I pivoted, grabbed his shirtfront with one hand, and hurled him into a wall hard enough to crack the stone. His dead body slid down it, leaving a smear of blood.
A third fired a rifle at me.
I ducked under the shot, closed the distance, and slammed my elbow into his jaw. Teeth flew, and his jaw dislocated; the skin ripped as it barely hung on. His eyes rolled back before he even hit the ground.
My squad and I cut through the regular humans as if they were poorly trained recruits. Clearly, they’d over-estimated their venom-laced warrior and didn’t bring along proper weapons. Rune had removed the only real threat they'd brought in under a minute.
My gaze snagged behind Tobias as a human somehow slipped through the front lines.
“Tibby!” Rune shouted, but it was too late.
The dart hit Tobias in the side of his neck, and we didn’t know what was in it.
“Tobias!”The sound of sheer terror ripped from Sylver’s throat as she ran toward him.
Tobias staggered, eyes going wide. His phoenix fire sputtered and faded, power collapsing in on itself as his skin turned pale.
Immediately, I knew he’d been dosed with Tourmalyke Type II.
Relief swept through me because we could fix that.
Rage detonated through Rune’s bond, hotter than before.
She was on the shooter in a heartbeat, a snarl ripping from her throat. She slammed her hand into the human’s chest, tearing through the fabric and meeting his skin before pouring venom into him.
He dropped like a stone before disintegrating into the ground.
She didn’t spare him another glance as she spun and darted toward Tobias.
Sylver had caught him as his knees buckled.
“Tibby!” Rune screamed, voice shaking. “Look at me.”
He blinked slowly, pupils blown, skin paling even more. Tourmalyke Type II spreadfast.
“Everyone else, kill the rest of the humans now. Only keep the one with Zuko and Rhyse alive,” I commanded.
My enforcers and spies threw themselves into the fight with more enthusiasm than before, clashing with the humans.
“It’s okay,” Koa said, already sprinting toward them, hands glowing. “I’ve got him. I’ve got?—”
“Wait,” Sylver cried, looking at Rune. “Your venom. Make him purge the toxins, please. Like you did for Cora!”
“Already on it.” Rune placed her hand on Tobias’s cheek, seeping purgegut venom into him.
Tobias gagged, eyes bulging as she and Sylver leaned him over to the side.
“Easy,” Koa said, helping them brace him. “It’s okay. Let it out.”
Tobias choked before he violently vomited, bile splattering the ground. His entire body convulsed with the force of it.
Rune latched onto one of his shoulders, Koa on the other, and Sylver wrapped her arms around his torso, steadying him.
“Breathe, Tibby. Come on,” Rune encouraged him.
“In. Out,” Sylver murmured in his ear.
After what felt like an eternity, he sagged, sweat plastering his hair to his forehead. His eyes were sunken, skin pale, but the poison had been aggressively torn from his body.
