Page 153 of Savage Is My Kingdom

Zor and Tristan waited for my nod, and I did not flinch away when their blades swept toward Solok’s throat, did not balk at the visceral wet slice of metal through bone and sinew, or even the sight of Solok’s head, landing in the loamy soil beside his torso.

“Fucking burn him.” Zor ordered and Tristan raised a hand, then Solok’s body was engulfed in flames, hot enough to consume flesh and bone, hot enough to scorch my face.

“No coming back from that.” Tristan said with relish, his gaze skimming my bleeding nose before meeting my eyes with a hint of apology, “The fucker will never touch anyone again.”

I sagged forward, whatever little strength I possessed fading away, leaving me limp.

“Here. Let me help you.” Zor lifted me to my feet, gently pushed the iron band up past my elbow, then slid on the other, though it didn’t matter. The magic was nearly depleted, the endless void inside me begging to be filled once more.

“Anaria.” Zor, who hated females, who hated touching anyone, cupped my face, relief shining in his eyes. “There you are. Oh gods, you came back to us.”

Only then was I aware of the pain screaming from the wound in my thigh, the burning around my neck, the blood running from my nose. I collapsed to my knees, but never hit the ground, Zorander caught me in his arms, half carrying me to where Raziel lay still as death.

The enormous silver wolf climbed to its feet, shook out his bloodied coat and a flash of blue light revealed Tavion in his mortal form, stark naked, cradling his shattered arm against his blood splattered side.

Zorander’s head whipped up when shouting drew closer.

“Cover up, Montgomery.” Zor tossed Tavion his cape, then plucked a sword from the ground as his soldiers came running. Tristan stood shoulder to shoulder with him while I bowed my head, blood dripping unchecked into the dirt from my nose.

“Training session gotten out of hand.” Zor gestured with the sword toward the lot of us. “But progress was made.”

“What was that boom, commander? It was loud as thunder.”

Zorander squinted up at the clear night sky. “I didn’t hear anything. Did you?”

“Not a fucking thing.” Tristan shook his head, and I managed a faint no, before Zor waved them off.

“Get your sorry asses back to your stations, or I’ll have you out here training for the rest of the night with these poor fuckers.”

59

ANARIA

Ten minutes later, Zorander reappeared in the clearing with a healer, led her over to where I sat with Raz’s head cradled in my lap, his face unnervingly pale, forehead beaded with sweat, chest moving erratically fast.

“I’m fine.” Raziel had whispered through clenched teeth, right before he’d lost consciousness for the last time. He hadn’t opened his eyes since.And Zor had been gone so long, so damn long.

“Heal Raz first.” I ordered sternly, not even caring how demanding I sounded. “Then Tavion. Then Zor.”

“The princess of Solarys will be healed second.” Zor countered, and when the healer blanched at my title, he just narrowed his eyes at me, as if to say,checkmate.

“But she’s right. Heal the slave first, he’s in the worst shape.” I flinched at the wordslave, bristled at Zor’s cold, imperious tone, but we had to keep up appearances.

If word ever got back to the Shadow King about what happened here…

No, we’d decided.

No one would know what transpired today. My gaze went to the innocuous pile of gray ashes in the center of the clearing, the gleaming white bone sticking out of them.

No, no one would ever know about the scroll, or Solok…none of it.

The healer went to her knees, pushed back her sleeves and pressed her hands to Raz’s side, where dark bruising bloomed over his obviously broken ribs.

He wasn’t healing, even though she held her hands in place for an unnervingly long time, until her color was as bad as Raziel’s, her brow sweat-stained.

“He’s…there is a great deal of damage, general.”

“If we can get him into the barracks, would that help?”

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