Page 53 of Of Scale and Blood

A whisper of wind stirred across the back of my neck, and I instinctively went sideways. Metal gleamed as it shot past me and thudded into the ground several yards ahead, fletching quivering with the impact.

The bastards might want Kaia captured alive, but they obviously weren’t so fussed about me. I flung my free hand back and swept a stream of fire behind me, trying to create a protective wall more than aiming at anything or anyone in particular. Blood began to pour over my lashes and, deep in my brain, the ache began. I continued to ignore it. Right now, there was nothing else I could do.

As Yara swept up from her first murderous run along the squawking, agitated birds, Rua appeared and swept in, claws first, at the other barrel and the men readying it for use. The latter wisely ran, but Hannity’s fire chased them, turning them to ashes between one long step and another. A heartbeat later, the barrel itself was also ash.

Men, running toward you,came Rua’s thought.Are gold, like riders.

Not Hopetown’s military forces, then.Attack them.

Kill them, she amended and swept away.

Be careful of the metal tubes—remember they spray the acid,I yelled mentally after her. I had no idea if she heard me. She certainly didn’t acknowledge me.

Another arrow, glinting with deadly intent. I batted it away with my sword, then ran between Kaia’s claws and underneath her captured wing. Blood dripped like rain, staining the ground and filling the air with its dark metallic scent.

Yara dropped like a stone from the sky once more and flew down the remaining line of birds, gathering them in her claws and soaring upward again. Once again, she squeezed them until they popped, then dropped them to the ground, their bloody, broken bodies landing wetly all around us. Kaia’s wing at least sheltered me from all that, but the dark rain of her blood was increasing as the ropes bit deeper. Too much more, and she wouldn’t be able to fly.

I reached the first of the three blood-drenched ropes attached to the netting, gripped the sword with both hands, then swung it with all the force I could muster. The blade bit through it with ease, sparks flew—the sort that came with magic rather than fire—and the two severed ends of the rope snapped away, one barely missing my face.

More arrows shot past me, but either the gilded riders were deliberately shooting wide because I was under Kaia, and they didn’t want to risk hitting her—not that these arrows were any likelier to hit anything vital than the others at the port had been—or her wing sweeps were creating enough of a windstorm to alter the trajectory of the arrows.

I ran to the next rope, this time standing slightly to one side as I swung the sword. As it snapped away, Kaia bellowed and thrust back against the remaining one. As it vibrated sharply, I swung the sword a final time and severed the thing, then hunkered down low to avoid the maelstrom caused by Kaia’s wings as she rose.

The net still trailed from the ends of her phalanges, still cutting into bone and membrane. I couldn’t deal with it. Not yet. Not until the threat of another attack had been removed.

Grab you,she said, even as tried to position her claws above me.

No, go, before they snare you again. I’ll take out the bastards reloading the last barrel.

Not safe on ground.

You’re not safe in the air if I don’t get rid of that net caster.

Will be high. Call if want, she grumbled, then rose and swept away, her movements unsteady thanks to the weight of the net still entangled around her wing.

I thrust up and ran through the field of building remains and bloody body parts, heading for the men and the winch. A storm of arrows now flew around me, though I had no idea where the damn archers were hiding. I couldn’t see them, and they obviously couldn’t really see me given the inaccuracy of their attack.

But I knew without a doubt that my luck would run out sooner than later.

Rua, I yelled mentally, even as I desperately signaled to Hannity,find and kill the archers.

What archer?

I sent her a mental image of an arrow and one of a bow I’d seen the rider use.

Do,she said.See.

As she swept away, movement dragged my attention back to the barrel ahead. A lone, helmetless rider had raised a larger than usual tube weapon, stepping out in front of his two companions who were now reloading the barrel. I needed it destroyed. Neededthemdestroyed.

There was definitely more than a little of our queen’s viciousness residing within me.

I roared in fury, raising my sword, and charged at the rider, even as I cast a sneaky snake of fire toward him, keeping it low to the ground until the very last moment. A wide anticipatory grin stretched the rider’s thick, pale lips, but as his fingers curled around the firing mechanism, I directed my flames into the tube’s barrel, then dropped hard to the ground and threw my hands over my head. The tube exploded, spraying metal and flaming liquid into the air with violent force. Remnants shot all around me but none hit my exposed hands or body. Luck, it seemed, was finally falling my way.

I jumped to my feet and strode toward the man who’d tried to kill me. Half his shoulder and neck had been blown apart by the explosion, and I had no idea how he was even alive, let alone screaming, and though the inner viciousness definitely wanted to drag out his suffering, I resisted and gifted him with death.

I moved on. The barrel had large chunks of metal imbedded into its fat body, one of them spearing all the way through. It was likely enough to render it unusable, but to be sure, I raised the sword and brought it down hard. The force of the impact shuddered up my arms, but the blade easily bit through the wood, and the front end dropped heavily to the ground. I repeated the process at the rear end, cutting away the firing mechanism, then checked his two companions, both of whom were lying in a tangled mess of limbs, bloodied and unmoving. One, at the very least, seemed to be breathing.

I moved closer, my sword held at the ready, but before I could check either man, something sliced into my calf, and red-hot agony exploded through me.

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