Siege (The Warrior Chronicles, 5)

by K. F. Breene

  He was giving them a silent call to action.

  One by one, she felt people moving. They left their homes and walked outside. Some climbed the roofs. Some swirled in heat and vengeance. Some drifted with aid and healing in mind. She called the people; he would lead them. They were the Chosen.

  “What the fuck is going on?” Sanders stalked up with a surly expression. “We’ve got a mass of Graygual headed this way, sir. You need to put that woman down.”

  Cayan stepped away from Shanti with the fizzle between them strong. In a voice that carried to the whole of the army, he said, “Today we unite the people against all odds. Today we claim our freedom. Together!”

  A cheer went up, bolstered by the power that still blanketed the city. Locals on roofs pumped their fists as the army shouted. Across the city, Shanti felt the Shadow Lord and Portolmous organizing their people.

  “Today, we fight!” Cayan started walking. Another cheer went up as the army started walking with him. People moved across the rooftops. Ladders were thrown over the sides and boards dropped between buildings, letting them travel where they would, unimpeded by brick walls.

  A roar and the sound of running boots echoed all around them. Shifting leather and clinking metal announced someone coming. A blast of mental Gift slapped her shields.

  An answering roar of pure, raw power erupted from Cayan in thick, heavy waves. As the Graygual came into sight, filling the streets and running at them with swords in their hands, the torrent of pain rammed them, dropping them to their knees. Another deep, earth-shaking blast battered them, shaking them to the ground with the awesome might. Shanti whipped and slashed with her Gift, using the power to splinter the Inkna shields.

  Like an avalanche, the third force joined the mental fray. Power rolled and heaved before crashing onto the Inkna. Their brains, exposed by Shanti, suffered from a dexterity of power that could only come with a lifetime of use. The Shadow people held apart those shields, preventing them from being reconstructed, while the Shadow Lord brutally beat and scraped at their fragile minds.

  Arrows rained down from above as Shanti ran forward. Sword in action, she hacked down at a Graygual, cutting off his hand at the wrist. Whirling, she slashed through a ribcage and then kicked out, catching someone in the chin. She slashed down, chopping halfway through his neck before she ripped her sword out and shouldered into a Graygual.

  Cayan slashed the Graygual’s back, making him scream and convulse, allowing Shanti to knock him away. More arrows rained down behind enemy lines. Rocks flew from rooftops, along with anything else they could find.

  “Push them toward the Shadow Lord,” Cayan yelled, movements so fast they were hard to see. He slashed and cut, a perfect specimen. His muscle bunched and elongated, power and speed like none of these Graygual would ever have seen.

  Shanti threw another shot of power at the Inkna, winding around the Shadow Lord’s efforts and ripping away someone’s sanity. She battered away a return thrust even as she blocked with her sword, flicked, sent the enemy blade flying, and stabbed through. She moved on to the next, then the next.

  A blast shook the ground up the way. A part of a building broke free. A huge chunk of stone fell on a cluster of Graygual. Another explosion sent a spray of bodies into the street. A brick wall crumbled, creating a thoroughfare.

  A few moments later, a roar issued forth from that broken wall. Two beasts ran through, one after the other. They smashed into the crowd like rabid animals. A few locals scrambled back onto the roof, now thinking better of joining the fight at ground level.

  A clatter came up behind them. Hooves falling in a strange, haphazard sort of way ran on the hard street. Shanti cut down a Graygual in front of her before shaking her head. How that bloody horse always managed to turn up in the middle of the action, she had no idea.

  “I’ll take out the Inkna,” Shanti shouted as she ran to the side, hoping it was actual hooves and not their echo she was hearing. Her horse, the Bloody Bastard, nearly pranced out of the line of Westwood men, shaking his head and rearing up, throwing off everyone’s attempts to capture him and ride him to the battle.

  She whistled, a high, shrill sound. It was met with a neigh as the horse stomped toward her.

  “Be careful!” Cayan yelled after her.

  Sheathing her sword, she took a running leap before climbing onto his back. He hadn’t been saddled, so she grabbed a fistful of his mane and held on for dear life.

