Page 40 of Of Nine So Bold

But not everyone could stop them. Humans fell and their movements were too slow, too unskilled to beat the rush of their attackers.

They aren’t warriors,the broken onegasped.They’re farmers and villagers. We have to help?—

From the topmost branches of the diseased tree, Jakob lunged upward and grabbed my ankle. Hauling on me with impossible strength, he began to drag me down.

Fury surged through me, hot enough to start burning back the thick numbness coating my limbs. Kicking hard, I dislodged his grip and beat my wings faster, lifting beyond his reach.

“Mine,” I snarled down at him.

“Dead,” he snarled back, inky darkness swirling in his eyes.

And then his body spasmed like something was trying to crawl up his throat. Strange words choked out of him. Horrible, twisted sounds that slithered around like invisible oil on the air.

“No…” Gwyneira’s whispered plea startled me. My shocked gaze darted from the possessed man to my beloved.

She never opened her eyes. The pallor of her skin was becoming deathly white.

But her body began to jerk like she was being prodded by knives.

“Stop him!” Byron shouted below. “That’s the language of the witches! He’s?—”

I didn’t need more. Spinning tightly, I swung as fast as I could through the sludge-like air.

My claws took the man’s throat—and his head besides. Blood splattered the trees as his corpse toppled through the branches on its way to the ground.

Gwyneira whimpered. Her shaking ceased.

But still she did not wake.

Below, the other possessed humans didn’t pause. Shrieking like savage beasts, they shoved fistfuls of the apples into the mouths of their pinned prey. The humans forced to consume the corrupt fruits began to lurch and shake. Their eyes rolled back in their heads.

They lunged to their feet and charged at the giants.

I wrapped my arms tighter around my treluria, torn. I couldn’t help the ones below. Not with my flames, anyway. The attackers were too close to my beloved’s allies. I would only burn everyone.

And to go down there would only risk her.

“Demon!” Lars shouted. “Use your fire!”

I balked. Was he insane?

The blond madman shoved a human attacker away and fumbled desperately to hold back another with his sword. “Do it now!”

He… he can control flames,the broken onestammered.But surely he doesn’t think he could actually?—

Ozias roared as three humans flung themselves at him in an attempt to pin him to the ground. Across the small clearing, Clay toppled from Valeria’s horse as the beast reared wildly, surrounded by attacking humans.

Indecision ripped me apart. Not to try would break my treluria’s heart.

To be responsible for their deaths would too.

“Now, dammit!” Lars yelled. He flung a hand upward, his magic heating the air.

The flame within me answered. Fire rushed through my veins, surging to life like a trapped blaze that had suddenly found air.

Put her down, put her down, put her down!the broken one cried in my mind.You’ll burn her, you crazy son of a?—

No, I wouldn’t.

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