Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 118042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 590(@200wpm)___ 472(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 118042 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 590(@200wpm)___ 472(@250wpm)___ 393(@300wpm)
More arms came at me. A few guns aimed in my direction.
“No, don’t shoot. Just…incapacitate him!” Victor barked, slipping through the crush of cloaked Masters to stand safely by the exit. “Get him shackled. Now.”
Two guards came at me.
I managed to kick one and stab the other. Not a fatal wound but still a decent cut as he cried out and snatched his bicep where blood seeped.
Someone struck me from behind. I whirled on them and threw a wild punch.
Eight guards had entered the Temple with us. One bled out by the altar while the remaining seven swarmed me, tripping over the two dead Masters on the floor.
They corralled me back toward the stone table where Ily lay bound. “Get her out of here, Peter!” I glanced over my shoulder, my stomach freefalling as I noticed he’d already unbuckled her ankles and worked on unhooking her cuffed wrists.
If he could get her out.
If they could swim away.
At least, I would die for something worthwhile.
I snarled and threw myself against the guards crushing me.
Fists pummelled my ribs. Knuckles crunched against my face.
Someone struck my nose, leaving me blind for a moment with excruciating pain. A gush of blood covered my chin and throat.
Staggering to the side, I snatched off my mask and shook my head. Doing my best to stop the flashing lights and light-headedness, I twisted the dagger in my fist. The blade dripped with sweat and scarlet.
Grasping it tighter, I attacked the panting guard who approached me. I sank the knife into his chest just as another whacked the butt of his gun against my temple.
I dropped to one knee.
Another guard punched me for good measure.
Another kicked my calf, trying to topple me.
Pushing upward, I leapt to the side and threw a look at Ily and Peter.
He’d gotten her off the altar, but they stood surrounded by Masters in black velvet robes. “Run!” I growled before launching at the barricade of guards again.
Peter roared and threw himself into the fight.
Ily screamed and followed.
They were swallowed up by the Masters.
Another element of blackness fell over my eyes.
I let loose a guttural groan and ploughed my way through the guards.
Punching, slashing, choking on cries of pain as they beat me, kicked me, broke me. My heart skipped as fists thumped against my back and shoulders. My vision flickered as two struck me in the head.
Agony swelled like the tide crashing against the cave, making everything sluggish and hard.
But I kept fighting.
Kept pushing.
I had to get to Victor.
If I could kill him, the jewels would be safe.
If I killed him, this all ended.
Peter cried out as a Master grabbed him by the throat, and two others took turns punching him. He dropped to his knees, his arms covering his head as they rained abuse on him.
Ily whimpered as she suffered the same fate. A fist to her belly and a kick to her ankle. She fell, landing heavily on wet cave rock.
“No!” I lost myself again. I stabbed another guard. He twisted out of my reach just as I went to gut him. Another kicked my wrist. My fingers opened involuntarily; the diamond-hilted dagger went skittering into the gloom.
Fuck!
No matter.
I reached for the weapon holstered on his belt.
I managed to pull it out.
A gun banged.
It reverberated around the cave, making everyone duck and press their hands to their ears.
It wasn’t me who’d shot.
So who…
My gaze skimmed over the sea of cowering people.
Victor.
He stood with the muzzle of his weapon pointing down the stone corridor we’d come in from—just in case the bullet decided to bounce off the cave roof and kill someone unintended.
Grabbing hold of the sudden stillness from his shot, he shouted, “Enough!” He pointed his gun at me. “Get him under control. Now!”
The stillness shattered.
I lost myself again.
Dropping my shoulder, I ran into a guard.
He toppled like a boulder.
I struck him in the head just as two more fumbled for my arms, trying to yank them back.
Twisting and leaping to my feet, I kicked and punched. I snarled and struck.
The guards renewed their efforts to subdue me.
I renewed mine to return the favour.
I lost track of how many men I hit and how many hits I received in return.
Time lost all meaning as I tried to take on guards and Masters and slowly lost, one by one. Strike by strike, my energy whittled. Punch by punch, pain overwhelmed my violence. I panted and sweated. Blinked and staggered. I kept feeding my flagging body with sheer determination, forcing it not to give up—doing my best to end this before they ended me.
Through blood and sweat, I tried to find Stewart and Ben.
Why weren’t they helping?
We would have better odds if they jumped into this fight, along with the guards who said they were ready to revolt.
It wouldn’t just be me against countless enemies.