The sun dipped, and it was as if a dark aura moved over the land. Shilah flinched, releasing the boulder she’d grabbed with her thoughts, spinning to find Lachlan. The tattoo twisted on his skin, and in a burst of raw, brutal power it leaped from his body and slammed onto the ground. The earth under the Leviathan’s feet seemed to tremble, and the trees surrounding them shook. She could feel the need to kill and slaughter inside Lachlan, but instead of wading through the dozens of warriors rushing onto the open field, swords held high and spinning sound waves preceding them, he disappeared.
Shilah could spare no thoughts about why he went into the shadow space, she could only battle. Two warriors grabbed her, and spun with her, m
oving toward the wooded forests. They flashed so fast she could barely breathe, and she glanced behind her to see Kamu, Thyon, Kala and several others valiantly battling. Most of the warriors were concentrating on fighting the Leviathan which seemed to be rending them apart by the dozens.
Using the power of her mind, she grabbed the warriors’ throats and squeezed. They released her and stumbled. She rolled onto the forest floor, and lurched to her feet, sinking into a fighting stance. Shilah did not free them from her merciless grasp, but unable to squeeze the life from them, she delved into their minds with the intent to command them to stop breathing. Then the part of her that could not casually end a life read one of the men’s thoughts and saw that he had a wife and two children whom he loved. Acting on instincts, she delved deeper into his mind, and she peered at the memories of how he’d tormented the prisoners, even raping several women. How could a man so loving with his family be so vile?
The other warrior was more honorable, but did every bidding of his master, no matter how cruel the commands had been. With a gasp she withdrew from their minds, releasing her mental clasp on their throats.
The man to her left eagerly dragged air into his lungs, retaliating faster than expected. He dived into a roll, grabbing his swords, and flashing toward her at such speed he blurred, she could hardly keep track of.
She powered into his mind, ruthlessly ripping it from him. “Fall onto your sword.”
And with brutal precision, he impaled himself through his heart.
The other warrior parted his lips to emit a sound wave, and a snake darted from the earth to wrap around his throat, cutting off the sound before it had even formed. The snake coiled itself around the man’s body, effectively tying him so that it was impossible to move. The snake’s head shifted, sinuous and menacing. It bared its fangs, and venom dripped from its pointed teeth. Then the snake’s eyes collided with hers. Lachlan’s eyes. Swirls of gold, and blue, and red.
It waited while the man groaned and whimpered. Stark sounds of garbled fear.
“Yes,” she whispered, rejecting the mercy that was stirring in her heart.
It struck, its fangs embedding with brutal grace into the man’s throat. The guard convulsed, foam bubbling from his mouth. She did not look away even when her soul cried out for her to glance away. She watched his death, felt his horror, and pain, and accepted that justice had been done.
Three small multicolored snakes about two feet in length slithered toward her. With a gasp she stumbled back when they launched toward her, sliding sinuously up her body. Two coiled on her arms and froze, and another wrapped around her hair like a twisted crown before they froze into marble effigies.
A sound alerted her, and she spun around to see six warriors powering her way, their swords drawn. Shilah attacked, mentally grabbing them, and throwing with strength into the trunk of trees, breaking bones, and shattering limbs. Another swarm came at her, and she did the same, wielding her powers, slipping into some of their minds and commanding them to sleep while using her telekinesis to break limbs and push them away from her.
A hand grabbed her from behind and spun her around, but before she could attack, the snake on her arm came to life and faster than she could track its tiny fangs pierced the man’s throat and then the snake was back on her arm.
The warrior screamed, falling to the ground, and twitching, blood dripping from his eyes and nose. Shilah stared in disbelief at the serpent that was once again frozen in a decorative coil on her arm as if it was a piece of jewelry.
Lachlan had sent them, and she knew their command to protect her was absolute.
Spinning around, Shilah ran toward the battle, crying out at the dozens of prisoners falling beneath the brutal sound waves emitting at them.
Something dark and unknown spilled against her senses, and the Leviathan that was battling the horde disappeared. No! Shilah ran faster up the incline toward the battle, for without the monster to defend against, the empire’s force turned toward the captives. There was a red haze of madness, a fire sweeping through her, a rage unlike any she’d ever felt. She hurtled herself onto the ground, sinking into the well of her power.
She forced air through her lungs as the pressure in her head increased until it felt as if a vice gripped her skull. Then it imploded, her powers surged, and she felt the life pulse of every Mevian on the battlefield except for those approaching in battle-ready formation about a few hundred meters away. The ones she felt numbered more than two thousand. It was impossible she should hold such power…so much power. With a thought, she could kill everyone, command them to bow at her feet.
She felt the echoes of approval from the beast and the dark invitation of the power he could grant her.
“Warriors of Mevia, heed me, you will defend the prisoners, kill any who advances on them.”
The command blasted from her. Energy coursed through her and at its center was a malevolence not a natural part of her. Like the swarm of ants, they turned to the advancing troops and attacked in a wave of brutal fighting. The shrieks of horrors and pain swamped her as with efficient savagery they decimated each other. She sent her telekinetic power into the earth, imploding it beneath the fighting warriors. Dark energy washed over her as the psychic energy slammed into her. The violence struck her hard, taking her breath, pounding at her head. She gasped for breath, and then like a vacuum it sucked from her, all that darkness and negative energy. The trail of aura lifted from her skin and without looking she knew they went to Lachlan.
Limbs shaking and her heart jerking with shock and distress, she faced him. She doubted she could say another word without bursting into sobs. He stood there, a dark protective force. She longed to fling herself into the comfort of his arms and rest her head against his shoulder, crying her regret for the lives she’d taken. There were several scars on his chest and throat healing before her eyes, and his beast was once again on his skin. He had been in some battle, and it had been fierce.
“I fought three of my people in the shadows.”
Her eyes widened, recalling he had said there had been Darkans in the shadows of the warriors.
A hard edge curved his lips. It was a smile. Shilah sucked in a harsh breath. “You are pleased with me.”
“That I am, mate.”
She shook her head, hating the burn of tears in her throat. “I killed them.” And she was petrified to accept that hundreds of warriors lay on the forest floor dying, with a simple command from her. With great powers came great responsibility, and Shilah felt as if she had just abused hers. The knowledge that the empire was cruel and unjust did not soothe the sorrow rising in her heart. The men behind her had families of their own, people they loved.
He inhaled deeply. “Some still suffer.”