Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, #5) - K.F. Breene Page 0,12

If anyone got over the walls, hopefully these animals could help take them down.

Shanti monitored the sentries. The Shadow and Shumas had been warned ahead of time. They’d collected their horses and would make it back without any problem. But they hadn’t stopped to inform Cayan’s people, who were relying solely on their eyes. The Gifted weren’t making themselves clear to those without it.

“Shortsighted,” she muttered in agony, slowing for the second time. She’d just discovered a gaping hole in her training.

Before she could turn the Bastard, a large black stallion barreled out of the city gate. Behind him came sleek and shining horses ridden by some of Cayan’s elite. She felt fighters with single-minded focus exiting through the other gates.

“He means to get the sentries,” she heard Rohnan say behind her. Cayan had figured out what she had, and reacted ten times faster.

That was why he was the Captain.

“C’mon!” She urged her horse on, riding to meet up with the others. When she was close, the Bastard fell in line naturally, easily keeping pace with Cayan’s stallion.

Spreading her mind along the line of enemy horses, thundering down on the sentries, some of which were only now climbing down from their trees, she wrenched.

Equine screams rode the breeze. She stabbed, feeling the turmoil in the riders as their mounts bucked and kicked, dizzy with fear.

“Save your strength,” Rohnan shouted behind her.

He apparently thought she was a novice.

Behind the line of panicking horses rode another line, and then a horde of men on foot.

How had this many men moved so close without the Westwood Lands being warned? It didn’t seem possible.

A man in blue emerged through the trees, frantic, riding for all he was worth. A hundred yards behind him, between Cayan’s team and the Graygual, limped another. Determination radiated from him even though his situation had looked hopeless.

“Lucius!” Cayan called over his shoulder. The wind whipped his words away as the thundering of hooves drowned them out. But Cayan had his own way of communicating, built from years of working with his men.

He veered to the side, sending a feeling of distance to Shanti, having her veer the other way, opening up a hole to run around the struggling man so Lucius could make the grab.

And then they were on them.

Graygual looked up the instant before a thunder of power rocked the line of enemy. Men screamed, clutching at their chests. Shanti hit them a moment later, slashing through their brains and driving men to their knees.

Sunlight glinted off a sword as Cayan slashed downward. The Bloody Bastard hit the line a moment later, screaming wildly before rearing, lashing out with his front hooves. Red splashed as a head caved in. Shanti slashed a neck, dropping the man before readying another blast of power.

“We’re here long enough to get everyone secure,” Cayan shouted, piercing a man’s face with his blade before hacking down at someone else. His strokes were vicious and powerful.

Shanti monitored those around the city, identifying who was still outside the gates. On the far side, where the second largest cluster of Graygual approached, someone was in agony.

“We’d never make it in time,” Cayan yelled, feeling her discovery.

Shanti sent a request for aid to her people, hoping they remembered the difference between her needing help and someone else. She sliced down at an arm even as she tried to focus with all her person on the downed man.

A spark of understanding came from Kallon before she felt his action. Mela and Sayas were the next to give that spark of understanding. She didn’t know if they’d read her right, though. The system, despite their years of practice, was still imperfect.

“Shanti!” Lucius’ voice cut through her mental focus. She registered her surroundings a moment before she saw a black uniform with five stripes bear down. The flash of a sword announced a strike aimed right for her.

Reacting, she struck, piercing his brain before her arm could even lift to block. The sword kept coming; the Graygual officer had trained against excruciating mental pain and was not deterred. Suddenly she was weightless. Her body flew through the air, ass over end, as a horse scream cut through the clang of metal and shouts of men. Her body hit the ground in a painful thud as the scream sounded again.

Hooves swung up to the sky before crashing back down. The Bloody Bastard reared again, kicking out with his front legs. Blood dripped onto the ground below him. The sword must’ve sliced