Page 105 of Path of the Dark
Recognition flashed across his handsome face.
And then he moved—faster than a man should have been able to—and clubbed Ryana around the head. She staggered, before a blunt force slammed into her side, knocking her to the cobbles. Rolling onto her back, Ryana looked up to see Gael looming over her. He drew his right arm back, preparing to strike.
Despair washed over her in a cold, sickly wave.It’s over.
And then a tall leather-clad figure barreled into Gael.
Steel flashed, and Elias sank a blade into Gael’s ribs.
Ryana’s breath gusted out of her. Panting, she clambered to her feet. The two men were locked together, struggling with the knife that Elias had yanked from Gael’s side. Around them roared columns of flame and twisters of shadow. The booming roar of battle shuddered through Ryana’s body, drilling deep into her skull. It made it hard to think.
She staggered over to where Elias and Gael wrestled and desperately looked for a way in—an opening to stab Gael with the Dark Blade she'd gathered once more.
Yet the two men were in a frenzy.
Gael gathered a Dark Blade of his own and slammed it into Elias’s shoulder.
Elias roared and head-butted Gael in the nose. The enchanter rolled off him and rose to his feet. Blood trickled out of Gael’s nostrils from his crushed nose. He staggered, cradling his injured ribs.
In his free hand, Gael fisted a black spike.
Elias lurched to his feet, but it was too late. Gael thrust the spike into his side.
Ryana cried out, the keening sound lost amongst the din of battle.
Time slowed. Elias sank to his knees on the cobbles. Then his eyes rolled back in his head, and he collapsed.
Gael turned to Ryana, favoring her with a bloody smile. Then he gathered the Dark once more with a flick of the wrist.
Ryana glanced around, looking for help. A sea of black and red surrounded her. Where was Nathan? Where were the other Rithmar enchanters? Were Ninia and Asher still alive?
It was over—for all of them.
And then, Ryana caught a familiar scent.
The odor of hot iron wafted over the square, cutting through the smoke and stench of blood.
Gael knew that smell too. His pale face went taut, and he straightened up, his gaze shifting from Ryana toward the gates—where a milky white mist crept in, wreathing amongst the fighting.
Above them, where the smoke had parted, Ryana saw that night had fallen. The rain had stopped although the air suddenly grew chill.
She watched Gael’s lips move, as he breathed a curse.
Following his gaze, she spied tall hooded figures emerging through the mist.
Thracken.
Ryana had never seen one, but Asher had—and he’d told her of these wights that ruled the remaining shadow creatures. Emptiness lay within their hoods. They glided through the crowd, sleeved arms outstretched.
Men crumpled as they passed.
Behind the Thracken, more shadow creatures appeared. Nightgengas loped into the fray, peering through curtains of lank hair with the eyes of predators. Dusk Imps scampered and chattered, their meat-hook claws scraping across the cobbles. Hiriel glided into the square, their tattered ghostly cloaks trailing after them. Fen Hounds stalked in behind the sprites—huge wolf-like beasts with protruding ribs and drooling jaws.
And there were many other creatures that Ryana had no name for; things that slithered, crawled, and scuttled.
Howls and shrieks rent the air, and then the servants of the shadows attacked.
Ryana froze where she lay, fear washing over her in an icy tide. She hadn’t thought the situation could get worse. What had brought the shadow creatures here?
