Cyara’s mother broke away, going to the healer and then to another knot of upright females. The courtiers began to stand, to ready themselves. She had her talents, it appeared. And I had mine.
I turned to Elora. “The elemental forces?”
“Decimated,” she said without preamble. “Females only in service. Two dozen here. Another two dozen were guarding the doors of the remaining males, along the southern level facing the Effren Valley above the library. But since the nightwalkers—the succubus,” she corrected. “Since the succubus broke out of the dungeons, I have not been able to get an accurate count.”
Fuck. “What about the troops stationed in the mountains?”
Elora straightened. “I sent them away when the outbreak started. We thought the spreading of the darkness might be related to Baylaur specifically.”
They might still be alive. It was possible the succubus’ attack on Baylaur was specific. Related to Veyka, maybe. The way they’d tracked her at Castle Chariot was burned into my nightmares, sleeping and waking.
Gwen said something to Elora, making plans for our escape. But the firelight—a single hearth lit in the center of the adjacent wall—caught my eye. Or rather, the glint of the fire off of the jeweled pattern encrusted on the wall did.
“Amorite.” I raised my voice above the growing din. “Any you have. Dig it out of the walls if you have to. We need every gem.”
Elora frowned. “Amorite? What—”
The entire apartment fell silent. The scent of fear rose again, filling the space, waking my beast from where he slumbered in my chest.
Someone was pounding on the door.
Something.
And not in a pattern.
We opened the door to chaos.
Kay stood on the other side, his pick-axe ready on his shoulder, its blade as wickedly curved as one of his tusks when he took his boarish beast form.
He wasted no time. “Three of them, middle of the stairs.”
Soldiers were used to attacking the enemy, not escorting refugees. But Elora’s squad had been protecting the elemental survivors for weeks. I sent three more terrestrials wielding precious amorite blades to join the fight on the stairs.
By the time we reached the place where the corridor branched off, more succubus had joined the fight. Attracted to the sounds of steel and their next meal.
A glance was all I needed to know that the terrestrials were losing. Even with their amorite blades. The truth had been there in the courtyard. Dozens of elementals brought down by only a handful of succubus.
But they held them off. And for now, that was all they needed to do.
Lyrena led the charge around the corner, toward where the three amorite-armed terrestrials I’d posted there minutes before were now scouting ahead. A stream of survivors, interspersed with the terrestrials I’d brought and Elora’s guards, followed at a steady clip. But then they stopped. Just as quickly, they began to move the other way. Faster. They were tripping over each other now.
Fuck, what is happening—
The heat of flames burst overhead. There was only one reason for Lyrena to summon a wall of flame. The succubus had cut off our escape from that direction, too.
Fuck.
The stairs might be our best option. I reached the foot of the staircase in less than a second. In time to hear the scream of death.
Kay shifted, but too late.
The succubus ripped out a chunk of his stomach, his entrails spilling across the goldstone tiles. The monster did not even react to his sharp ivory tusk as it speared through its arm while Kay’s boar writhed in agony.
The terrestrial at his side—Vera, his niece—swiped up his amorite dagger in one hand. But she did not waste the time trying to free him from where the boar had become entangledwith the succubus. She used the distraction to drive the amorite blade deep into the center of the succubus’ chest.
It fell. But another came.
Another flash of heat and Lyrena was at my shoulder, Gwen a step behind at hers.
