Page 136 of Throne of Air and Darkness

I was making quick work of them.

Where were the others? It was so dark, the trees overhead blotting out the moon and stars. The only light was from Lyrena’s sword. Even my sharp fae eyes could only see the yard or two immediately around me in the cloying darkness.

Twelve. Thirteen.

The void was calling to me, the power inside of me jostled awake by the excesses of battle. But I couldn’t leave Lyrena. If I could take her with me…

No. I couldn’t try that and risk injuring her more.

I needed help. I couldn’t keep all of these nightwalkers back on my own, even with Excalibur. Eventually, they would encircle—

“Arrgghh!” Pain ripped through me.

My arm wrenched backward, behind my back.

My eyes started to close against the agony, but I forced them to stay open. To take in and focus on the hazy images of fighting above me.

My fingertips began to tingle.

No!—I wrapped myself around the tether in my chest, the mating bond connecting me to Arran. He was near. Just a few yards away, on the other side of the clearing. I would not go. He would not let me go.

A body crashed to the ground beside me. Another, half on top of me.

I shoved away the abhorrent body on instinct. I pushed myself up on my good arm. Not my dominant fighting arm, but all that I had left.

Percival stood over me, panting.

He was covered in the black bile.

He’d saved me—again.

I blinked.

That was all the shock I could allow myself.

He offered his hand, and I took it with my remaining good hand. He hauled me up to my feet.

Nothing more than a knife, I realized. A single knife, that was all he held. And he’d faced down those two nightwalkers who’d attacked me from behind. Faced them, and downed them.

I drew one of the daggers from my waist.

“Two knives are better than one.” I pressed it into his hand.

It was too dark to read his expression.

But he nodded. Then he turned and disappeared. To fight, I hoped. Rather than escape. Though I supposed it didn’t matter at this point. We might not survive the night.

Another scream—then a whimper.

My heart stopped in my chest.

Maisri.

I didn’t even have time to fully swing back to Lyrena. “Go!” she screamed.

Another whimper.

Close, but not close enough I could see.

---