Page 178 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
"If they see you, you’re dead. How are you going to help your people, then?"
Rian looked at Myra, and she already knew he had made up his mind.
"I’m sorry, Mys."
"You’ll die!" she said, her vision already blurring.
Rian pulled out the sword Bax had swiped for them from beneath his cloak. "I’d rather be dead than be known as a king who ran from his kingdom. Take him and get out of here."
Then he was off before she could even respond.
"Shit," Myra hissed, pressing her hands against her head. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She looked at the bar of the wagon.
Strangers ran past her, the desire to be inconspicuous long since abandoned as a brawl broke out in the middle of the street. Bax was already at the center of the fight. He ripped a guard off one man who was struggling to stand his ground. As Rian sprinted toward them, a guard turned around. His eyes widened momentarily before raising his weapon. Rian attacked, but the guard blocked the strike. Metal clashed against metal as the two men struck again and again.
As Bax fought his opponent, he spotted Rian in the corner of his eye. But he couldn’t voice an objection as the guard swung at his head. Bax rolled, narrowly missing the blade.
A few feet from them, Han was on the ground, fighting off another guard.
A hand popped out of the wagon, and Myra raced over, trying to shove it back. "No, you can’t. If the people see you—" Myra choked on her words as Laurince ignored her pleas and burst through the pile of vegetables. His eyes bled black, his rage pouring from him.
She reached for him, but his wrath slipped through her fingers, the anger and rage too bright to diminish.
"Get out of here!" Laurince shouted.
Myra lurched forward, but Laurince was quicker. He shot through the air, sword in hand.
When he met his first opponent, Laurince was merciless. His blade sliced through the air like water. Upon seeing the man with wings, the remaining gawking civilians ran in terror, screaming.
Myra felt for the small knife he had given her inside her pocket. She palmed the hilt, shifting from one foot to the other. But who was she kidding? If she joined, she would only get in the way. Her few training sessions with Laurince did not make her a fighter. Yet she needed to do something.
An explosion shook the ground, and a plume of dark smoke billowed into the air. Screams filled the streets. Feet pounded on the ground. A flurry of guards and civilians ran toward them. Fights broke out on every corner.
Another explosive went off, and she reached for the wagon to steady herself.
Explosive after explosive sounded. Her ears rang. Her legs trembled.
She spun around, searching for a safe path out. But there were no tunnels. There was no escape. All around her, guards and civilians fought. Glass shards and blood quickly covered the pavement.
Her attention flicked back to the brawl where her friends fought. Brilliant wings sparkled in the sunlight.
Myra tightened her grip around the hilt.
She was not weak.
She was not a burden.
She was not afraid of death.
With a war cry spilling from her mouth, Myra charged.
Chapter 70
KALLIE
The wind whippedthrough Kallie’s hair as they neared the capital. Her thighs and hips ached from riding astride, but she didn’t dare complain. All she had to do was hold on; Graeson was doing most of the work as they soared through the sky at a grueling pace.
They traveled under the cloak of night, Graeson’s onyx scales blending into the sky. During the day, they rested wherever they could. Graeson’s speed was unmatched, and he reduced the time to get to the Frenzian capital by half. Before Kallie knew it, a forest of massive trees was ahead of them. Although the Frenzian forest looked different from above, Kallie recognized the sequoia trees instantly.
