Page 234 of Captive of Secrets and Storms

Whatever the darkness lingering within me just did to Karl, I don’t know how to repeat it.

I’m a helpless doe, staring down the hunter who is seconds away from ending my life.

And I’m too drained to run.

“Stand down, Steinn,” the second archer barks.

“She killed Karl!” Steinn snarls, drawing his bow back farther, hatred simmering in his fiery glare. “She deserves to die.”

“No!” The archer dives, knocking Steinn’s aim skyward.

Zing.

The arrow flies free, soaring up and lodging in the wood shutter on a nearby house.

A blast of heat soars my way.

I fall to the ground.

The attack flies over my head, missing me by inches.

The archers wrestle on the ground, but it’s the second archer who lands on top.

Straddling his friend, he holds a dagger to his throat and barks, “We have orders, Steinn. We must take her to the ship!”

“She killed my brother!”

My heart seizes.

Images of Ferria flood my mind, and the thought of losing her makes me want to vomit.

A masculine shout interrupts, “No, please!”

My eyes dart left—toward the building where Hali and her friend were being corralled—just as Hali jabs a dagger into one pirate’s stomach.

She jerks the blade up. He falls back. Blood gushes and organs bulge from the wound.

My stomach heaves.

I turn and empty its contents onto the pavement.

“DUCK!” the second archer shouts.

I dip down, but the warning wasn’t for me.

A stone crashes into Steinn’s back from the crumbling building above, sending the pirate sprawling across the blood-soaked pavement.

I leap back, heart in my throat.

Hali’s enraged scream steals my attention.

The earth wielder has disarmed another pirate. The other two are gone. They must’ve fled after she gutted their friend.

Hali throws her arms out wide. The ground underneath the pirate opens. He shouts as he falls, but the sound is cut off when she reassembles the earth above, sealing him in.

Gods…that’s incredible.

And horrifying.