Page 373 of Born of Blood and Ash

Kyn had launched an attack against his brother.

CHAPTERFIFTY-SEVEN

I staggered back in shock as the groundquivered with the clash of shadowstone and poundinghoofbeats. My gaze darted across the long field that stretched into thehorizon, where the sky bled with the silver of drakenfire before the snowcapped mountains.

I spun, taking in the carnage. Everywhere I looked, godsdressed in black and others in crimson were locked in a fierce battle, strikingdown one another with an instinctual grace that almost hid their innatebrutality. The shimmering waves of energy arced and crackled across the fieldas sword blows gave way to deadly streaks of eather.Charging fearlessly into battle, every swing of their swords and motion was atestament to the Primal gods they descended from.

The Primal God of War and Accord, and the Primal God ofPeace and Vengeance.

Ash suddenly jerked me to his chest as a horse rushed pastus, the rider—the headless rider—slumping to the side.

His eyes met mine. “Phanos is nothere.”

“I know. He’s somewhere—shit.” I shot to the side, eather responding at once as a massive, ugly-as-fuck kynakos launched itself into the air,snarling with a mouthful of blade-sharp fangs mere feet from Ash’s back. Ithrew out my hand, releasing a stream of gold-tinged silver. I winced at theyelp as the essence smacked into the Dog of War, hitting it in the stomach.

Ash twisted at the waist, catching the arm of a soldier in ablack uniform with crimson cloth stretched over shadowstonearmor. The soldier shouted in pain as Ash broke the man’s arm in one breath andthen snapped his neck with brutal quickness in the next.

He spun toward me, eyes filling with eather.“Sera—”

“I’m not leaving,” I cut in. “I’m fighting beside you.” Isucked in a short breath as Ash suddenly lifted me and turned, shielding mybody as eather erupted from his palm. A high-pitchedshriek told me his aim had been deadly accurate. His gaze returned to mine. “Iremember what I promised you,” I said. “No unnecessary risks.”

Ash froze for a heartbeat and then cursed. He clasped theback of my neck, drawing my head to his. “I’d better not see a single scratchon you, liessa. Not even one. So, be thebadass Queen you are.”

“Always,” I swore.

He exhaled a ragged breath and glanced up. “Hold off onusing the eather as much as you can,” he saidquickly, picking up the shadowstone sword the soldierhad dropped. He pressed the hilt into my hand. Shadows blossomed over hischeeks. “We need to get to Attes. We cannot let himfall.”

I nodded, stepping back. His hold on me firmed for a momentand then vanished. My gaze swept the field once more, easily picking out Kyn’ssoldiers. Crimson covered their armor, and the crests on their helmets were thesame bloody shade.

I was really beginning to fucking hate that color.

Snapping forward, I went after the closest soldier,thrusting the sword through his back as a blast of frigid air suddenly rolledoff Ash. He rose into the air, his skin hardening as it turned to the color of shadowstone. Dark shadows spilled out of him, spinning andchurning as the hazy outline of wings swept out behind him.

“The bitch is on the field!” someone shouted.

My gaze jerked to the right. A soldier wheeled his horsearound, his helmet with its tuft of red horsehair stained with blood. “Excuseme?”

The horse charged me, its nostrils flaring as its hooveskicked up soil.

A bolt of eather-laced shadowsflowed past me, enveloping the soldier and his horse. In an instant, both wereshimmery dust.

“Not the horse!” I cried out.

“Liessa…” Ash rose evenhigher, the churning eather spinning faster andfaster. “Get ready.”

I felt the essence surging within me as my handinstinctively tightened around the sword’s hilt.

Before me, several soldiers whipped around. I held my breathand began to count. One. Two. The distraction cost them as their opponents fromboth sides struck them down. Three. Four—

Tendrils of shadowy eather snakedacross the battlefield, sweeping over soldiers in red and weaving between thosein black. The pounding echoes of death came so fast I couldn’t even begin tocount how many fell as the torrents of eathercontinued on their way, carving out a path that left only Attes’ssoldiers standing and…

Horses suddenly without riders.

My lips curved into a tight smile as I silently thanked Ash.

Then I saw them.

Attes and Kyn were on a hill,locked in a battle of swords and eather.

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