Page 30 of A Shattered Kingdom of Steel

“Over here,” Savell taunts.

“Yoo-hoo,” Orim hollers.

The troll bellows, a mangled and guttural sound. When it shifts forward, the remaining horse slips off of the troll's shoulder and lands on its side, letting out a whine.

“We move now,” I say to Asheros.

Keeping my focus on my target, I lower my stance and slowly move forward with my knees bent. To my left, Asheros does the same, mirroring my form. In his left hand, the one that’s farthest from me, he keeps a tight, but flexible grip on his dagger.

We advance, treading carefully while Savell, Ronan, and Orim continue provoking the troll. And thank the gods, the troll takes the bait. Its movements become more agitated and uncontrolled, losing any semblance of pattern or predictability.

Gritting his teeth, Asheros shakes his head slightly, mouth curved in disapproval. Under his breath, he whispers, “They’re going to get themselves killed.”

“Then let’s not waste time,” I mutter, keeping my focus on the troll.

He nods. Staying in line with one another, we move forward until we’re positioned on either side of the troll, less than an arm’s length behind it. Glancing at me, Asheros brings his dagger to the troll’s skin, but doesn’t make contact. Unwavering, he keeps his eyes on me, as if waiting for my command.

“Now?” he mouths to me.

I take a breath and still my mind. We only get the element of surprise once.

“Now,” I mouth back, working to over emphasize the syllable.

Without a second’s hesitation, Asheros jabs his dagger into the troll’s side.

The beast lets out a terrible shriek. Thrashing its head, the troll whirls around, desperately clawing for whatever being is to blame for the shallow wound.

It comes dangerously close to Asheros.

Panic jolts through me. Not the panic of a soldier in battle, or the onlooker of a tragedy. No, this is the panic of someone who cares deeply. Of someone who would throw themselves into the fire for another, even if it meant they would die slowly.

“Look o—” I throw a hand over my mouth to keep quiet.

Asheros darts back, just barely avoiding the troll’s fist. Seemingly unaware of my presence, the troll swipes for him again, missing a second time. I’m lucky that my misstep a moment ago didn’t give away my position—that means I can still move around unseen.

I lunge forward, pounding both of my fists into the troll’s other side. The creature roars, twisting its frame around again. I leap back several paces. The troll closes its fist around nothingness, letting out a violent rush of air through its grotesque, misshapen nostrils.

Asheros furrows his brows, tension working at his jaw. The distance between us has grown, spanning more than a few feet. Eyes widening, I look down at my hands. The troilite cuff stings my skin, and the shadows enveloping me have thinned to form a translucent layer around me.

My cover.

It’s gone.

The troll pauses. Saliva dripping from its jagged, yellow teeth, its eyes narrow with deadly purpose.

And I have its undivided attention.

“Well, shit,” I curse.

From the outskirts of my vision, I see worry deepen the crease in Asheros’s brow.

The troll makes a move for me. But thank the gods, I’m faster. Taking quick breaths, I dodge its burly arms and hands. Thunder roars in my veins, pure adrenaline powering my movements. My thighs burn from having my knees bent for so long, but the pain merely fades into the background.

The troll seems to have forgotten about Asheros.

But Asheros doesn’t forget about the troll. He darts forward, practically throwing himself into the chaos.

“Have you no common sense? Get out of here,” I cry out to him and the others.

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