Page 71 of Kept

“Steady,” I told my men. My heart pounded as I stuck to Laurent’s heels. Radu and Drago shadowed Given. The sight of the two formidable captains should have made me feel better about her being in the field, but it didn’t. Fear turned my guts to water. I wanted to pick her up and carry her back across the Rift—and then spank her ass for making me so fucking terrified.

And then maybe spank Laurent’s ass for letting her participate in a war, for fuck’s sake.

“Eshto!” Laurent cried. At the same moment, Wesyfeddan arrows flew. They sailed true and found their targets. Dozens of Sithistrans dropped to the ground, tripping the men behind them.

Laurent walked faster. “Eshto!” he called.

Given strode at his side, her cloak flowing around her long legs. Her pale braid swung down her back. “Ricti!” she yelled, and a Sithistran fell to the ground.

Laurent flung out a hand. “Eshto!”

Two more humans perished.

More Wesyfeddan arrows whistled.

More Sithistrans went down.

The humans slowed, some of them stumbling to a stop.

“Eshto!” Laurent cried.

“Ricti!” Given echoed.

Soldiers hit the ground. Instantly, arrows sprang from their backs.

“Eshto!” Laurent’s voice boomed with power. He kept walking, Doru’s gift ensuring he never tired.

The same was not true of Given. After another minute, she stumbled. Radu steadied her and would have held on, but she waved him off and kept going.

“Fuck,” I said under my breath.

“Eshto!” More humans fell. The mounted knights behind them trampled their corpses as they struggled to reach the front.

“Eshto!” Two Sithistrans crashed to the ground, then two more. Laurent’s cloak snapped behind him. Power boomed in his voice. He struck again and again, not tiring as he took down the Sithistrans one by one. Green Guards with gold piping on their cloaks crashed to the ground, and I realized he was targeting the commanders.

The strategy worked. As more and more high-ranking men fell, the humans slowed their assault. Fear flashed across men’s faces. The Sithistrans’ front line started to break up.

“Their line is starting to break up!” one of my knights shouted.

“Watch for reinforcements!” I bellowed. On the far end of the Sithistran front line, a Green Guard shouted at a group of soldiers. The men started to run in one direction. As the Guard yelled and gestured sharply, they changed course and ran the other way. An arrow caught one in the leg. He went down screaming.

Grim satisfaction filled me. “They’re leaderless,” I said, turning back to my knight. “With Rellan gone—” I sucked in a breath. Laurent had gotten away from me. He ran toward the humans, his bly’ad trailing in his wake. As I cursed and sprinted after him, Given doubled over and vomited.

Radu and Drago were on her in half a second.

“Get her out of here!” I yelled, racing past them.

A group of Sithistran riders burst through the other end of the humans’ line and thundered toward Laurent.

Too many.

He stopped.

But there were too many of them.

The Sithistran riders bore down on Laurent. A Wesyfeddan raced to intercept them. As he leaned over his horse’s neck, an arrow struck him in the shoulder. He fell, his hands tangled in his reins. As he went down, he jerked his horse’s head sharply. The beast reared, lost its balance, and crashed on top of him.

Everything slowed.

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