Page 60 of Twisted Thorns

As one, we leap from our hiding place, weapons drawn and fierce determination etched on our faces. A surge of adrenaline washes over me, fueling every muscle, every cell, as I charge toward the unsuspecting guards.

"Surprise, you bastards!" Finn roars, his battle cry echoing through the night like a vengeful storm. The guards scramble to react, panic and confusion clouding their faces as we descend upon them like avenging angels.

Gunfire erupts around us, the deafening roar of bullets slicing through the air like demonic whispers.

"Kieran, left!" Finn shouts, his warning cutting through the cacophony of chaos. I pivot, my body moving with years of rigorous training as I dispatch another guard. Despite the progress, I can feel the weight of our mission bearing down on me, the lives we are ending in the pursuit of Avalina's safety.

As the battle rages on, my monster rears its head and I'm lost in the dance of death, each swing of my weapon a testament to the love that burns within me. I can feel the heat of Finn's body beside me, our movements synchronized like a deadly ballet.

"Move in, now!" I command, my voice steely and unwavering despite the adrenaline coursing through me. The sound of gunfire echos in the air like a symphony of violence, a cacophony that threatens to drown out all reason and sanity.

"Flank them from the left," I order Finn, my eyes never straying far from the battlefield. I can feel the familiar weight of responsibility settling on my shoulders as we fight to regain control of the situation. My friends move swiftly under my direction, their trust in me as unshakable as my resolve.

"Watch your back!" I warn Cass, gripping my weapon tightly as I prepare for the onslaught of enemy fire. Bullets whiz past us, their sharp, metallic scent filling my nostrils as they narrowly miss our bodies. The taste of fear mixed with determination coats my tongue, making it difficult to swallow.

"Move up on three!" I shout, gripping my gun tightly as I mentally prepare myself for the fight ahead. "One, two... three!"

As we surge forward, our bodies slick with sweat and determination, I can't help but think of the woman who had captured my heart, her spirit as wild and untamed as the battlefield that surrounds us.

Blood drips down my face, blurring my vision and mixing with the sweat that coats my brow. I'm not even sure where the blood is coming from.

Finn grunts in exertion as he hurls a barrage of punches at a guard, his own injuries more than clear in the blood staining his clothes.

"Kieran, we need to move!" Finn barks, his breath labored as if each word was being dragged from the depths of his lungs. "We won't last much longer!"

"Agreed," I growl, my voice hoarse from shouting orders and battle cries. "But we can't leave without Avalina."

"Trust me, I won't let that happen," he assures me, a fierce determination burning in his eyes.

"Kieran, watch your six!" Cass’s voice snaps me back to reality, and I spin around just in time to take a bullet in my arm instead of my chest. Pain sears through me, hotter than any blaze, but I grit my teeth and force myself to fight through it. I can't afford to let it slow me down.

I strain with effort as I continue to engage our opponents. Every muscle screams in protest, every breath a burning ache in my chest, but surrender is not an option. Avalina's life depends on us, and I would rather die than fail her.

"Can't let them get the upper hand," Finn grunts, his voice weary with exertion, but moving still at the same, launching himself at yet another guard, taking him down with a brutal efficiency that had become second nature to him.

"Liam!" A voice screams behind me. I turn just in time to see Finn take the brunt of an attack meant for my brother. For the first time since this fight began, worry takes seed in my veins and roots me to the spot, frozen, as I watch Finn fall to the ground."

"Kieran, we're being pushed back!" Liam yells over the deafening sound of gunfire. "We need to regroup!"

"Fall back to the tree line!" I shout, grabbing Finn and pulling him with me. As we retreat, thoughts of Avalina consume me, her image flickering in my mind like a candle struggling to stay lit. I know what's at stake, but the fear of losing her fuels my every move, driving me forward even when exhaustion threatens to consume me.

"Take cover!" I call out, diving behind a fallen tree trunk just as a hail of bullets rains down upon us. My heart pounds in my chest like a wild animal trapped in a cage, desperate to escape its confines.

"Damn it," I whisper, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Our plan isn’t going the way we want it to. I’ve got to do something fast.

Chapter 33

Sloane

I should be asleep at this hour, but I rarely sleep, preferring to use the darkness as a shield for my training. During the day, I train my mind while playing pretend, listening in on conversations through secret passages and creating new schemes to shake the tail of whatever unlucky soul was on guard duty.

When the sun gives way to the moon, that was when I shined, honing my body into lethal grace with a precision I knew even my brother couldn't beat. Sure, he was stronger. But I was faster, smarter, and didn't care about the pile of bones our lives were built on.

I had lost my humanity years ago, sacrificing it to protect my sanity in a world designed to break me.

I heard my father's men bring someone in through the basement doors a couple of hours ago, but I didn't give it too much thought. People come and go down there all the time. What do I care.

That is, until Finn texted me on my burner phone, the one I hide from everyone so I can try to have some semblance of a life. And then I heard the guards talking as they walked down the hallway, eager to take down Kieran Calder.

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