Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
The bastard was walking away from Helly’s body. He took his spot back on the podium and was monologuing again about his right to this place. Right. As if any of this was right at all. Or would ever be right again.
“Lay down your arms, and you will be spared,” Bastian said. “We do not seek to kill all those who oppose us. We will not kill all the humans and half-Fae.”
Kerrigan knew he was a liar.
“We are merely here to start a new world and cleanse the old.”
Kerrigan ducked the next assault, slashed across the male’s chest, and kicked him out of her way.
Bastian produced the Collector out of his pocket. “This is an ancient magical artifact that has the identity of every person in this city.”
“Not me,” Kerrigan snarled. He was bluffing anyway. Only Red Masks had touched the Collector. Unless he had used it in another way that she wasn’t aware of.
She dived forward, spinning on her knees and slicing the Achilles tendons on her opponent. Fordham, Wynter, and Audria were at her back, clearing out the magical artifacts that had no effect on her. As the Collector wouldn’t either.
“Every human and half-Fae in the city will have their magic removed,” Bastian announced.
The shouts of terror were even worse. So few had any magic that it was highly sought after for any half-Fae and humans.
Kerrigan clashed swords with a guard nearly half as tall as her. The metal clanged together. Then, she smirked and blasted him in the face with fire. He screamed and went down, batting it away.
“Once there are no humans or half-Fae in the city who have magic, we will begin this Society anew.”
She would have laughed if she hadn’t known he had every intention of doing exactly that.
“You can fight all you want,” Bastian roared. “But if you lay down your arms, you will not be harmed. Already, this is happening elsewhere in the city. Your Artisan Village isn’t safe. Your Dregs isn’t safe. Your Wastes isn’t safe.”
Wynter gasped behind her. Kerrigan ran her next assailant through and turned to Wynter.
“Dozan,” Wynter said as fear filled her irises.
“Scales,” Kerrigan said, realizing just how widespread all of this was. The Wastes was no longer safe. No one was safe. “Wynter.”
“We need you,” Fordham shouted as he took down another person and blasted away the noir.
Kerrigan shook her head. “Go. Save him.”
Wynter met her gaze. Something passed between them that no one else would understand. But it meant everything in that moment.
Shadows crept around Wynter, and then she was gone.
“No!” Fordham growled. “Why did you tell her to go?”
“You know why.”
“We should go too,” he snapped. “This is futile.”
“Not until I have his head,” she said and then plunged back into the crowd.
Fordham snarled something vulgar behind her, but he would follow her to the ends of the earth. Audria was also there at her side. But the tides were turning and not in their favor. Without Wynter, there was a weak spot in their defense. Plus, it didn’t seem to matter how many people they blasted through on their way to Bastian; more just kept coming.
They weren’t fresh any longer. Her magic was still a deep well within her, but it wasn’t bottomless. They needed to get through this line now rather than later. The more new recruits Bastian had to throw at them, the easier it would be to break them down.
Fordham must have realized it at the same time. He shouted, “Together.”
Kerrigan fell back a step into formation with him and Audria. They had fought like this a thousand times. All that training snapped into place, just as the Society had always wanted it to. They had worked together at Lethbridge, and it was only the fact that they knew each other so well that they hadn’t been overpowered yet. The guards were disorganized and generally light on magical prowess. It was the rest of the Society, who was still engaged in battles in the arena stands, that Kerrigan was most worried about coming after them.
Fordham moved to the center of the ground as Kerrigan and Audria held back the guards that approached them. But already, they looked worried. Kerrigan’s smile was vicious as she slashed at the bravest among them.
Then, Fordham released his shadows, and they barreled down the middle of the guards. Guards screamed, and a perfect corridor appeared between them and Bastian.
None of them spoke. They just ran.
Before anyone could regroup after the assault, Kerrigan, Fordham, and Audria were through the bulk of the guards. The stage and podium were only feet away when Audria screamed.
Kerrigan whipped around. “No, no, no,” she gasped.
A Society member had Audria by the throat. A blade was poised to run her through. She sent a plume of air toward him, but he had a shield in place.