  Cheers went up as the Bastard ran headlong into a crowd of Graygual.

  “Go around, you stupid animal!” Shanti yelled, ripping out her sword again and slashing down. It bucked and kicked out, catching someone’s head with its hooves. Despite their desire to take Shanti down, the Graygual backed away from the crazed animal.

  One of the cats ran next to it for a moment before turning into a dark alley and lunging. A beast roared behind them before a scream cut off abruptly.

  “There goes the neighborhood,” Shanti muttered as she hacked down at a Graygual that had veered too close.

  They reached empty space amid the chaos, the line that always existed between the Graygual and the Inkna. Another clatter of hooves had Shanti turning. Rohnan came right behind her, riding a horse that had also been stolen from the Graygual.

  “Don’t like being alone anymore, huh?” Shanti asked her horse, who was sounding his strange equine growl.

  “The Inkna are occupied by the Shadow Lord, but there are still a lot of them,” Rohnan said as he came alongside her, running through the almost empty street.

  Shanti held on while the Bastard jumped over a washbasin that had crushed a Graygual skull. “Go around, you bloody animal.”

  They took a bend too fast, having Shanti almost rolling off her horse, when they found the Inkna. Stationed in a line, three deep, they stood straight with their eyes closed, fighting the battle from a distance. In the middle, leading the mental effort, was a Master Executioner.

  “Xandre pulled out the big dogs,” Shanti said, grinning as half of them snapped their eyes open. The smile melted off her face. “Sanders is going to be pissed I didn’t bring him.”

  Her horse crashed into their line, trampling two men and scattering the others. Like angry hornets, power struck her head in quick succession, pounding her. She ripped off some weed with her teeth and chewed it hastily. Her horse reared and kicked out. His hoof made two Inkna duck and two more roll out of the way. She fell off the back, feeling the burn as the weed and saliva slid down her throat. Her body hit the ground. Dull pain shot up her arm to her shoulder.

  “Chulan.” Rohnan crawled toward her on the ground, getting battered mentally. He took the remaining weed out of her hand and tossed it into his mouth.

  The intense pain dulled. Then turned into nothing more than pressure.

  Shanti stood up and wiped a speck of blood from the corner of her mouth. A few of the Inkna’s eyes rounded. In the Graygual language, she said, “Uh oh, now what?”

  Rohnan rose up next to her. His staff started to whirl.

  “No you fucking don’t!” Sanders sprinted into the area with his sword in hand, blood splattered across his front. “I claim Betty’s twin!” He took a running leap and tackled the Master Executioner.

  Shanti moved into the group with sword slashing, taking them out as quickly and efficiently as she was able. Pressure pulsed against her head, threatening pain, but none of it reached her, and none of them could fight.

  Rohnan hooked his blade around a neck and yanked as the Bastard kicked someone in the chest. Sanders abandoned his sword and took to them with his fists. There were tears in his eyes and vengeance on his mind. Shanti and Rohnan knew exactly how he felt.

  From beginning to end, it lasted no more than ten minutes. The three of them and two horses stood panting, looking down on the biggest collection of Inkna Shanti had ever seen in one place. “Xandre really wanted me dead,” she said into the eerie silence.

  A cough took her out of her reverie. She looked up
and started, seeing the rooftops littered with people staring down. Some had bows, some a collection of household items, and all were silent. Not all were looking at her, though. Some were looking at Rohnan, who was petting and calming his horse, and a great many were watching Sanders, standing amid the bodies, his white shirt soaked in blood, with pain and suffering etched on his face. When he looked up from the Inkna, his face transformed into one of rough tranquility. He was not at peace with what had happened to him, but he could come to terms with being the victim.

  Shanti bet that a great many people staring down on them could sympathize with the emotion so clear on Sanders’ face.

  “We’re not done yet,” Shanti said, sighing. “There are still a few Inkna hiding around the city, and a great many Graygual.”

  “With the amount of mental power we have, Chulan, they don’t stand a chance,” Rohnan said.

