And it was Dakkari-made.
Movement to my right.
Two males lunged for me and I spun to evade them, ramming my elbow into one’s face before I scented a rush of metallic blood. The male, with blood pouring from his nostrils, cradled his face but then a frustrated yell burst from his throat. He leapt at me again just as the male with the spear jabbed it forward, making my head whip to the side from the force as it connected with my temple.
They want me unconscious again, I realized, gritting my teeth when my vision momentarily went blurry.
As I shook my head clear, two other males took their opportunity, grabbing my arms, forcing the strength of their entire bodies against me. A third joined in when he saw the other two had found purchase in their footing.
Another hit of the spear landed on my temple, narrowly missing my eye. With a roar, I felt my strength surge and I shrugged off all the males trying to secure me, spinning to whip one across the face with my bound fists, another in the belly, and the last in the groin. He fell to the floor, groaning in front of me. I raised my fists to finish him—
A cloud of grit burst in front of me and I hissed, feeling rough particles enter my eyes, momentarily blinding me, and I raised my hands to wipe whatever it was away.
That was all they needed. The spear rammed my head again and I stumbled. Then came another hit. I cracked my eyes open briefly, only to see a rush of dark bodies, and the glint of my sword in the torchlight. My hand was already curling for the hilt, as if on instinct.
“He’s down!” came a voice to my left. “Taylor, grab him!”
A crush of bodies rushed me, piling on top of me as I bucked underneath them. I threw a few off but they rebounded quickly, save for the male clutching his arm in the corner, moaning and cursing.
“Shit, Bray, hold him!”
“I am!”
“Move out of the way,” came Benn’s voice.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw the blade come down. I felt the edge of my sword enter my right shoulder. I kept it sharp so it slid into me easily, despite Benn’s obvious lack of strength.
The bright burst of pain came next. I felt the males’ huffs of exertion drift across my flesh and my belly roiled at the sensation. Out of the corner of one bleary, gritty eye, I saw the blunt edge of the spear flash.
It hurtled down towards me.
* * *
When I woke,it was to darkness.
My nostrils flared and I blinked, still feeling the grit in my eyes, though it was considerably better. Sand? Had they thrown sand into my eyes?
When I moved to wipe at them, I realized my hands were shackled behind my back. Something hard and cold was running along my spine and when I moved my hands around it, I discovered it was one of the stone pillars underneath the table, one of its legs. Solid and heavy and carved from the mountain, so there was no way to move it.
My legs were stretched in front of me, the skin on my shins continuing to heal.
When I adjusted my position, I felt a sharp sensation that momentarily stole my breath. And I remembered. My sword.
As my blurry eyes adjusted to the darkness, I lowered my head down to inspect the wound.
Vok.
He’d nearly run me straight through with my own sword. When I lifted my shoulder, shrugging it along the pillar, I grunted, gritting my jaw with the pain. It felt like he’d nicked the bone, like he’d twisted the blade when it was inside me to cut through muscle and tendon.
My right arm was my sword arm. My strength. Benn couldn’t have known that but it still made my ire towards him grow. The last thing I would do here was ensure that he was dead at my feet. And I’d kill him with my sword just for good measure.
As for the others, I only regretted that I hadn’t wounded them more. They’d moved me because Benn realized I was still a danger to them, even chained and cuffed. Now, I couldn’t stand. And with my hands cuffed around the pillar, I was robbed of opportunity to strike first.
Only my tail was free. I used it right then, dragging it up around my back, and I leaned away from the pillar as far as I could. I touched the tip of my tail to the back of my shoulder. It stung and my lips pressed together. When I lowered it, I maneuvered it closer to my face and saw the tufted end was covered in blood.
Vok, he actuallyhadrun my sword right through me.
One thing was for certain. They wanted me alive. He’d chosen my shoulder purposefully, as if he knew I would survive it. They’d only wanted to weaken me further.
