Page 113 of Close Quarter
"There are no other options, Quintus."
Become soulless so Rhys could live. Or let Rhys die.
"You can keep him safe. Forever."
Silas could not push any words from his lips.
Anaxandros lifted the sword from Silas's neck. "Choose."
The moment hung like the last leaf of November. But in the end, he couldn't let Rhys die.
"I--"
"No." Rhys's guttural voice boomed through the garden. Branches shook above, sending showers of debris down on them. From the edge of Silas's vision, Rhys leaped at Anaxandros, his bloody hand holding something jagged and silver.
He jammed the sword shard deep into Anaxandros's neck as the soulless turned to block.
The soulless mouthed a voiceless scream.
Then it clubbed Rhys with the stump of its arm.
The blow caught Rhys hard in the head, sending him flying down against the stone path. He hit, rolled, and then lay still.
Rhys!
Smoke poured from Anaxandros's mouth.
Silas pushed the soulless away. When Anaxandros swung his black blade at him, he parried, his muscles trembling against the force of the blow.
The blades screamed.
Any other soulless would be in flames, but Anaxandros's eyes were clear, his blacking mouth twisted in anger. He parried Silas's every stroke.
Silas had no strength left, only enough to slip through the tiny opening in Anaxandros's defense.
He plunged forward just as Anaxandros stepped out of the way.
No!Silas threw himself sideways in an attempt to avoid the next stroke. He crashed to the ground. Anaxandros, his neck now black, followed after him. Silas rolled away but not fast enough.
Anaxandros plunged the daemon blade through Silas's shoulder and into the stone paver.
Death flowed into Silas, corroding his blood, eating his flesh and bone. Every good thing inside him withered. Darkness stabbed deep, cut through his heart and pierced his lungs.
Silas screamed and thrashed against the blade, but it did not move, just cut all the deeper.
Grasping the blade only sliced and corrupted his hands.
Over him, Anaxandros loomed. Words ripped through Silas's mind."I had you at the end. Youwere mine."Then the soulless's head toppled from its body and bounced off Silas's chest.
The trunk fell forward and burst into flames.
Ash and fire rained down on Silas. Flames seared his flesh. Hot air burned his throat. The sword remained and sucked his soul like marrow from bone, cracking and splintering what was left of his life.
His vision blurred. Smoke, blood. Rhys above him.
Rhys.Rhys was alive.
Too many words, not enough languages. He couldn't even move his lips.
