash, his vulnerability is gone, replaced by the unfeeling mask of the man who abducted me. “You’re a Lemming,” he snarls. He feints left, avoiding Dumi’s blade while swinging a wide arc toward the other soldier. With a sickening smack, he brings his sword down across the soldier’s head. The soldier crumples.
“You’re raised to be unthinking. To follow orders without questions. Follow mine now and save yourself.”
Dumi rushes at him and just before he brings his blade up to meet hers, he breathes, “You owe me nothing, Lemming.”
Nothing. I owe him nothing. He abducted me and shot at me andhurtme. Sacrificing my life for Asa’s people was a worthy choice, one Easton would have applauded. But this is different. I touch the small scratch on my cheek and Shaw nods once. I cannot give up Easton for Shaw’s life. He knows it well. Knows it better than I do.
I have scorned my parents for their choices to be Outcast, for their willingness to leave, but in a cruel twist of fate, I am cursed to make the same ones. Easton. Harlan. And now Shaw. I choose to leave them behind, over and over again.
I glance one more time at the Dark World boy. Cruel and exhilarating. Violent and beautiful.
Something wrenches painfully in my chest as I turn and run.
ChapterSeventeen
Shaw
I only watch Mirren long enough to be certain she’s gone. Something cracked inside me when I saw the hesitation in her eyes; her better-self warring against the need to survive until the most primal of her instincts won out. That small moment of uncertainty burns at the back of my throat, proof of Mirren’s goodness. I silently thank her for it. Darkness knows, I’ve done nothing to deserve it.
A hollowness descends over me as I bring my sword once more to meet the Praeceptor’s soldier. She is well trained and inexhaustible. In contrast, my movements grow increasingly sluggish. Her face twists as Mirren disappears and she feints to the left, but I’m ready for it. She won’t follow Mirren. I’ll make sure none of them are well enough to do so.
My left arm is useless at my side. My strength leaches out of me with every pulse of blood from the wound at my shoulder. If I can staunch the bleeding, the injury won’t be life threatening. I need to end this. Quickly.
A rustle from behind is the only thing that clues me to Shivhai’s movements, and I spin just in time to meet his blade with my own. Blood spills from his neck and his boot, but his movements are fevered and powerful, driven by pure venom. His eyes are murderous, and he no longer aims to simply maim—he wants me ended.
I block the woman’s blade and stomp down hard on Shivhai’s foot. He doesn’t slow, cracking his fist against my jaw. My head flies sideways. Stars bloom behind my eyes and blood fills my mouth. I can’t take both of them on. Not with my dominant hand out of commission and my strength waning.
“How do you think the Praeceptor will punish you when he realizes you lost an entire shipment of slaves?”
The soldier parries my strike, her eyes furious.
“Probably with something from his instrument cart, right?” I strike again, my voice denoting a casualty I don’t feel. “Do you think it will be public or private? You know how helovesto use failure as an example. An entire shipment escaping right under your nose is quite the spectacular failure.”
The soldier pales and she glances to Shivhai uncertainly, realizing for the first time that I may be taunting her with the truth. I smile wryly, even as shame washes over me that I’m unable to give the slaves more time. I hope they’ve made it to the caves.
Whatever Shivhai sees on my face must convince him of my honesty. “Dumi, go,” he orders, moving to strike once more.
I block. The impact jars my bones and the muscles in my arms scream as I struggle to retaliate. With a snarl, I slice at his side, but it’s only a flesh wound, and it isn’t enough. My limbs feel as though they are moving through thick mud.Too slow. You are moving too slow.
Dumi hesitates, clearly uncertain about leaving Shivhai in his injured condition.
“Go, you fool! One girl is not worth the Praeceptor’s wrath!” Shivhai roars. He spins, catching me off guard. Though I move to block, I’m too slow and his blade arcs across my stomach.
Dumi runs in the direction of the cage, but there is no relief to be had at her disappearance. I face Shivhai. Blood now pours from my abdomen, mingling with the blood from my shoulder and pooling in a sticky puddle at my feet.End this, Shaw. End this or he will end you.
Pushing for one last reserve of strength, I bring my sword against Shivhai’s. I know before it is done that it’s not enough. He knocks my weapon easily from my hand. He shoves toward me, swinging his giant fists. I throw my hands up in a feeble attempt to block, but his fist cracks against my jaw. Something snaps and I stumble backward. He deftly sweeps my feet out from under me. My wounds scream as I hit the ground and it’s all I can do to throw my last dagger up before his sword comes down on my neck.