  “Even so. Let’s go clean out the rest of the trash.” She took a running leap onto the Bastard, then dug her heels into his sides. The animal took off, his hooves clattering against the cobblestone. A Graygual stepped out, and then another. She slashed down with her sword as she ran by, then held on for dear life as the Bastard jerked to a stop so he could kick out, clipping one of them with his hoof. The Graygual crumpled to the ground, his face ruined.

  “Blasted animal, you’re going to end up breaking my neck!” The roar of fighting and battle raged as she turned the corner, metal clashing against metal, but whole sections of enemy were screaming as they sank to their knees. The Shumas and Shadow were taking advantage of their mental might.

  She waded into the middle, slicing a neck before hacking through a shoulder. She struck a black-clad chest, unable to help mentally because of the weed. The Bastard reared, punching faces with his hooves before kicking out and knocking down more enemy.

  A peal of thunder boomed outward from Cayan, taking those around her to their knees. The Bastard reared and screamed before galloping out of the way. He didn’t go far, though, a warhorse down to his bones. Instead, he bobbed his head and waited for the next opening.

  “You’re insane, horse, you know that?” Shanti swung her leg around and jumped. She hit the hard ground, slashed through a writhing Graygual before meeting up with Cayan. Another burst of power rocked out, taking out a large faction of enemy. His men then waded through, protected by the weed, and finished them off.

  “Victory is ours,” Cayan said, out of breath but not showing any sign of fatigue in his bearing. “The Shadow Lord is still using large amounts of power, but we’ve done it. They don’t have the resources to stop us.”

  “We’ve won.” Shanti sighed. “We’re still alive.”

  The fall of rocks and debris from the rooftops lightened. The screaming subsided as the Graygual died. “Yeah!” one of Cayan’s men shouted, raising his sword. Another, his bloodstained face weary, but eyes bright, lifted his sword into the air in response. A cheer went up around them, the people on the rooftops holding up their fists in victory along with the soldiers.

  “We did it,” Shanti said, feeling the smile bud and the relief wash over her. “Somehow, we did it.” She felt danger gliding toward her, and turned to smile down at her big cat, invisible to the Gift even if she’d had it. She scratched his head and then his ears before bending down to hug his neck. “We did it.” She sighed in relief as tears came to her eyes.

  “The people helped.” Cayan looked up at the rooftops. “This victory will be talked about. It’s the beginning. This land will take back its freedom, starting with this battle.”

  25

  “I hear Sonson won,” Cayan said as they made their way to a large patch of grass in the city park.

  Shanti threaded her hands through Cayan’s as they passed the drawbridge, still raised with the gates locked. Two days had gone by since their victory, and while no one had tried to get in, there were still Graygual hiding inside the city that were trying to get out.

  “The competition is not over yet. I catch up to his numbers a bit more every day.”

  Shanti let her walk sway, bumping into Cayan’s big arm. He took his hand out of hers and draped it over her shoulder. “The people are in awe of Sanders. They’d heard stories of him already—the Inkna hate him, after all. They got to see him in action.”

  “He’s still…messed up from being tortured. I think this will help a little. The weed does, anyway.”

  Cayan stopped them and turned Shanti toward him. She closed her eyes as his fingertips slid across the bottom of her jaw, tilting her face up to him. His lips were warm and full, opening hers. His tongue flitted in playfully. All too soon flirty turned passionate, his hands coming around her with need. He backed off as heat kindled in his blue eyes and burnt through his body. “Marry me, mesasha. Say you will.”

  Shanti couldn’t take her eyes away from his. She felt light and giddy, but she didn’t feel like giving in just yet.

  She shrugged a shoulder. “How can I consent to giving you my hand? You haven’t fought Kallon for permission yet.”

  The fire sparked, a different kind of heat. His dimples etched his handsome face as he smiled. “You want me to prove my dominance, is that it? He mentioned that the women fighters of your land make men prove their worth.”

  She tried to keep the surprise out of her expression. His smile brightened, and she felt it through her body. How annoying.

  “C’mon, I’ll go make a man of him right now.” Cayan looped his arm around her shoulder again.

  “He’s harder than you think. You are technically better, but he has a stupid amount of patience.”

