Page 58 of Over the Emerald Valley
As two guards seized Temaj by his arms, Solon struck out with a powerful kick. The blow hit Abasi square in the shin. Rage blazed on his face, and he faltered just enough for Solon to slip from his deadly grasp.
Solon scrambled out of reach.
Neku leaped and landed on Abasi’s back with a grunt. One meaty biceps flexed around the viceroy’s neck; the other arm locked it into place.
Let’s see him escape a chokehold.
Jontil threw himself at Khu’s guards while Temaj squirmed and flailed for freedom. Qeb backed away in fear.
Solon struck Abasi again, a sweeping kick behind his knees, aimed to take him down.
But instead of falling, Abasi snarled and flung Neku from his back.
How? It should have been impossible to break the chokehold.
They were outnumbered and outmatched. Their best hope was that the guard who’d been their lookout earlier had notified the others. If not, it would be too late when someone came searching for them.
Solon drove his elbow into Abasi’s face with an impact so jarring as to rattle his spine.
Abasi roared back, swinging, no grace to it. The man obviously wasn’t a trained fighter, but the force behind his movements was unparalleled. Solon had never fought another with the strength of Abasi, not in his entire career.
What was going on? Sorcery?
He had no time to think it over. Temaj let out a startled cry of pain, turning Solon’s attention away from Abasi to where one guard dug a knee into Temaj’s back so hard that he arched at a terrible angle.
“Stop! Don’t hurt him. Leave Temaj be, and I’ll come quietly.”
Laughter bubbled from behind him. Abasi’s laughter—both wicked and gleeful. A shiver raced across Solon’s shoulders.
“So I take it the feelings are mutual?” Abasi’s sneer held amusement. “You’ve developed a certainaffectionfor my slave, haven’t you? Pity. He isn’t yours to protect.”
Solon wouldn’t entertain that with a response. People should neverbelongto other people.
Around them, the struggling had diminished to panting breaths and darting glances.
Neku lay on his back, holding his chest, eyes wild. Jontil was restrained by two of the guards. Khu watched with Qeb behind him, who still cried silently.
The men who held Temaj no longer kneed his back. In fact, Temaj was the only one still moving, trying to shrug out of their grip, to no avail.
Solon heaved a lungful of air and glared at Abasi, murder on his mind. “What is this?”
“I tried to spare you from it, but no, you hadquestions.” He lingered on the last word like it left a foul taste in his mouth. “Questions for my foreman, my miners, my advisers, my guards…” His gaze shifted to where Temaj still fought against his jailers. “Even questions for my whores.”
Gaze narrowed, mind focused, Solon asked carefully, “What are you?”
Abasi approached him with the swagger of a man who had no reason to be afraid. “You’ll find out soon enough. But you may be sorry you asked.”
CHAPTER20
Temaj
He might not knowwhat Abasi meant by that, but Temaj didn’t like the sound of the cryptic words.
Their chances became bleaker with every passing second, but Temaj wouldn’t lose hope. Not yet.
His arms ached where the guards held him with vicious enthusiasm. His back would surely be a black-and-blue painting of bruises. And his knees stung from dropping to the stone floor to beg Abasi’s mercy.
But his primary concern was Solon. The way Abasi had fought him wasn’t human. That kind of strength belonged only in nightmares.
