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I’d lose the only woman I’d ever love.
The power of a thousand orcs snarled inside me as I raced toward the dresalod, my mace already swinging.
Rhoslyn flung the mug full of tea at the beast, and it reeled back, screaming. It spiraled on its hind legs, its front claws snapping at the sky.
Tumbling onto its back, it scrambled the air with its spiked legs, shrieking over and over.
I grabbed Rhoslyn’s arm and pulled her from the tiny gap between the buildings, tucking her behind me.
The dresalod flipped over and sprung to its feet.
Its body steamed and it spun in a circle before righting itself. Leaving us, it raced down the street, aiming for the outer wall, though it appeared sluggish. I gave chase, my heart on fire with determination to end this.
Leaping, I landed on the cobblestones behind it and used my momentum to swing my mace, bringing it crashing down on the creature's back with all my might. A deafening crack echoed through the street as bone met metal. My mace sunk in easily, a nice change.
As soldiers rushed toward us to give aid, the dresalod dragged itself away from me, its blood oozing onto the cobblestones. It struggled to reach the wall, though it appeared too injured to make its way up and over the side.
Its body still steamed. It flopped on the ground and twitched before it stopped moving. One final blow with my mace ended its life.
Spinning on my heel, I bellowed Rhoslyn’s name.
She lay on the cobblestones unmoving, bright red blood leaching from a puncture wound in her thigh.
Chapter25
Jaus
Bright red blood, so different from my orc gold, gushed from the puncture wound on Rhoslyn’s leg. About the size of her fist, the hole exited on the back of her thigh. The claw had cut right through her leg.
She’d bleed to death if I didn’t get her to a healer immediately.
While the soldiers made sure the dresalods were dead, I lifted her as gently as I could.
“Hold on, tiny mate,” I hissed, trying not to jostle her as I moved quickly through the streets.
She didn’t respond.
“Rhoslyn? Speak to me. Please.”
Her eyelids fluttered, but they didn’t open. A scrape on her left temple held the shadow of a growing bruise. Had she hit her head while trying to escape the dresalod?
“Wake, mate,” I whispered desperately, but she didn’t respond.
I was rushing down one of the streets that would eventually take me to the healer’s residence when I ran into someone coming from the opposite direction.
A growl ripped up my throat. “Out of my way—”
“Is that how you should talk to your brother?” Madr asked with a grin that faded fast when he took in Rhoslyn slumped in my arms. He gaped at the wound in her thigh. “This is your mate. What—?”
“Dresalods attacked.”
His eyes widened and he hefted the flail he always carried with him, just as I did my mace. “Where?”
“I killed them. Three, and there didn’t appear to be others but the soldiers will look for them. They must’ve somehow slipped inside the city.”
“I’ll see if I can find out where,” he said grimly.
“Rhoslyn’s wounded. I have to get her to the healers before . . .” I didn’t want to think about what might happen to this precious being.