  “I have patience, too, mesasha. I have to with you.”

  “I’m nothing compared to him.”

  They found Kallon amid a large group of people. Shumas, Shadow, and a bunch from the Westwood Lands created a circle. Around them stood people from the city, watching a little sport or possibly curious about the prowess of these new people.

  As Cayan walked through the circle, Kallon said, “I will be using my power, Captain.”

  “Weapons, or hand to hand?” Cayan asked as he gently directed Shanti to the sidelines.

  “I’ll take it easy on you—hand to hand.” Kallon didn’t smile, but his eyes sparkled. Maybe he was loosening up a little.

  Leilius, Gracas, and Xavier crept out of the bushes and blended into the crowd. Cayan tied back his hair, and Kallon did the same.

  The two men squared off. One was lithe and graceful, as were most of Shanti’s people; the other was tough and brawny, as were many of Cayan’s. Hands stayed at their sides. Shanti felt her mirrored power start to burn, then rise, playing with its mate, asking Shanti to do the same.

  She refrained from connecting with Cayan, making sure not to steer his power. This had to be one on one. It was only fair, and was really the only way Kallon had a chance.

  “Cayan will still win,” Rohnan said next to her.

  “Probably, but without someone to help direct his Gift, Cayan is nearly useless with it.”

  “Not useless. He takes everyone down, not just his opponent.”

  “He’ll do it,” Xavier said, pushing another Shumas out of the way so he could sit next to Shanti.

  “Xavier, you might get blasted with power up here,” Shanti chided.

  Xavier held up the weed. “I’m good. I want to see this fight. I want to pick up on some tricks.”

  Shanti’s power lurched in her chest. Cayan’s body flexed suddenly, head to toe, his muscles straining his shirt. Then Kallon was moving, hands and feet lightning fast. He kicked, hitting Cayan in the upper thigh, and then struck. Cayan dodged the blow and blocked the next.

  “Why doesn’t he hit back?” Xavier asked with urgency. “He can hit harder than that. He’s faster!”

  “He is adaptive, no?” the Shadow Lord asked from Xavier’s other side. “He’s learning?”

  “Yes,” Shanti said to the Shadow Lord, her eyes not leaving the fight. She held her breath as Kallon advanced. She knew t
he move; he was stabbing with all his power in one tiny spot on his opponent’s shield, hoping to shatter the barrier then rake the mind, while using a circular bodily attack. It was much more effective with a sword, but the opposite style in head and body confused the mind into making mistakes. Shanti used the same move, and she had learned it from Kallon.

  “He never charges me; he always waits until I attack him.” Shanti leaned forward, bracing her elbows on her crossed legs. “Annoying.”

  Cayan warded off another series of attacks, blocking and moving expertly. Anyone could see that he wasn’t engaging on purpose. Tingles worked through Shanti’s body. She wondered what he planned to do. He’d never done this with her. He’d always fought back. “It’s like I don’t know these men.”

  “They each drop their bravado with you, Chulan. They just fight. Here…” Rohnan let his words travel away.

  “They are sizing up their dicks,” Mela said, leaning forward. Sayas laughed next to her.

  “Do you see how he is slowing his movement, Xavier?” Shanti asked as Cayan warded off another series of attacks. “He is deliberately allowing his opponent to see his moves, just to see how he reacts. I don’t advise this unless you are absolutely certain you have the upper hand. You do that with someone like Cayan, and he’ll use it against you and kill you before you realize he’s playing you.”

  “Will Kallon know what he’s doing?” Xavier asked.

  “He knows. He is doing the same thing while trying to weaken Cayan’s mental power. He’s playing for time. He doesn’t realize Cayan’s strength.”

  “Here we go,” a male voice said behind them.

  “The Captain just got serious,” Rohnan murmured. “I do not envy Kallon what is going to come next.”

  No one did. In a heartbeat Cayan was done with his learning. He was on the offensive, his movements speeding up to his normal pace, his punches and kicks harder, and his body taking on that liquid grace he was known for. It was now Kallon who was trying to turn defensive measures into attacks.