Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, #5) - K.F. Breene Page 0,95

to her. His staff started to whirl.

“No you fucking don’t!” Sanders sprinted into the area with his sword in hand, blood splattered across his front. “I claim Betty’s twin!” He took a running leap and tackled the Master Executioner.

Shanti moved into the group with sword slashing, taking them out as quickly and efficiently as she was able. Pressure pulsed against her head, threatening pain, but none of it reached her, and none of them could fight.

Rohnan hooked his blade around a neck and yanked as the Bastard kicked someone in the chest. Sanders abandoned his sword and took to them with his fists. There were tears in his eyes and vengeance on his mind. Shanti and Rohnan knew exactly how he felt.

From beginning to end, it lasted no more than ten minutes. The three of them and two horses stood panting, looking down on the biggest collection of Inkna Shanti had ever seen in one place. “Xandre really wanted me dead,” she said into the eerie silence.

A cough took her out of her reverie. She looked up and started, seeing the rooftops littered with people staring down. Some had bows, some a collection of household items, and all were silent. Not all were looking at her, though. Some were looking at Rohnan, who was petting and calming his horse, and a great many were watching Sanders, standing amid the bodies, his white shirt soaked in blood, with pain and suffering etched on his face. When he looked up from the Inkna, his face transformed into one of rough tranquility. He was not at peace with what had happened to him, but he could come to terms with being the victim.

Shanti bet that a great many people staring down on them could sympathize with the emotion so clear on Sanders’ face.

“We’re not done yet,” Shanti said, sighing. “There are still a few Inkna hiding around the city, and a great many Graygual.”

“With the amount of mental power we have, Chulan, they don’t stand a chance,” Rohnan said.

“Even so. Let’s go clean out the rest of the trash.” She took a running leap onto the Bastard, then dug her heels into his sides. The animal took off, his hooves clattering against the cobblestone. A Graygual stepped out, and then another. She slashed down with her sword as she ran by, then held on for dear life as the Bastard jerked to a stop so he could kick out, clipping one of them with his hoof. The Graygual crumpled to the ground, his face ruined.

“Blasted animal, you’re going to end up breaking my neck!” The roar of fighting and battle raged as she turned the corner, metal clashing against metal, but whole sections of enemy were screaming as they sank to their knees. The Shumas and Shadow were taking advantage of their mental might.

She waded into the middle, slicing a neck before hacking through a shoulder. She struck a black-clad chest, unable to help mentally because of the weed. The Bastard reared, punching faces with his hooves before kicking out and knocking down more enemy.

A peal of thunder boomed outward from Cayan, taking those around her to their knees. The Bastard reared and screamed before galloping out of the way. He didn’t go far, though, a warhorse down to his bones. Instead, he bobbed his head and waited for the next opening.

“You’re insane, horse, you know that?” Shanti swung her leg around and jumped. She hit the hard ground, slashed through a writhing Graygual before meeting up with Cayan. Another burst of power rocked out, taking out a large faction of enemy. His men then waded through, protected by the weed, and finished them off.

“Victory is ours,” Cayan said, out of breath but not showing any sign of fatigue in his bearing. “The Shadow Lord is still using large amounts of power, but we’ve done it. They don’t have the resources to stop us.”

“We’ve won.” Shanti sighed. “We’re still alive.”

The fall of rocks and debris from the rooftops lightened. The screaming subsided as the Graygual died. “Yeah!” one of Cayan’s men shouted, raising his sword. Another, his bloodstained face weary, but eyes bright, lifted his sword into the air in response. A cheer went up around them, the people on the rooftops holding up their fists in victory along with the soldiers.

“We did it,” Shanti said, feeling the smile bud and the relief wash over her. “Somehow, we did it.” She felt danger gliding toward her, and turned to smile down at her