Page 41 (1/1)

Take the fire to the eastern front Wait ‘til the wor Then release the fire

"Won’t that cure hih?" Cactus took the note and read it over before handing it back to S burrowers have gone on too long, they becorained into the host They can still be killed, stopped fro into anyone else, but when they die, the host dies too If they use the fire right away, ed, but it wasn’t disesture "I’m sorry It is not my place to meddle in the affairs of the other fa the shorter"Thank you Be careful, we don’t knoho all is in on this plot"

And there it was, the truth of ere facing was a plot indeed A conspiracy to kill my father, which would allow Cassava to take over as ruler and head of our family She would have me killed, no doubt, Fern and her unborn baby, and anyone else who opposed her Probably Niah and Griffin too I glanced at Ash Would he be killed? I wasn’t so sure Belladonna would probably try to have hi footsteps snapped ood "They knoe’re here"

Ash crooked a finger at rabbedwith you"

Except all he did was slow us down Ash rab for me, but Cactus inadvertently heldto o!"

Fro drawn sliced through the air Ash lunged for us "Give the princess toout sideways and tipped Cactus overto the floor He laid there, hisopen and closed like a landed fish But ere too late, Cactus had screwed us over whether he realized it or not I straightened and turned Four Enders faced us, Maggie had brought back up They cut between us, in seconds,it i me behind

Ash backed up a step so he could pull his sword "Maggie, ere just leaving"

"Not without a visit to the queen’s dungeon, my friend"

Ash stiffened "Weapons only then, Ender No abilities"

Maggie tipped her head ever so slightly "Let it be"

I pulledthe shaft inthat direction He shifted his weight and the tension grew as the six of us weighed each other

I knew the older Enders would recoht like this, where ere outnu soht, I could see what the other Enders would do a split second before they started tothee The Ender in front ofto hitit look like he hadn’t ht, I whipped the spear forward in a doard slashing arc at hi hi et his club up in tih his shoulder and clavicle, peeling him open I jerked the war spear out hard and fast, hback noe--I--had drawn blood, had struck a killing blow As the Ender in front ofback in his head, I breathed in, and calmness filled me He’d wanted hts But it was the first time I’d hurt someone so badly, and a small part of roan, but I didn’t pause The momentum of the blow turnedout around ht

The second Ender I faced was going to dodge to the right and then swing in low, landing his club in er to my left eye That’s what I saw, as clearly as if he’d painted me a picture I moved with him, stepped back and drove h the belly I slid my hand down the spear and pulled it forith a quick yank, then turned to face the last two Enders with Ash He’d dispatched one, and now faced Maggie

I saw the flicker in her eye, the lava burning there and ready to roar up and around us, shole Nope, not going to happen on s with ainst the stone floor Her eyes rolled up in her head and I paused, wondering if she was dead or not

"What in the seven hells of the goddess was that?" Ash yelled at low I’d floated in disappeared

"What?" I stared at hi Around us, the noise level had suddenly coht, trying to staunch their wounds I sed hard I’d done that The guts dripping out of one, and the ar My weapon