Page 139 of To Bleed A Kingdom

Ajax hesitates, frowning. “What about the survivors? Shouldn’t we be helping them escape?”

Glancing down at the street, I watch as humans who were dead only moments ago rise to their feet, now enshrouded in shadows with glowing red eyes and wickedly sharp fangs. “No one leaves.”Knowing Ajax won’t dare question me further, I pivot away. “For the rest of you,” I shout, readjusting my grip on my sword as I stalk forward, Griffin and Kace beside me, “kill every last one of them.”

Battle cries sound behind me just as I reach a Soulless crouched over a man, feeding off his twitching body. Its head snaps up with a snarl and I swing my sword, cutting off its head before stabbing the man in the heart.

“Kill anyone who’s been bitten!” I call out, stabbing a woman in her eye as it begins to fill with glowing crimson. That's all we need right now. Soulless breeding more Soulless. Adding my people to their ranks.

A claw swipes at me and I duck. Swinging my sword upward, I slice through the creature’s wrist and swing again, severing its head.

Another charges toward me, frothing red spittle and I kick out, connecting with its chest as I grab my dagger from its sheath and stab up beneath its ribs.

I jerk my dagger free and as its body falls, I hear a pain-filled shout. Lifting my gaze, I see Griffin struggling against three Soulless while clutching his abdomen. I throw my dagger, hitting one of his assailants directly in the heart. Griffin stabs another just as I reach him, and I skewer the third Soulless through the back.Gripping Griffin’s arm, I drag him up to his feet. “Are you alright?”

He winces. “I’m fine.” Peeling his hand back, he peers down at the blooming red spot. “It got me with its claws.”

A shriek sounds behind him and I shove Griffin out of the way, raising my sword. But when I move to swing, another blade suddenly spears through its chest.

“I hate these things,” Kace says, kicking the dead off his sword before spinning to swipe at another.

A Soulless lunges at my side and I dodge it, slicing above its knee. It topples to the ground and I stomp on its head, crushing its skull. A loud, concussive boom rumbles beneath my feet and I look up, finding a fae with orange, glittering hands shooting fire orbs at the Soulless surrounding him. They instantly catch fire but continue forward, burning torches who pounce on the fae with a screech.

Dumbass.

I can't even feel pity for the fool as I watch the demons feed off him. He knows just as well as I or any other Cascadonian that the Soulless can’t be killed by magic. Before, we only had to concern ourselves with fangs and claws. Now, he'll burn Seboia to ash in his stupidity.

Just as the thought enters my mind, a flaming Soulless runs into a hut. Screams and shouts sound inside before the thatched roof catches fire, blazing into a wildfire that quickly spreads to the hut next to it, then the ones beside that one. Until all the homes on that side of the street are inflamed in billowing, orange flames that rise as far as the eye can see, a beacon to the Stars of our destruction.

I cut down one Soulless, two, then three. Seeing a small pocket form between me and the next approaching undead, I seize my opportunity.

Dropping my sword, I quickly summon my Gifts, blasting away the Soulless nearest to me with a torrential gust of air. Then I raise my hand, water streaming from my palms towards the huts, dousing more than half, but many still burn.

It'll have to do.

A Soulless reaches for me. When I crouch down to retrieve my sword, Griffin stabs it in the eye.

“How many more are there?” he asks, color returning to his cheeks as he swipes a blue glittering hand in the air, flipping several of them ass-over-end into the swarm.

“I don’t know,” I growl, wiping the sweat from my brow. Frustrated, I don’t have time to think of strategy when faced by the unceasing horde of Soulless. I swing, stab, duck, and slice, felling one creature after another, but they keep on coming. Raising my dagger, I stab another in the ear canal, when a new cacophony of screams reaches me. Snapping my gaze to the East gate, I watch as dozens of Soulless flood into the city. Before I can figure out a way to handle this new development, roars sound behind me. I whip around to the sight of a line of demons attacking the barrier.

“Dear gods,” I breathe, watching in horror as the line of guards collapses beneath the onslaught. Some of the Soulless stop to feed off those holding the line, but most crawl past, entering into the heart of Seboia.

Sensing a Soulless behind me, I spin and swing downward, slicing through its face with a roar. Frustration powers my limbs. Fury scorches through my veins. Fear thunders my heart.Guilt labors my breaths.

I. Warned. Her.

I warned my mother and the Kings Council this would happen. That the Breccans had instilled traitors on our lands and were actively working against us. Yet they did nothing. Refusing to see the truth, they allowed blindness and fear to govern their actions. Now my kingdom bleeds, for the cowardice of kings and queens.

Glancing between Kace and Griffin, I see the same grim acceptance on their faces as it is on mine, knowing that none of us will be leaving here alive. Needing no words, I give them both one last brusque nod, and I fight. I fight for our brethren who died today. Fight for the kingdom I failed. I’ll fight until my very last breath and pray to the gods that I can buy some time for my loved ones to escape. For Aurora, Theon, Trip.

For Lena.

But as I’m hacking and stabbing, contemplating my death, the Soulless suddenly just stop. Stop snarling, stop growling, stop feeding. They cock their heads to the side in the grotesque, unnatural way they do, and sniff.

“What’s happening?” Kace asks, his eyes wide as he watches the creatures scent the air.

“I don’t know,” I reply, sharing an uneasy look with Griffin.

A whistle suddenly pierces through the sounds of snuffling and the Soulless instantly jerk their heads back, releasing a series ofdisconcerting clicking sounds. Then, as one, they turn to face the brothel.