Lucas stepped away, still smiling. Shawth’s guards shoved Ciana forward, into Leon’s sweaty arms.
“Enjoy your prize, Lord Blaise,” Shawth said. “We will be in touch when we need your help again.”
They exchanged a few more words, but Ciana heard none of them. A carriage rolled into the square, and Ciana was ushered into it.
Her world blurred around the edges as the Blaise family carried her back into a place darker than even the depths of Enfara itself.
Chapter 91
Themudaewould not stop coming.
Sebastian was exhausted. He was starving. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten a full meal or slept through the night or done anything beyond the bare minimum it took to keep himself alive. His limbs were still heavy from whatever drug Ydros had used to knock him unconscious, his mind still shrouded in a lethargic haze.
But he had trained his entire life for moments like this. They’d known that battle wouldn’t always find them at their best. They needed to be so sure in their abilities, so confident in their skills, that even when weak or sick or injured they could be the force they needed to be to protect and serve their queen.
So that was what Sebastian did.
His arms burned as he brought his sword down, the honed metal slicing through the monster’s abdomen. It hissed and shrieked, black blood leaking from its wound, collapsing in the grass.
Two more shoved forward, eager to take its place.
Sebastian grunted, blocking a slashing blow from the first, hissing as he dodged the strike from the second. Beside him, Andrian was a whirling maelstrom of shadows and steel anddeath. A trail of scaled, winged bodies was in his wake, and black blood splattered his hard, expressionless face.
He had no idea how Andrian was here. When he’d managed to escape Khento, how long he’d been reunited with Mariah. It could’ve been only minutes or hours, or maybe even days or weeks.
Those questions could be answered when this fight was done. Right now, Sebastian was just thankful to have him battling at his side.
When it came to this—this close combat, this cacophony of raging battle—Andrian had always been the best among them.
Andrian’s sword flashed, severing the clawed limb of amudaewho was less than a foot from plunging the serrated edge into Sebastian’s thigh.
He met the other man’s hard stare, gasping for a breath. Andrian only nodded before throwing himself back into the fray.
Sebastian had no choice but to follow.
He sliced through monster after monster. Their screams wrapped around him, cocooning him in the chaos.
There were moments of brief reprieve every few minutes as the next group ofmudaedropped from the sky. In those fleeting seconds, Sebastian couldn’t stop his gaze from drifting back to the tree line.
Where he’d last seen Ciana sprinting toward Anniliese Hareth, wild golden hair bouncing around her shoulders and tears streaming down her cheeks.
Would that be his last image of her? Terrified and running for a stranger?
He shook his head, gritting his teeth. Three moremudaethudded to the earth in front of him.No. That would not be the last time he saw her. It wouldn’t be the last time he’d taste the honeysuckle on her lips. She would get through the forest, wouldhide somewhere safe with the Royal priestess. When this was all over, he would see her again, just like he’d promised.
What would come after that…well, they would figure it out. And they would be happy for the chance to do so.
Sebastian blocked an attack from the monster snarling in his face. The beast hopped back, hissing, before lunging forward. Sebastian’s sharp blade sliced across the front of its knees, sending it lurching to the ground with a scream.
He wasted no time slitting its throat before moving onto the next one.
But it wasn’t just one. Threemudaestood before him, snarling maws dripping, lips curled back in the mockery of a smile. Andrian was occupied, currently facing a group of five on his own.
Sebastian wasn’t given the chance to feel fear before the first one launched.
It came claws first, blood curdling scream splitting the air. Sebastian caught its sickle-shaped claw on his blade, sparks flying. He swung the sword, a sick satisfaction filling his chest as it sank to the hilt into the monster’s gut.
Until pain speared through him, hot and burning.
