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A few of them cried out, and my breath caught.
I shot Jaus a worried look, finding his attention trained to the southern end of the street, his fingers on the mace strapped to his back.
“I need you to go inside and hide near the back wall,” he growled, pulling his mace. He turned and jostled the knob of the shop, but it wouldn’t open, not even when he shoved his shoulder against it. His stricken gaze met mine, and he leaped a few steps over to try another door that also wouldn’t open. He looked up but this section of town was filled with three- and four-story buildings made up of smooth silver. “Up.” He dropped his mace and lifted me, but the second level window was too high and out of my reach. Cursing, he urged me into a shallow nook between one shop and another. I barely fit. “Stay there. Don’t draw attention.”
“What’s going on?” I didn’t like that the street was now deserted, the orcs running through it having fled.
A screech rang out, echoed by another. The fear roaring through my veins told me I knew that sound.
Dresalods.
Jaus grabbed his mace and looked down at me, his gaze full of an emotion I couldn’t define. He stroked my cheek with his knuckles. “Tiny mate. Please stay safe.”
With a growl, he pivoted and strode out into the middle of the empty street, facing three of the enormous creatures.
They shrieked and scrambled toward him.
Chapter24
Jaus
My mate was in danger, and all I could think of was protecting her.
With a thunderous roar, the first dresalod lunged at me, its massive pincers snapping the air. If it grabbed my arm, it would sever it with one click. Adrenaline surged through my veins as I sidestepped its initial assault, narrowly avoiding being skewered by its wickedly sharp claws. Time seemed to slow around me as I planned my counterattack.
Swinging my mace in an arc above my head, I brought it crashing down on the creature's front limbs with all my might. A deafening crack echoed through the street as exoskeleton met metal, but I failed to break through entirely. Undeterred, I pressed on by stepping back before delivering a blow directly into another vulnerable joint.
The sound was sickening—like shattering glass mingled with crunching gravel—as fragments of chitin and flesh sprayed outward from where I made contact. The beast shrieked in fury while thrashing violently on the cobbled street.
Swift movement caught out of the corner of my eye sent me spinning—another dresalod charged toward where my precious mate stood trembling, her cup of lovely tea held up as it might serve as a weapon.
With lightning reflexes honed through countless battles won on split-second decisions, every muscle fiber in my body surged into action once again.
I flung myself upward, curling and rolling over the beast, landing squarely between it and Rhoslyn.
She yelped my name but remained in place.
I’d sacrifice myself to keep her safe.
Ducking beneath the frenzied snap of the creature’s front claw, time appeared to slow. With two hands gripping the hilt, I swung my mace, driving it partway through the beast’s side. It staggered to the right, and I followed, determined to end its life and eliminate the third. Were there more? A quick glance told me no—so far. Perhaps the wall guard hadn’t been mistaken when he said he saw dresalods to the south. Somehow, a few had slipped past our wall and remained hidden until they felt it was the right time to attack.
With a shriek, the creature I fought scrambled toward the gate at the end of the street, determined to escape to the sea.
I leaped onto its back, nearly toppling off when it bucked, and hefted my mace. I brought it down hard on the dresalod’s head, and it staggered, falling forward. I rode with it, jumping off when it crashed to the ground.
With sweat pouring down my brow, I spun, my mace lifting.
The final dresalod rushed toward Rhoslyn.
I was too far away to reach her in time, but I raced toward her with determination driving my muscles and the strength of a legion of orcs firing my blood.
The stench of its rancid breath filled the air, mixing with the salty tang of the nearby sea.
With a thunderous roar, the dresalod lunged toward my tiny mate. I couldn’t reach her in time!
Its front claw smacked against the silver wall near her head, and she gulped and leaned in the other direction. It kept poking, gouging toward the narrow space where she hid.
There wasn’t enough room in the nook for her to slide out of its reach. Once the creature hit her, it would pluck her from the hole like a treat to be savored. Her life would be over in a flash.
