All I know for certain right now is that I want nothing to do with these women.
“Bitch?” I repeat softly to myself as I move to stand in front of the Vandawolf. “I suppose I’ve been called worse.”
I latch the human axe back onto my waist and reposition Bethoc’s sword. Its blade quickly become solid again, but the indents remain and I rapidly run my fingers over their points, creating a deep serration with sharp tips that resemble teeth.
“You’ve made your choice,” I say to Dusana.
I’m about to launch myself at her when the silence behind me arrests my attention.
The Vandawolf’s breathing has become soft and shallow again.
It’s barely audible.
I risk taking my eyes off Dusana and Gliss to cast him a quick, panicked glance.
His face is paler than before, a horrible, gray color, and the tremors in his hands have stopped. He lies more still than he has since the crossbow bolt hit him this morning.
“No.” A denial rises to my lips and I don’t care if the other women hear it.
I kept the Vandawolf stable. The medallion stopped the bleeding.
He woke up before. He spoke to me. He can’t be fading now.
Not now.
I can’t lose him after all this.
I have to get past these women and find my sister.
I need to do itnow.
With a scream of rage, I abandon all caution, throwing myself at Dusana.
My sword clashes with hers, the ringing sound echoing around us. Both of my hands are wrapped around my weapon’s handle, and I sense my power streaming through the blade with every collision as I beat her back across the cave floor.
She’s physically strong—certainly stronger than a human. But I’m stronger.
Within moments, I’ve pushed her toward the far wall and around again.
She’s on the backfoot, her eyes wide, and I sense the tension in her arm muscles as she attempts to block the blows I aim at her head, chest, and neck.
The only way I’m getting past these women while dragging the stretcher is if I put them both out of action. Otherwise, one of them could stab me while my hands are busy.
If that means killing them, then so be it.
Dusana stumbles and that’s all I was waiting for.
Her defenses are down for a split second and her free hand—the one with the dagger she hasn’t yet used—is lowered, opening up the space between my sword and her neck.
I picture my serrated blade ripping through her flesh and ending her swiftly.
I swing, but she drops to the ground before the blade can meet her body, throwing herself into a slide beneath my arms.
Before I can evade the blow, her dagger meets my side.
Chapter9
Dusana’s blade breaks through my armor and slices across my ribs.
