One of Talik’s iron-coated knives stuck out of his own side, halfway down his torso, between his ribs.The Atlantean went to grab the pouch, but Talik pulled out the knife, flipped it and slammed it into the wayfarer’s chest, twisting the knife deeper as he forced the taller Atlantean backward.
And he had been worried that Khalida was going to be the one stabbing him.
Ninhursag screamed again, and the skies darkened in response.The crack of thunder was sharp and long, a violent call to arms.Talik stumbled.His head threatened to split open as he released the knife, grabbing the pouch.The Atlantean snarled at him as he pulled the knife out, throwing it at Talik’s feet as he turned and ran toward Ninhursag.
A black mist materialized near Ninhursag and her guards, the area around them glimmered.As a shadow appeared from the light, disappearing with Ninhursag before he could blink.
Talik’s fingers were sticky as he tried to stem the blood flow...seconds turned into a minute.
He should have stopped bleeding by now.
Chapter Fifty-one
KHALIDA
Khalida jumped overthe wall, landing in a crouch, her swords ready.
The whole interior perimeter wall had come down faster than she could have wished for—the echo of the crash had sounded like a bomb blast.And after a few seconds, she still hadn’t quite lost the ringing sound in her ears.
A high-pitched scream chased the silence that had descended over the ruins.A faint smile curved along her mouth.The bitch-god was injured and in agonizing pain.
Khalida scanned the area, looking for the familiar tricolored hair or any other hint of Talik.There was an emptiness that sat low in the pit of her stomach, a loneliness that she had never felt even when she and Talik hadn’t seen or spoken to each other in centuries.She didn’t need to look to know that it was because the consort mark was entirely gone now.
“Talik.”His name was out before she realized it, as a wave of adrenaline ran through her.
Near one of the ancient Roman archways, Talik stood surrounded by shattered ice and wayfarers, one hand on his hip.He looked like he was holding onto something with his left hand, but she couldn’t make out what—a bag of some sort.The sky behind him shimmered a dark color.She blinked, and it disappeared.All she knew was that he was standing far too close to the god for her liking.In the distance, a few hundred feet from Talik, the creatures from the catacombs continued to excavate the ground, moving at impossibly fast speed.
Without turning to Kade, she said, “I assume you can handle the creatures without help.”
Kade wasn’t the only Atlantean who could give backhanded compliments.
Kade followed her gaze, and a slow smile spread across his face.“Make sure Talik doesn’t do anything else stupid.”
She didn’t need to be told twice.
Running toward Talik, she leaped over a root or limb—before realizing it was part of one of Ninhursag’s monstrous children, partially dismembered by the wall collapse.It lurched toward her, and she sliced at it, not flinching as she cut it into pieces before she kicked the chunks away from each other, hoping that it would slow down its ability to reanimate.
