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“You’re not the sharpest sword in the rack, sister,” Alekur replied. “But at least you figured it out before I ended you.”
The air hit her almost before she realized what was happening. She dug in, but the force of the blast was too much.
Her skull hit the stone first, the pain hard and stabbing, but her body slammed back, too, and she cried out as she fell toward the ground, toward the fire.
Chapter 20
Blood
The sight of Iseris slumping to the ground twisted something in Jav’s head. Twisted it so hard, it broke and shattered into a hundred pieces.
By Nefrana. What if she was dead? After all this, what if the bastard had killed her?
Without thinking, he grabbed the sword of the man who’d fallen and hurled it at Alekur’s back, threw it like some light throwing dagger.
It wasn’t, and it didn’t fly like one.
It didn’t hit like one either. But the hilt did manage to connect with the back of Alekur’s head before clattering to the ground. Jav hadn’t sat back and waited; he’d charged.
The blow of the other sword had dazed Alekur just long enough. He’d started to spin, ready to attack, but Jav sank down on one knee, knowing that’d be coming.
He thrust hard—up and fast, under whatever protections Alekur might have worn, this angle should dodge them all.
The sword went in halfway to the hilt. Alekur choked, gurgled. There was shock in his eyes as he looked down. Disbelief, surprise.
Jav met his eyes. “This is for sullying Nefrana’s name.” He twisted the sword slightly.
Alekur growled and started to reach toward his belt.
“And this is for Iseris.” Jav said with another brutal twist, then yanked the blade out again, staggering away and dodging the spurt of blood that followed.
Alekur collapsed to the ground as Jav scrambled to his feet, scanning around nervously. He’d been so focused on Alekur, he’d neglected the others.
The third attacker who’d chased the horses was sorely injured, frantically trying to stop the bleeding from his thigh. The bleeding of the first man had worsened, and he leaned against one wall, staring at Alekur’s body in shock. The second, very persistent man was still uninjured, although he hadn’t risen from his fall yet as he struggled with fresh roots that had sprung from the ground to restrain him.
Jav brought the sword down swiftly on the man’s neck, then turned to the others.
He hated killing. He hated the memories. He hated the way the whites of their eyes haunted him. He hated the idea of it. He knew for sure by Nefrana’s will it was wrong, most of the time, if not all the time.
But at the moment, it was appallingly easy to do what needed to be done.
When Jav finally reached Iseris, her head was bleeding.
The flames wouldn’t burn out, so he’d had to hack his way through, the brambles turning to ash and smoldering mounds as he slashed and shoved them aside.
But when he saw her lifeless body still on the ground, every part of him went numb.
“Come—to my healing tools,” Selis said, urging him. “We must get her back to the cottage.”
“Can you heal her?” he asked, gathering her lifeless body into his arms.
“I do not know.” Selis was shaking her head. “Let us hurry.”
Her head felt heavy, eyes blurry, but when she opened them, she saw a familiar sight. Wood. Ceiling. Cottage. Busy noises. Warm herbs.
And then a moment later, Jav’s face leaned over her, and he smiled.
“I’m alive,” she whispered.
