Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, #5) - K.F. Breene Page 0,38

didn’t have time to tell S’am.” Leilius’ expression fell. “We didn’t make it in time, either.”

“That wasn’t your fault.” Lucius backed down the hill, motioning Leilius away. “You head down and cover the others. I’ll—”

“Mine!”

“Don’t shoot!”

“Hold up!”

“Oops, shit!”

A blast of needles raked across Lucius’ mind, making his legs go weak and his hands numb. Women screamed and Leilius moaned. Lucius clenched his jaw and fought back the pain, bracing for the Inkna.

The feeling cleared a moment later. “Watch that way,” he instructed Leilius.

“What have you found?” Shanti’s voice sounded like a bell.

“Up here,” Lucius hollered.

A moment later a black shape zipped from the right. Adrenaline spiked as Lucius lifted his bow. A feline head appeared above a tangle of brush. A rush of relief washed through him.

The feeling was short-lived.

The animal homed in. Its head dropped slowly before it moved in his direction. Like it was stalking its prey, the animal kept Lucius in its sights. More movement, from the other side, announced a second cat, crawling forward with the same slow stealth. They snarled, showing long white teeth.

“Shanti!” Lucius called, putting his hands out to the side to make himself seem bigger. The urge to run raced through him, something that didn’t even happen with the enemy.

A swear announced Shanti jogging toward him. The cats, as if verbally called off, stopped in their advance. Their teeth disappeared, but they didn’t relax.

“They’re after the wrong person,” Lucius said to Shanti, his hands still spread out wide. He followed her back down the hill, still not showing his back to the hillside.

“What happened here?” Shanti asked, her gaze taking in the two of their company who lay dead before looking at Alena, trying to steer a crying woman away from the carnage. The rest of the women, their faces white and eyes tense, stared at the enemy gate. They didn’t plan on leaving their station.

“I saw two of them wearing the same garb as we saw last night.” Lucius sucked in lungfuls of air, shaking with the pent-up adrenaline.

Shanti blew out a breath, glancing at the cats before turning her gaze up the hill. “I’m concerned with these numbers. Is Xandre close, or is he entrusting this task with those he deems worthy?”

“Or both…” Lucius bent, feeling for a pulse in Timken. Nothing. “He’s had a lot of time to train. Surely he’ll be able to spare a few by now.”

Shanti was quiet for a moment, glancing over the fallen. Rohnan wandered closer with his staff in one hand. He put a palm on Shanti’s shoulder.

“You need to teach those cats to follow a scent,” Lucius said.

“They know how to follow a scent, but they’ll only do it when they feel like it.” Shanti gave a small shake of her head and looked at the city. “Pull everyone inside. Quickly.”

“His knife throwing was perfect,” Lucius said as he helped lift the fallen.

“They are the absolute best this land has to offer.” Shanti scanned the hillside again.

“Let’s hope not the absolute best.”

“Let’s hope.” She looked behind her. “We’ll be staying here for the night and planning out the next steps. I don’t think our new friends will be going anywhere.”

“They’ll pick us off one by one.”

Shanti’s eyes flashed. “Only if they survive the night. I’ll be inviting them to a hunting party.”

“But they can sense your mind power. They’ll know exactly where you are, right?”

“Yes, they will. It’s a good time to see if they will engage. Xandre isn’t the only one prepared to lay some bait and make assumptions based on the results.”

Lucius’ stomach flipped with her implications. “Does the Captain know about this plan?”

“No. It’ll be a lovely surprise, don’t you think?”

11

“Cayan, we can’t both go.” The knives felt tight against Shanti’s leg. Tingles worked down her spine in anticipation of what awaited her outside the walls.

Cayan looked up at the black sky where the slivered moon and glimmering stars provided very little light by which to navigate the wild hillside. “You need someone to watch your back. I’m going.”

Rohnan shifted in the corner where he sat cross-legged. He put one hand on the double bladed staff lying in front of him. “He is trying to be rational, Chulan. Soon he’ll just get pushy.” Rohnan hefted his staff before standing. “The night is growing old. We should go.”

Shanti offered them both a weary sigh. “The two of you try my patience.”

“Likewise.” Cayan touched his sword before stalking to the door. He spared a glance for the three cats curled into