Page 70 of Kept

Given and Igrith reached the mouth just before he did. “Ricti!” Given cried, Avenor’s sword in her fist. Two of the Sithistran soldiers pounding toward her crashed to the ground. Igrith loosed an arrow. It struck a Sithistran in the center of his chest. He staggered, lost his balance, and plunged screaming into the Rift.

The Sithistran soldiers on the bridge froze, their eyes wide as they watched him fall.

Varick caught up to Given and Igrith. He passed them, charging onto the Bleak Pass and directly toward the Sithistrans.

I ran faster, reaching the mouth of the Pass. “Eshto!” I called, my gaze on the knot of Sithistrans huddled on the other side. Two Sithistran soldiers collapsed. The ones crowded behind them turned and ran.

Igrith’s laughter echoed back to me as I raced onto the bridge. Ahead, she drew and fired an arrow. It streaked past Varick and slammed into a fleeing Sithistran’s back. He dropped to the ground. Varick leapt over him.

The thunder of hooves filled the air, and then a Wesyfeddan rider shot past me. The horse moved so swiftly, its hooves barely touched the bridge. It flew past Given and Igrith and barreled into the remaining Sithistrans, sending men toppling into the Rift.

The Pass creaked under my feet. Knights from the Wastes raced past me, their bodies a blur as they tapped their superior speed. I grit my teeth and ran faster. Relief swept me as Given cleared the bridge. Varick was waiting for her, his sword at the ready. I put on a burst of speed, my lungs burning as I ran past fallen Sithistrans. On the other side of the Pass, Igrith swung into the saddle behind a Wesyfeddan rider. The man kicked his horse’s sides, and they charged off.

More knights from the Wastes thundered past me. The Sithistran side of the Rift loomed, and then I was across, Varick and Given at my sides.

The three of us locked gazes as we caught our breath. Two more Wesyfeddans on horseback charged past us, racing over the scrubby grass.

Sword in hand, Given watched them go. Horses and men moved on the horizon. Green cloaks flashed.

“The humans are preparing another charge,” Varick said.

I put a finger under Given’s chin and tipped her gaze to mine. “You’ve been braver than most soldiers this night, my lady. There is no shame in retreat. Varick and I will finish this.”

“I’m coming with you.” Her eyes hardened. “I’ve grown tired of being called a whore.”

Everything within me wanted to order her back across the bridge. I could have done it. If I’d told Varick to sling her over his shoulder and force her to safety, he would have obeyed. But I couldn’t take this battle from her. All I could do was stand at her side and fight it with her.

I brushed the backs of my knuckles over her cheek. “Then let’s go get your vengeance, my queen.”

Chapter Twenty

VARICK

The Sithistrans reformed and advanced toward us. Infantry in front and cavalry in the rear, they came at us at full force.

We were vastly outnumbered, but several things worked in our favor. We had the night, which meant Sithistra didn’t have the sun.

We were vampires. Faster and stronger. The knights from the Wastes topped most of the humans by two feet.

We also had the Wesyfeddans. With skills honed by a lifetime of smuggling and evading capture, they were excellent riders and even better archers. They harassed the Sithistran footsoldiers, riding swiftly forward and launching volleys of arrows before quickly falling back.

Finally, we had a king and queen who spoke the language of the gods. My knights and I formed a half circle behind Given and Laurent, guarding their backs and flanks. With the Wesyfeddans running unpredictable patterns ahead of us, we marched toward the humans.

After a minute, the Sithistrans broke into a run, a battle cry lifting from their ranks.

“They’re singing to us,” one of my knights said, amusement in his tone.

“Just as long as you don’t sing along, Andrei,” another said.

A third knight chuckled. “No, let him. The humans will throw down their weapons as soon as they hear.”

“All of you shut up,” Drago barked.

Laurent kept walking, his shoulders relaxed as the humans advanced. Given kept pace with him.

I motioned to my knights. Swords rasped as they drew their blades.

The humans charged, eating up the ground between us.

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