Page 181 of The Gods Order

Steel rings through the chamber. Bodies crumple. Black blood spatters against stone. None of the Oblirians or Dark Gods know where to strike.

Amick exploits every opening.

Riven every flicker of fear.

A scream erupts as Sevryn buries his blade between a guard’s ribs and another follows immediately after Barir and Prath stab a god together.

Within seconds, nearly a dozen bodies litter the chamber floor and panic tears through the room.

“They’re everywhere!”

“Fall back!”

“No,” another roars. “Find them. Find them all.”

The order only makes things worse. They shove into one another, trying to fight an enemy they can’t see.

Despite the absolute bloodshed, hope sparks inside my chest.

Maybe…

Maybe this can work.

I want more than anything to do something more than fucking stand here. I could help us get through this faster, but my feet refuse to move.

The beads of sweat forming not only on my but also Yemi’s forehead force me to stay in place and continue doing what I’m doing.

Unsensed and unseen for as long as possible.

I’ll keep my ass right here, holding my power of Boundaries where it needs to be in order for my men to keep the advantage they have right now.

If they somehow get overwhelmed, then I’ll step in.

More footsteps thunder down the corridor and I glare through the door.

Not five. Not ten. Dozens.

The doorway floods with fresh Oblirians. They don’t hesitate at the sight of the dead. They climb over them.

One of the newcomers takes a single look at the carnage before throwing his hand forward.

“Flood the room!”

Dark essence explodes from his palm. It tears across the chamber in a wide arc, striking the walls and the floor alike.

Another follows. Then another.

A lash of power whips across the space, and my eyes widen. My sword hits the ground as my hand stretches out, and my power of Boundaries bursts from my palm.

Prath whirls around, gives me a curt nod, then plunges his sword through the stomach of a guard who steps too close to him.

“Riven, pull back your power,” I command.

Not a second later, the fake Binding disappears, but he continues to giggle as he dances around the room like he’s still happy as can fucking be.

“Yemi,” I bark.

“I know. I know,” she shouts. “Put up protective barriers.”