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Suddenly, Hadi was forgotten, or at least deemed less important than losing the stone right from under him. Kovit shot toward them. I threw myself in the way but there was no need because Hadi got to him first.
He hit General Kovit mid-air, all of his limbs wrapping around the mutinous bastard.
They fell together, hitting the ground with a crash. By the time they landed, Hadi was already wrapping the giant bat in his sticky web while he screamed bloody murder, flailing against his overwhelming strength.
It was funny. General Kovit had seemed like such a monstrous beast in that torture chamber but against Hadi, he was weak. I was reminded why he was my king. There was a reason that no one had questioned his presence on the throne for so long.
“Come.” A small hand grabbed my arm, and I looked down to see Clem, his warning glow still strong.
“The rest will wake up soon.”
Sure enough, there was movement. I could see the earth shifting from the sleeping crawler nocs beneath us. Soon, the valley would be overrun while we still tried to escape.
“Quickly,” I agreed and swooped down, lifting Sun into one arm and Clem into the other.
I moved fast, whipping across the open valley, eager to get back under the shadow of the trees.
About halfway there, a shadow covered us and I looked up to see Bracken, beaten and bloody, but grinning.
“Where is Hadi?” he asked.
“Fighting Kovit.”
His eyes widened and he looked back.
“I don’t think they’re fighting anymore,” he laughed.
Slowing, I turned to look back.
Kovit was nothing but a lump wrapped in white webbing and Hadi was bent over him, feasting on his blood.
It was a huge win. A victory that the humans would have rejoiced in. We were doing them favors now, fighting on their side in a way. I had no idea what to think of that, but a common enemy did not make us friends...
Sun’s palm suddenly pressed to my chest, feeling my heartbeat. When I looked at him, he was watching Hadi feed with a troubled expression on his face, and I had the feeling that he had done it subconsciously to steady himself by connecting with me.
My heart, under his palm squeezed uncomfortably at the realization that the stone in Sun’s pocket was the only reason that he was still alive. Hadi would try to feed on him once our tether was broken.
The problem was, I no longer believed that the tether had much, if anything, to do with the way Sun made me feel. And now I completely understood the worry on Sun’s face. I wasn’t sure what would happen at Tsuki’s temple once the tether was broken.
“Get Hadi,” I ordered Bracken. “Before the whole noc army is upon him.”
No sooner did the words leave my mouth when suddenly the ground beneath us shook and began to crack, soon, countless crawler nocs would be released from its depths.
“Hadi!” I shouted, but he ignored me.
Against one bat noc, he was fine, but under an army of giant millipede and centipede nocs, I wasn’t so sure we would all get out of this alive.
Without thinking, I turned around, determined to get Hadi out of here even if I had to carry him myself. Bracken was already swooping in his direction.
He reached Hadi first, just as the shaking earth dislodged him from Kovit’s still struggling form.
Hadi tried to swat Bracken’s huge form away, reaching for Kovit as he began to roll and wriggle.
“No!” Hadi shouted in frustration. “I must finish him!”
I understood the desperation in his voice all too well. Hadi would have no peace until those who had betrayed him were dead. I happened to feel the same way.
Suddenly, Kovit’s arm ripped through the layers of Hadi’s web. The moment it did, he tore completely free.
