Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127722 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 639(@200wpm)___ 511(@250wpm)___ 426(@300wpm)
I climbed down and slid along the smooth surface a few feet before I regained my footing.
Good luck.
“You too.”
He opened his wings and took flight again, his dark mass disappearing overhead instantly.
The fire from Pyre’s snout lit up the darkness in the field once more, taking out hundreds of Necrosis in a single line.
They would retreat. Wouldn’t have a choice.
I navigated down the mountains, slipped in some spots, and somehow made it to the top of the wall without sliding down and breaking my skull. The torches illuminated the chaos, Necrosis that had vaulted over the wall and killed the Runes, leaving their mangled bodies in piles everywhere.
My mother wasn’t among them. Nor my brother.
My feet hit the wall, and I pulled out my ax, ready to slice through skin, muscle, and bone. I came up to one from the rear and sliced his head clean from his shoulders, his forearms marked black with hunger. I took out the remaining ones that had just scaled the wall, and I turned my attention to the battle below.
The cannons had been turned to the inner wall, as if they intended to blow it apart to save the rest of HeartHolme, but the soldiers hadn’t survived long enough to accomplish that. I made it down the stairs—and that was when I saw my brother.
His eyes were on the sky, seeing Pyre release another ball of fire. Necrosis was everywhere, ten to one, and that brief glance to the sky nearly cost him his life. Necrosis rushed in and struck their sword down on his shoulder. His armor protected him, but it dented and made him grimace.
I sprinted down the stairs and threw myself into the fray. My ax swung and came down right on the invader’s skull, nearly cleaving it in two. I kicked him back and swung my ax again, hitting another Necrosis nearby. It all happened so fast. I couldn’t even see my brother’s reaction. I killed a couple more, and when I didn’t have any more coming right at me, I turned to look at him.
His sword was deep in his enemy on the ground, and with his eyes on me and his breathing heavy, he yanked it out. The disbelief was on his face, the words impossible to find. His eyes were wide, utterly shocked.
“Let’s kill the rest of these motherfuckers and call it a night.”
“Necrosis retreats!” Commander Dawson stood on the top of the wall, his chest plate broken nearly in two from the sword he’d taken to the chest. His helmet had cracked at some point because he wasn’t wearing it, and a streak of blood stretched down his forehead.
Most of Necrosis had been taken down, and only a few stragglers remained behind. They didn’t make it past our final line of defense and had been unable to invade the city where our citizens were hunkered down in their homes.
Ian took out the last one, stabbing his sword down the back of his neck and into his spine.
He crumpled to the ground.
Then it was silent. There were no shouts of victory. No applause. Morale was so low it was as if we’d lost.
Ian was out of breath as he looked at me, and as he tried to put his sword back in his scabbard, he missed. Too tired to care, he just threw the sword on the ground. “Fuck it…”
“Son.”
I turned when I heard her voice, a voice that had been in my life since the first time I opened my eyes. There was a lot of resentment, a lot of danger, but at the end of the day, she was still my mother.
One vambrace was missing and she had a nasty cut on her arm, and her clothes were torn as if Necrosis had grabbed hold of her and tried to rip her in two. One eye was so swollen it was completely shut. She’d taken one of the worst beatings I’d seen—and that made me want to chase after Necrosis and finish what they started.
She got to me as quickly as she could and latched on to me. “My boy, you saved HeartHolme.” Her arms circled me for a hug, and she squeezed me so tight. “I’ve never been so proud.”
My arms reciprocated, and my heart held on to those words. “HeartHolme wouldn’t be here to save if it weren’t for you and Ian.” I pulled away and examined her arm. “Your arm is broken.”
She pulled it from my grasp. “Didn’t even notice.” That affectionate look was in her eyes like she didn’t feel an ounce of pain. Her love for me was triumphant over any kind of suffering. She shifted her gaze past me to Ian next.
I stepped back and let them have their moment.
My brother looked at her with a slight shield in his eyes, buffering himself for whatever disappointment she would unleash.