Page 153 of The Shadow Fae Rhapsody
“Six to two, doesn’t seem like a fair fight,” Rooster laughs.
“It sure isn’t. You need at least another dozen to fight us,” Shade mutters without emotion.
Despite his brave counter, he glances at me briefly to see if I’m good. I nod in affirmation of him. We’ve been through worse odds in the sewers against those rats.
“Besides, it’s three against six,” Shade suddenly adds.
A low, thunderous growl rattles behind me. Larger than Briallen, with glossy fur and battle scars all over its body, the predator prowls closer. Goosebumps erupt on my skin when I feel his fur bristling on my skin.
The Grimsbanes finally show signs of panic at the sight of the wolf. Shade uses their disarray for a chance to attack. He lunges towards them without hesitation. I follow in his steps.
It takes all my focus, all my strength to raise the curseless dagger again. But thanks to my endurance training with Svenn, I can do it. Shade and the wolf work really well with my skill, covering my openings and blind spots.
“We need to wake your uncle,” Shade grunts, narrowly evading Catnip’s smooth golden blade. “He’s the Silverra. The guild has entrusted us to him. Even in their heightened state, the Grimsbane will abide to his command.”
Rainer is still pummeling the dwarf to death, the wild hatred in his eyes simmering. I don’t know if it’s the drug or the heat of battle, but he has totally lost it.
“As his servant, I can’t hurt or hit him,” Shade says, shaking his head.
I blink in understanding. It has to be me.
“Uncle!” I call to him.
He whirls to me.
The cold wrath in his face is the same one he had when he learned that Aerin is gone from this world. Pain circles my heart as I strike. He evades my attack easily, swerving to his left. I don’t stop the assault, slamming all my weight and force with every hit.
This is the person who raised me, who released me from my shackles.
Any other day, I would have never have won against the Silver Stag of the East. But my uncle is purely enslaved to the Asterdust, his mind infiltrated. I leave an opening to my left and he falls right at it like a clueless novice.
I ball my fist and punch him straight in his face. My knuckles throb but I don’t stop. I deliver him a second and third blow until he tumbles to the ground.
I’m about to bring the wrath of a fourth strike, but it stalls in the air. Rainer’s cloudy eyes finally regain its focus.
Good.
I can’t have him fainting on me.
“Rhianelle?” he mutters in a daze.
“You need to hold off those five!” I quickly talk sense into him.
His gaze studies the surrounding like someone who had just been woken from a deep sleep.
“Stop!” Rainer commands sharply. Like dolls, all the Grimsbanes cease moving, including Shade.
“Get out of here,” he rasps.
The panic clawing under my ribcage eases the moment the five Grimsbanes take flight. I don’t let my guard down, but I think Rainer must have some vague understanding of what happened now. He told all the assassins to go. Everyone but Shade.
My uncle stares at me, his pupils blown wide with shame and confusion.
“It’s all a misunderstanding.” Rainer’s gaze moves to the dwarf lying over a pile of rubble. “This creature wouldn’t tell me where your mother is—”
He stops mid-sentence. Dread and cold realization dawn on his stricken face.
Yes, Mother is long dead, Uncle.
