Page 5 of Forged By Heart and Claws
Guards continued to push through the opening in the door, the heavy tramping of booted feet on the other side announcing that there were even more to come.
Many-Greats raced toward me. I adjusted my grip on the dagger, half tempted to lash out at him. But now wasn’t the time or place. I needed answers. No more riddles.
Silus heaved Elara into his arms. Her head sagged against his shoulder, her lips pale, her breath shuddering in short gasps. Vyraetos moved with him, one hand pressed to her side, his jaw locked tight as he whispered something. They darted through the doorway on the left. Rhielle was close behind as Vad shoved me forward. Veralt passed us, pulling Quen and Thalira forward. Thalen had nearly caught up to us as well.
His wings flaring out, Vad seized my arm and shoved me ahead of him. "Move! Now!"
I stumbled forward, feeling his hand at the small of my back as we raced toward the dais. I dared one more glance over my shoulder to see that another dozen guards had broken through, all charging down the main aisle. I glimpsed Vad's wings again as we ran. The coloration was uneven, mottled with darker patches and streaks. The talons at the ends had lengthened and curved into hooks, sharp enough to tear through flesh.
"Briar!" Velessa called out as Rhielle dragged her and Yuki through the doorway. “Faster! There are too many of them!”
Rhielle reeled her back in as Veralt charged through the doorway with Thalira and Quen in tow, and Thalen pulled Myantha in as well.
We reached the steps of the dais, and I nearly tripped on the cracked marble. Vad's hands steadied me, then pushed me forward again. "Get inside!"
I scrambled up the steps, heart hammering. The stiffness in my wrist ached now, the butterfly tattoo still frozen. Many-Greats skidded to a stop next to me and pushed me forward. “I will explain everything that I can,” he said roughly.
Yeah, he would.
I bolted through the doorway and into a dimly lit chamber, blood pounding in my ears.
The iridescent fabric of my wedding gown swished around my ankles as I spun around, reaching for Vad.
He was less than three strides away, his massive wings tucked tight against his back as he charged forward, guards moving fast behind him. One of the spear holders halted and lifted his weapon.
“He’s throwing the spear!” I exclaimed.
I grabbed Vad’s arm to drag him in faster, and as soon as he was over the threshold, he slammed the wooden door shut with a bone-jarring boom.
A split second later, the spear punched through the wood with a sickening crunch...and agony exploded through our bond.
CHAPTER 2
Vad
Sharp pain shot through my left wing as something pierced it and ran through my shoulder, higher than the last wound. Hot blood poured down my chest, and I growled. I glanced down. A wooden shaft protruded from my shoulder, the spearhead sticking out about six inches in front of me. I struggled to move forward and knew what I had to do. I grabbed the shaft.
Don’t rip it out yourself. You’ll make the wound much worse,Briar said in my mind as her worry pulsed through the bond.
We can’t stay here.I had to get Briar and Elara to safety as quickly as possible, which meant removing the spear. I yanked on the shaft, trying to pull it out, but pain burned through my wing and shoulder, and nausea roiled in my stomach.
I stumbled, and my wing flinched, adding to my agony. I groaned.
“Vad, what’s wrong?” Thalen called loudly from somewhere in the crowd, not worrying about formalities.
Velessa yelped. “Don’t yell next to my ear like that. You scared me.”
“I’m fine.” The last thing I needed was for Thalen to fly through everyone to reach me. We didn’t need any additional chaos just because he couldn’t see me.
“As fine as anyone with a spear stuck through his wing and shoulder could be.” Verault rolled his eyes and smirked.
“What?” Elara gasped. “Vad?”
“We need to treat him—” Silus started.
“No, we’re not treating me here. It's not as bad as it seems. We need to escape before all of us get injured or killed,” I spat. These people were after Briar and me, and I refused to let her get more injured than she already was. I’d happily take another spear as long as she remained unhurt and standing.
Quen took a shaky breath. “Which way do we go? I can’t see a damn thing.”
