Disciple of War Disciple of War (Art of the Adept #4) - Michael G. Manning Page 0,185

mournful. “Why? This isn’t fair.”

“Help him,” commanded Selene. “Help us.” Incredibly, she began to sit up, though her entire frame shook with the effort.

“Oh, gods! You’re so beautiful. Are you his wife? This isn’t fair,” moaned Bug. “Why are you here?”

“Help him,” she ordered. “Call someone.”

“I can’t,” said Bug sadly. “I killed him, and now I’m going to have to kill you too.”

Will couldn’t see Bug, except for his hand, as it caught Selene’s hair and pulled her sideways so that she fell across his body. A fresh wave of pain shot through him as her weight pressed down on his chest. Inside, Will was screaming, not from the pain, but from his desperate need to stop what was happening.

His ears were full of Selene’s wheezing gasps. All he could see were her legs, kicking as she tried to breathe. Bug was slowly choking the life out of her—on top of him. The wheezing stopped once Bug’s hands got a better grip, but Selene’s body continued to twist and move.

A moment later, she rolled off, and Will’s view improved. Bug was on top of her now, tears streaming down his cheeks as Selene’s face turned purple.

No!

And then something changed. Will felt it abruptly. A tingle ran over his skin as the turyn around them shifted, flowing toward Selene’s body. A second later, Bug went stiff and fell sideways, his hands going limp, while Selene began to heave as she tried to draw in air.

Her eyes were bloodshot when she sat up, coughing and struggling to catch her breath. Something seemed to be wrong with her throat. Will could see the source-link she had attached to her would-be assassin.

Somehow, she’d found enough turyn to cast the simplest of spells, and he already knew from experience that her will was more than a match for most. Bug hadn’t had a chance once she had found a way to create the link.

Scrabbling in the dirt, Selene lifted the regeneration potion, then popped the cork and drank the contents. For a moment, Will was confused, until he heard her begin to suck in huge lungfuls of air. Will understood then. He must have crushed her trachea.

Picking up the second potion, Selene opened it as well and then poured the contents into Will’s mouth. He tried to swallow, but wasn’t entirely sure if he had succeeded.

That done, Selene went to the paralyzed assassin and bent down. Will heard the whisper of metal as she drew the short thrusting sword from its sheath. It was followed by a wet noise a moment later as Selene found a new home for the blade.

Still unable to speak, Will watched in silence as his wife thrust the heavy blade into Burke’s torso again—and again. She was growling as she repeated the motion, and her face was twisted into an expression of pure hatred. “Don’t you ever—!” The words were too thick to be entirely understandable, but the key points came through. “You son of a bitch!”

The profanity continued as she drove the sword into Bug’s body several more times. The man was certainly dead by then, but Selene’s rage wasn’t quite done. Withdrawing it once more, she worked the point in between the sorcerer’s teeth and then bore down, putting all her weight on the pommel of the sword. The blade passed through his mouth, and then with an audible crunch, it pierced through the back of Bug’s skull and into the ground beneath him.

Will had seen plenty of horrors in his time, but Bug’s death was definitely going to be among the top ten. Selene was a gruesome sight as she stood and stared downward, her chest heaving for breath. Despite what she’d done, most of the blood on her was in the form of a muddy red streak from laying on the ground beside him, but there were a few fresh drops spattered across her cheek and the front of her dress.

After a moment, she seemed to regain her senses, and Selene looked wild eyed around the tent’s interior, as though suddenly realizing there might be more enemies. When she failed to find any, she returned to Will and began examining him.

The world turned dark as his vision faded out, but all Will cared about was the soft touch of her hair on his cheeks. If I have to go, this is the way it should be…

“Will! Wake up. I need you to stay conscious. Can you summon another regeneration potion for me? I had to use