Page 340 of Of Empires and Dust

Fenryr, all clad in black plate with pauldrons wrought into roaring wolfheads, tilted his head to the side as Faenir often did, then rammed his fist through the woman’s steel breastplate, obsidian claws breaking free of the flesh on her back. He tossed her to the ground, body still twitching, and proceeded to rip a Lorian Battlemage’s throat out with a single swipe.

As Kaygan, Boud, and the three Jotnar stepped through the portal, Ella scanned the chamber, trying to find some semblance of order within the chaos. That was when she saw Coren floating in the air, a Battlemage’s sword held to her neck, something almost imperceptible tangled around her. Only a faint shimmerlet Ella know that some strange power held her friend, a distortion in the air where there should have been none. The wolf could smell it,feelit.

Ella did not need to utter so much as a whisper. Faenir bounded past her, his muscular legs launching him across the terraces with ease.

She broke into a run after him, the wolf growling within her, then skidded to a halt as a Lorian soldier leapt from the ledge to her right and came a heartbeat from cleaving her in two with a shimmering steel sword. She howled and thrust her left hand forwards, claws plunging into the man’s wrist, slicing tendon and flesh and scraping bone.

Ella drove the claws of her right hand up beneath his chin, watching his eyes roll into the back of his head. She ripped her claws free of the man’s skull, and the spray of blood that followed drove the wolf within her wild. Ella grabbed the back of the dying man’s head, pulled him closer, wrapped her jaws around his neck, and ripped out his throat.

She spat the hunk of flesh into the dirt, twisting in the same motion to bound up the steps.

Another soldier leapt at her but fell from the air with an arrow bursting into his eye, blood and fluid spraying. At the edge of her vision, she saw Therin nocking another arrow, having stepped through the portal with the Aetherdruid, Una, at his side.

Ella focused ahead to where Faenir had wrapped his jaws around the Battlemage’s head and Coren had dropped to her knees. Another Lorian blade came for Ella’s shoulder as she reached the terrace, but the wolf in her blood pushed her knee to the ground and the blade slid over her head. She sprang upwards, raking her claws across the soldier’s chest, then sweeping into a backhand that tore the man’s face to ribbons of flesh.

Faenir gave a terrible wrench of the Battlemage’s head, and Ella heard a bone snap and watched the man go limp.

Coren knelt before her, gasping for air as Faenir leapt past her and dragged another Lorian to the ground, tearing apart his breastplate as though it were made of clay.

Coren lifted her gaze, dark skin marred by dirt and blood. Ella gave a grim smile, opening her hand. “Try to keep up.”

“What are you doing here?” Coren asked, taking Ella’s arm and hauling herself upright. She glanced to where Faenir drained the last vestiges of life from the soldier behind her amidst a chorus of snapping and gurgling.

“You called. We answered,” Ella said, picking a piece of flesh from between her teeth with her tongue and spitting it onto the ground.

“But how?” Coren looked down to the lower terraces where the three Jotnar cut down any Lorians that crossed their paths, then took a step backwards as Aneera and Diango drew closer, hackles raised and teeth bared.

“The how of it is best explained another time,” Ella said, watching as Fenryr seized the last Lorian in the chamber. The god barely showed a semblance of effort as he grabbed the woman’s skull and ripped it free from her body, her dangling spine still tethered to its base. Part of Ella wanted to vomit at the sight, but the wolf in her howled with abandon, revelling in the spilt blood. She turned back to Coren, whose eyes were wide. “We’re here now. Tell us where you need us.”

“The Lorians have found their way inside. I’ve sent warriors to hold the other tunnels in case of further breaches. Farwen holds the main gates, but she won’t be able to do so for long,” Coren said, gesturing towards a large tunnel on the other side of the chamber. “I’d hoped we could hold them longer. If we can somehow stem the tide, there’s still a chance of holding Tarhelm while your brother breaks them outside.”

Kaygan appeared at Ella’s shoulder, Boud and Una beside him, both of their short swords wet with fresh-spilt blood. There wasn’t a bone in Ella’s body that trusted the kat god – or Una and Boud for that matter. She wasn’t sure if it was the wolf within her or just her own nature, but all of them set her hackles on end. They smelled of deception. In truth, the only one her wolf didn’t growl at was Tamzin.

“Ah,” Kaygan said, stepping past Ella and staring at Coren. “You are… fabulous. Another living nexus. So many paths. So many possibilities… It’s all coming together.”

Ella’s hackles rose once more, and Faenir turned, snapping and snarling as the god stared at Coren with an unsettling intensity. She stepped between the two, unflinching under Kaygan’s gaze. “Dream of harming her,” Ella said, the red mist descending over her vision, the wolf taking hold, “and I will know the taste of your heart.”

Faenir moved to Ella’s side, snarling, blood dripping from his jaws.

The god stared at her for a moment before his gaze softened and the tension evaporated from his muscles. “My, my, my. You truly are precisely what I had hoped you would be, Wolfchild.”

“Speak again, brother, and I will have your tongue.” Fenryr placed a hand on Kaygan’s shoulder, stepping past without so much as glancing at him. He looked to Coren. “It is an honour to make your acquaintance, Coren Valmar, Daughter of the Sea.”

Those words seemed to physically punch Coren in the gut. She stumbled backwards, staring at Fenryr as though she had seen a ghost in his eyes. “How did you…”

“She died with pride in her heart. You should know that. You were in her thoughts when her light faded.”

Coren’s jaw trembled, and she stared at Fenryr. “Kollna? How… She…” the woman stuttered, her words failing her. Ellahad never seen Coren be anything but sure of herself. “What are you?”

“If we survive this, you will know more. But I thought you deserved to know this now. What is our next step?”

Coren stood in silence for a few moments, her eyes wide, blood dripping from the tip of her sword. “We…” She swallowed hard. “We need to get to Farwen and help her reinforce the gates. I’ve sent warriors to blockade any other potential entry points. The longer we can hold the gates, the more time we give Calen to break the army outside.”

Therin gave a sharp nod. “Then let’s go.”

Coren ledthe others through the maze-like tunnels of Tarhelm, gathering any scattered rebels as they went.

She couldn’t get that man’s words from her head.“Coren Valmar, Daughter of the Sea…You were in her thoughts when her light faded… She died with pride in her heart.”

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