To Seduce An Assassin (The Omaja Series Book 2)(99)

Suddenly Graciella felt her hair being yanked upward.

Uman hauled her to her feet and turned her to face Yajna. “I will devour the younger Stovy here and now,” he threatened, “if you don’t drop the sword.”

Yajna let the sword fall to the ground with a thunk, and Terijin rushed forward to grab it. Graciella clung to Uman’s wrists to try to take the pressure off her hair and looked down at her husband, who was convulsing, trying to speak.

“Order your monks to stop fighting!” Uman thundered at Yajna, “or she dies!”

Yajna yelled over the din, “Cease your attack, Tylvani!”

Graciella looked down at Yavi’s bloodied face, her tears making her vision blurry. A sob choked in her throat, and her chest constricted painfully.

Uman jerked her forward a bit by her hair and taunted Yavi. “I’m claiming this one, Zulfikar usurper. Don’t you think she’ll make a lovely Vyrkune?”

Suddenly the gates to the fort blew wide open with a gale-force wind. The catapult that was partially blocking the left door smacked against the inside fortress wall, and the right gate door shattered against the other side. The monks’ horses reared and whinnied in panic, shuffling aside as a hooded rider entered. He jumped down from the back of his horse and glared at them, eyes glowing bright red in the darkness.

“Rafe!” Jiandra cried out.

An unnaturally deep, authoritative voice tore from Rafe’s throat as he stalked toward them. “Vyrkune. Imajkin loth folsul-karm!”

The Vyrkune shrunk away from him in terror, parting from his path as he headed straight for Uman.

“Ujagar lith solfil tar jarmine!” the voice thundered from Rafe’s lips. He raised his hands, curled his fingers into claws, and flew like a lightning bolt at Uman’s throat. Uman fell back, and Rafe straddled him on the ground, still speaking in the hideous demon-voice. He squeezed Uman’s throat until the creature sputtered helplessly, screaming and writhing under the assault.

Suddenly Rafe twisted Uman’s neck until it snapped. He stood, leaving Uman’s lifeless body lying on the ground.

Yajna screamed, “Tylvani, attack!” and forcibly shoved Jiandra toward Yavi.

Graciella moved to Yavi’s side as well, holding his hand as Jiandra healed his head and torso, then his arms and legs. Tears of relief streamed down Graciella’s face as she watched his flesh re-form and the gaping bite and chew wounds seal over.

Suddenly he sat up, leapt to his feet, and lunged for Terijin.

Terijin turned to run with the sword, but Rafe blocked his flight, eyes still glowing red. Yavi pulled Terijin around by his shoulder and punched him as hard as he could in the jaw. Terijin reeled, and Yavi wrestled him to the ground, grabbed the sword, and slew him with it.

With their leader dead, the Vyrkune were thrown into confusion, and the Tylvan monks were able to help Yavi and Yajna gain the upper hand. Yavi swung the sword of the Zulfikars left and right, slaying them. The agile Tylvani ducked and spun out of the creatures’ way as they lunged and pounced, and soon, the few remaining Vyrkune saw they were outnumbered and turned to flee.

Rafe shouted something in the strange language, and the fortress’s gate doors slammed shut in front of them.

Yavi let loose a cry of victory and bounded toward the Vyrkune, driving the point of the sword through two of them at once. Yajna shot arrows at the remaining three, knocking them back, and Yavi drove the sword through their chests to slay them.

He turned to face Graciella, smiling, chest heaving with exertion.

She ran into his arms, sobbing with joy. He picked her up, buried his face against her neck, and swung her around. She planted several excited kisses on his cheek.

“Brother!” Yavi yelled at Yajna as he set her down. “Get the ruby!”

Yajna knelt to tear open Uman’s chest armor and tugged the chain from around the creature’s limp neck. He rose and held the red pendant up for Yavi to see.

“I love you,” Yavi said to Graciella, scooping her up in his embrace again. “My sweet Sheir-zin.”

§

Jiandra threw her arms around Yajna’s neck, tears of joy streaking down her face. “We did it!”

“Yes, Lahdli.” He pulled back to look down at her. “How is the baby?”

“She never felt a thing.” Jiandra chuckled through her tears, resting one hand over her belly.

“She?” Yajna’s eyebrows went up.

Jiandra was about to reply when she caught sight of Rafe huddled in a crouched position in the distance, his hood low over his face. She pulled away from Yajna and ran to her brother, placing a hand on his shoulder. He shrank back, pushing her hand away from him as if it had burned him.

“Rafe? It’s me, Jiandra.”

He peered up at her from under his hood, eyes glowing bright red. The demon’s voice said through his lips, “Leave me!”

Jiandra frowned and crept closer. “I will not leave you. You are my brother. You are my flesh and blood.”

He rose to his feet, glaring at her. “Leave me!” He took off running to the outer wall of the fortress, scaled it with the agility of a lizard, and disappeared over the top.

“Jiandra!” Graciella yelled from the other side of the courtyard. “Where is he going?”

“I don’t know, sister!” Jiandra cried, choking on a sob.