Page 183 of The Gods Order

Like glass waiting to shatter.

A jagged fracture races down my spine, and Yemi’s sharp inhale tells me she feels it too. I stagger back a few steps as I force myself to give it my all, push everything I’ve got left in me toward the connections I’m separating.

Yemi does the same.

It’s not going to be enough.

One more wave of guards and their power is all it’ll take.

One more blast of essence. One more barrier. One more heartbeat.

My gaze sweeps across the room, taking stock of my men and friends. Where they’re at and what they’re currently facing.

Kyzen has been driven nearly to the doorway. He continues to cut down as many guards as he can.

Amick and Riven stand back-to-back, steel meeting the flesh of those that slip past Kyzen.

Creed is surrounded. The Dark Gods don’t know they’ve formed a circle around the God of Death, but they will the second my power fails.

Sevryn, Mara, Gladian, Barir, and Prath continue to fight with ruthless strikes. Even Doren, Iric, Vullie, and Nero have had to inch into the fray to keep the horde from getting too close to Yemi and me.

Too many. There are simply…

Too many.

The second they see us, they’ll stop swinging blindly. They’ll recognize who it is they’re fighting. They’ll come straight for my men. Capture them. Kill the others.

I tighten my grip around the Binding, and my glare watches the blackness swirling within it. Yemi’s bellow has me snapping my attention toward her and the light blazing from her outstretched palms. She screams with all her might as she holds strong. I can barely breathe.

The pressure of the power ready to burst free has my jaw locked so tightly I can’t force it to unclench.

The second her separation shatters…

I let mine fall.

Blackness as dark as what’s swirling in the Binding erupts from me as I command my Obliteration free. It rushes across the chamber in a blinding wave before devouring everyone I want it to devour.

Screams die as quickly as they begin. Bodies dissolve.

Swords don’t even get to clamor against stone as my power swallows those whole as well.

The scream I let burst free along with my command slowly fades to nothing more than gasping pants. My Obliteration snaps back inside of me and settles into my throat.

Ash drifts lazily through the air, coating the stone floor in a darker shade of gray. There are piles sitting in the now empty, silent hallway.

I didn’t even leave the corpses lying around.

A breathless laugh escapes me as I scan the awe on the faces of those who remain standing.

My men. Our people.

“Shit…” Yemi murmurs, catching my arm before I pitch sideways.

My entire body trembles. Every muscle aches and every breath burns. The taste of ash on my tongue doesn’t help, but for once, I’m not going to complain.

Everyone’s alive. Everyone’s okay.

“Run,” I rasp. “We have to get out of here. Now.”