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“Ah, you left her.Again.” The Drakhyn’s smile was wider. “Stupid Castor. I will go to her now.”
“You will not hurt her. She is not the one you seek!” Cord growled low in his chest.
“She may not be, but shewillbe mine. You need to choose which one you’ll save. The Heir…or the Heir?” The Drakhyn laughed at Cord’s reaction as it slit along Michael’s throat, and the steady stream of blood became a flow.
Cord knew the Drakhyn had left its host, and he rushed forward, smoothly decapitating the Drakhyn as it took a moment to orient itself. His hands fumbled in Michael’s blood as he tried to stop the blood flow, the whole time his instincts yelling at him to get to Tegan.
His actions were desperate. His head knew he could not let the male Heir die, but his whole entirebeingwas screaming for him to get to Tegan. Cord did something then that he had never in his twenty-one years done before: Cord called for help.
Lucas! I need you.
Salem and Sloane entered the library quietly. They had made it unscathed down the stairs and into the main hall. They had heard movement, but they had not yet seen a Drakhyn. Quickly searching the library, they found nothing more than two dead Sentinels. Salem quickly closed his eyes and said the blessing over them both. They would return for them, and the fallen Sentinels would receive proper burial rites when he had his Headquarters back again.
“There’s nothing here,” Sloane whispered softly, although his tone betrayed his impatience. “Whyis there nothing here?”
“Calm down,” Salem instructed him. “We need to check everywhere to make sure that when we advance to my study and the training rooms, there are no surprises coming up behind us.” He looked at the young Akrhyn critically. “Something you learnt in your first years training,” he admonished.
“I know, I just need to find something.” Sloane rubbed his eyes wearily. “Kill something.”
“I know. I know what you are feeling. But fools rush in, remember?”
“Yes, Principal.”
“Everywhere is clear?” Salem asked Sloane again.
“Yes, there’s nothing.”
“Well, not nothing.” Kallie crawled out from under one of the sofas.
“How in Velvore’s name did you fit under there?” Sloane asked in a stunned whisper, his eyes wide as he looked at the petite female Akrhyn and the gap between the floor and the sofa.
“With patience, determination and a blessing to Arflyn that she gave me small breasts,” Kallie whispered back. Sloane immediately glanced at the female Akrhyn’s chest and looked back up hastily when Salem cleared his throat softly. “I am so happy to see you both,” Kallie spoke softly. “I have been in here for a day, maybe two? Is my father with you?”
“You’ve been here two days?” Salem asked. “Where were you before that?”
“The old pantry. Marcus and Michael are there. Marcus is injured, and Michael wouldn’t leave him.” Kallie rushed on, “There was a vent that I was able to crawl through with Michael’s help.” She pointed to her leg. “I got injured when I came down, went over my ankle. A novice’s mistake.” She glowered at her ankle as she showed them both her swollen left foot. “I know I cannot come with you, but will you tell my father that I am alright?”
“We can’t leave her,” Sloane said to Salem with a worried look at the female Akrhyn.
“I know.” The Principal Elder considered Kallie. “How bad is it?”
“I can’t put weight on it,” she confessed as she leaned against the sofa for support.
“I can carry you.” Sloane shrugged. “It won’t be pretty, and I may have to drop you to defend us, but I can carry you on my back.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Kallie’s blue eyes were wide. “We’re under siege.”
“I would rather Sloane carried you than left you behind, Kallie. Cord is here…somewhere.” Salem gestured to Sloane. “He can call his brother, and he can take you to Bryce.”
“Dad’s okay?”
“He’s been injured, he needs assistance, more assistance than Cord can give him,” Salem told her truthfully.
“How—”
“Kallie, I know you have questions, but we need to get out of here and keep moving.” Sloane sheathed his knives and reached for the petite Sentinel. Lifting her easily, he slung her onto his back, ignoring her startled look and her outraged breath.
“I cannot let you in good conscience go back up to the Commander alone with an injured Akrhyn.” Salem frowned. “But knowing Marcus is injured, and he’s with Michael…”
