Sometimes, yeah, you’re right. But hesitation might have stopped all of this before it began,Ryder disagreed.Be honest. Everything I’m doing here–letting this part of me be in charge–is because of that shame I feel for what I did. I don’t want to own what I did. I don’t want to be that man who did these things. But I am and all I can do is change what I do going forward.
Ryder’s voice seemed to be gaining strength. It was louder than before. There was anothercrackin the image he had of himself. One of the pieces had completely fallen away andsomeone else was looking back at him. Weryn was grateful when his attention was snapped back to the moment.
“Death is not the end as my Grandsire would tell us and I have all the help I need. Roan Tithe,” Elgar pronounced Roan’s name as if it were the beginning of a curse. And as he spoke more, Weryn realized that it was a curse. “You will imprison your soul in a soul gem.”
“What?!” Sana gasped. “You can make him do that, Elgar?”
Roan’s expression tightened. The glee vanished. Sweat poured down his face. He reached into his right front pocket and took out a large ruby. His lips writhed back from his teeth and then closed again.
He is going to do it,Weryn breathed.
Yeah, holy shit,Ryder agreed.
The Eyros are dangerous,Weryn added.
They are, but they’re our allies. Our friends. Our family. They’re on our side,Ryder reminded him.
“Imprison yourself, Roan Tithe,” Elgar repeated. His silver eyes were glowing like stars in the darkness.
More undead burst from the earth. Sana teleported behind two Neyfrunn and smashed their skulls together before she teleported away from the swipe of Vampire claws. She reappeared behind a Rotbrute and kicked its spindly legs out beneath it before yanking off its head and battering the creature with it. Demos was jumping from the back of one monster to the next wresting limbs from bodies, crushing other monsters beneath his feet, decapitating others. He was a whirlwind of cat-like grace. Weryn, too, was moving like a madman to keep the creatures at bay, shifting into various animal forms one after another, before becoming human again as he waded into battle. Blood and sweat coated their bodies even as their wounds healed.
He felt Legion’s excitement for the hunt. His War Childe wished to be unleashed. Weryn didn’t think that they would actually try and run. Legion loved to kill. It was what motivated them as much as breathing and more than even feeding. But Elgar held him and Sana while he compelled Roan Tithe to do the unthinkable.
“Imprison yourself, Roan Tithe. Do this,” Elgar commanded, unblinking and unwavering.
Roan was shaking, sweating, anguished, fighting against Elgar tooth and nail. But he was going to fall. Weryn knew it. But then Elgar was knocked by a creature and his concentration was broken. For just a moment.
“NO!” Roan shrieked.
Demos took out the Ashbrute who had gotten past their defenses with a single blow to its chest, shattering its ribcage and punching through its spine. The Ashbrute folded in on itself. Elgar righted himself and immediately got control once more on Roan, but he was just able to keep him still.
He needs more time,Weryn realized.
We’re fighting as hard as we can!Ryder gasped.
Maybe you are me,Weryn muttered.I have forgotten that I never fight alone.
Weryn threw his head back and howled. The sound split the night in two. The monsters coming after them all cringed down as that howl echoed over and over and over again.
Come to me, come to me, come to me,the howl commanded.
And it was answered. There were howls and croaks and shrieks and shrill piercing hoots as everything living–every living animal–surged out of the forest and the city to come to their aid. They ripped through the undead, tackling many to the ground before ripping off their limbs, beheading them, or dragging them away.
They fight for me!Ryder sounded awed.All of them… I can feel them… I know them all… They fight for me…
“Whoa!” Sana gasped, wiping sweat and blood from her eyes. “The animals… this is you doing this, right, Ryder?”
“This is the true strength of my Bloodline,” Weryn said.
“Unbelievable!” Demos whispered as he took in the animals that were now fighting for them. “It’s not just shifting, it’s… it’sthis. A connection to all of them. We are one with them.”
Weryn thumped Demos’ shoulder. “Yes, Demos, we are not separate. We areone.”
Demos shook his head and let out a watery laugh. “I can feel it. I can feel it, Ryder. This is amazing. Other people have to feel it too.”
“They will. I promise,” Weryn said.
That same promise was echoed by Ryder at the same time. It didn’t seem like a separate voice at all. In fact, it seemed like the only voice.
