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slammed the soldier's head back against the floor. Circular
red welts started seeping across his face, forehead to nose to
chin.
Emlen grabbed the top of her chain to slow its ruthless
swing. "In here." She hugged her arms around her stomach.
"Are you all right?" Hydeia pulled her up. The woman
looked ill.
"Fine. Let's do this. Besides," she tapped the pole in her
palm, "This will more than make up for the strength they've
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taken from me. Ammah's in there. I, I owe him." She pushed
off Hydeia and tripping the latch, shoved the door open.
Hydeia scrambled across the downed Queenswatch to
climb to her feet and lunged inside. In the space of a breath,
Hydeia took in the scene.
Another Queenswatch flew to his back almost on top of
Hydeia, his legs high in the air as he fell while Emlen's chain
whipped below his body in its final arc. Across the room,
Lannis knelt, back arched and head craned so far back her
long hair brushed the floor. The thin Mystic stood over her,
feeding her the last strings of shimmering iridescent blue and
green liquid from a glass tube. Lannis gulped at it, her throat
muscles moving like a baby bird's. Her eyes flew up.
Uloki flapped against a delicate chain on his ankle, furious
and terrifying. Another larger eagle lifted long tapered wings
as though marking her prey.
And Ammah...
The world slammed to a brutal stop.
Ammah lay unmoving on the stone floor. His face was
completely white, his lips turning blue.
She took it all in instantaneously. A feral scream borne
from the depths of grief and fury rang in Hydeia's ears before
she realized it came from her.
She was on her feet, cutting past a third Queenswatch and
running toward Lannis and the Mystic.
With more malevolence than Hydeia had ever witnessed,
Lannis glared at Hydeia and gulped the last of the shimmery
filament down.
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Arcing the sword as she ran, Hydeia swung it with full
force into Lannis and it felt as though she'd hit a stone wall.
The hilt wrenched from her grip and she was thrown back into
the table. Bottles and glass tubes flew into the air as the table
toppled with her.
Lannis stared in disbelief at the blade. The sharp edge was
buried two knuckles deep across her abdomen.
She laughed wildly and with both hands on the hilt, pulled
the short sword from her ripped flesh. Luminous fluid coated
the blade like sparkling morning dew. The same fluid also
began seeping from her gaping wound, spilling down the front
of her gown like a long weeping eye.
Lannis licked the reyn from the blade and tossed it aside.
Hydeia pushed up from the table, steadying her legs as
Lannis came toward her. The Queenswatch and Emlen
stumbled between them, pole and short sword clanging
together.
With impossible strength for her slender frame, Lannis
shoved them out of the way like they were bundles of fluff
and grabbed up Hydeia by her throat.
"Too much!" the Mystic shouted. "You've taken too much!"
Fumbling in his robes he drew out a small pouch and turning
on Lannis, blew orange paralyzing dust across her face.
Hydeia quickly squeezed her eyes against it. Her breath was
already choked off as the dust flew right into Lannis's face.
The older Eaglekin sputtered, shaking her head, then
slowly a sneering smile crept across her face. She rolled back
her head and laughed. "You've made me invincible, Mystic. I
haven't taken near enough!"
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The Mystic's face drained of color and he fled out the door,
the hem of his robe flying around his skinny ankles. The
sound of his ranting followed him down the hall.
"Not near enough, pretty little bird," Lannis gritted into
Hydeia's face. The veins in her neck bulged so tight Hydeia
could see her pulse, too rapid, too strong.
Gasping for breath, Hydeia clawed at Lannis's iron grip.
Her chest was a painful knot.
The Eaglekin tilted her head, smiling, ever so still and
silent as Hydeia struggled. Her throat was closing off. Uloki's
shrill shriek faded behind the loud rasp of Hydeia's breathing
in her ears as the room fell behind a hazy curtain.
A roar erupted from the doorway as a bearded bulk of a
man stormed through, chain swinging, followed by another,
his face mottled in anger, followed by more of the Eaglekins.
The captured Eaglekin, Rustus, whipped his chain into
Lannis's thin body.
Hydeia fell to the floor, straining for air.
Lannis turned and with an inhuman screech, grabbed up
the closest Eaglekin and threw her across the room.
With a savage cry, Rustus and two others rushed at
Lannis, throwing their combined weight against her and ran
her into the opposite wall. The impact of Lannis's unbreakable
body shattered the wall and all four fell through it. Wooden [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]