To Seduce An Assassin (The Omaja Series Book 2)(75)

“Now.” Uman stretched out a hand, beckoning to Yavi with one claw. “Give me the ruby.”

Graciella’s sweet voice choked on a sob. “No, Yavi.”

Yavi slowly pulled the chain out from under his leather armor and lifted it from his neck. He held the pendant up high in the air. “Release the girl, and then I hand over the ruby. The rule of Nandala will be yours.” He dangled the sacred red gem in the torchlight.

Uman stared at it, transfixed.

“Here it is, Uman. Give me the girl first, and I will hand it over without a fight.”

“Fool!” Uman growled, taking a menacing step forward. “I will destroy you and take the ruby by force!”

“Try it.” Yavi grinned, letting the ruby slip out of his hands.

Uman glanced down, watching as it bounced on the stone floor and rolled to a halt.

With a quick flick of his wrist, Yavi hurled the dagger that was hidden in his sleeve at Uman’s forehead, and it sank into the creature’s skull with a thunk. Uman fell back, tearing down the tapestry behind him with flailing arms as his huge body tumbled to the floor.

Yavi dashed up the steps and lunged at Terijin, driving his fist into the traitor’s face with all his strength, then pulled Graciella away from his grasp. Just as he turned to flee back through the sanctuary with her in tow, the bodies of the Vyrkune soldiers began rising from the floor, one by one. They faced Yavi menacingly, blocking his exit.

Yavi glanced back at his swords. The emperor’s ruby lay near them, at the foot of the steps.

Uman sat up, yanked the dagger out of his head, then pushed himself to his feet. Dark blood ran down the bridge of his nose, streaking down toward his disgusting mouth. He grinned at Yavi, then looked out at his resurrected Vyrkune soldiers.

“Seize them!”

Yavi pulled Graciella behind his back to shield her, preparing to face off with the Vyrkune in hand-to-hand combat if need be. As the first two creatures lunged for him, he crouched, preparing to fight with his fists.

They froze before reaching him, then fell forward on their faces with arrows in the backs of their necks.

Yavi looked up to see his brother and Jiandra in the doorway to the sanctuary. Yajna lifted his bow and shot more arrows, each one expertly finding its mark. The Vyrkune soldiers moved about in confusion, tripping over their fallen comrades, seeming unsure of which one to attack, Yavi near the front or Yajna at the back of the room.

Yavi ran toward the steps and grabbed up one of his swords. He pulled Graciella with him to the side of the sanctuary, ducking with her behind a pillar.

“Get on my back.” He turned and crouched down so she could climb on. She wrapped her legs and arms tightly around him just in time for him to straighten and fend off Terijin’s lunging attack with his sword. He sliced Terijin’s throat and shoved his flailing body to the ground.

In front of the steps, Uman had scooped up the emperor’s ruby as well as Yavi’s other sword. He slipped the ruby around his neck, then wielded the sword with both hands, crouching to face off with Yavi. Yavi brandished his other scimitar, ready to defend himself and Graciella with it.

“Yavi, watch out!” Graciella cried in his ear, tapping his left shoulder and pointing.

He turned to see Terijin staggering toward them, grinning, dark blood pouring from the fresh wound in his neck.

“Brother, let’s go!” Yajna shouted from across the room. “They can’t be killed!”

Yavi hurled his scimitar straight forward, toward Uman’s chest. It pierced his armor and knocked Uman back, toppling the stone altar with the impact of his body. Yavi leapt to the right to dodge Terijin and sprinted toward the exit with Graciella in tow.

“Uman has the ruby!” he shouted at his brother on the way.

“I don’t care!” Yajna yelled, motioning him to keep coming. “Let’s get out of here!” Yajna slung his bow on his back, grabbed Jiandra’s hand, and turned to dash up the stairs.

Yavi followed. Graciella was light as a feather on his back, and he didn’t want to risk setting her down and letting one of those creatures put their filthy hands—or teeth—on her again.

They ran down the long hallway to the entrance, threw open the door, and were greeted by three more Vyrkune hurrying down the steps. Yavi backed out of the way to let Yajna aim his arrows, piercing all three of the creatures and knocking them down.

Yavi leapt over the bodies and dashed up the stairs, emerging from the half-broken door at the top. Outside the tower, he heard the guttural cries of yet more Vyrkune running across the field toward the underground fortress.

“Quick, this way!” Yavi whispered, motioning his brother and Jiandra to follow him around to the shadows on the far side of the tower.

The four of them huddled against the outer wall, breathing hard, listening. The Vyrkune rushed into the tower and down the stairs, apparently not having seen them.

“Let’s go,” Yavi whispered. He carried Graciella in the direction of the trees across the road where he’d left Sikar.

A Vyrkune stepped out from the archway, sniffing the air in front of Yavi. “I thought I smelled flessshhh,” it muttered thickly.

An arrow sank into the creature’s neck, and it staggered and fell.

Yavi ran with Graciella, and his brother and Jiandra followed. They ducked into the darkness of the woods, where Yavi made a soft sound to call Sikar. The horse tossed his head to show Yavi where he was, and Yavi headed in that direction. Near Sikar, he set Graciella down, then gently lifted her bloodied hair out of the way for Jiandra’s inspection. Graciella winced, stifling a sob. Her earlobe was half-torn off, barely hanging. Yavi fought the urge to charge back in there and rip Terijin apart with his bare hands.