Page 34 of Knotted By the Triad

“Fuck!”

Pain tore through my shoulder and down my arm. I rolled onto my back and gritted my teeth. My arm hung at an awkward angle, useless at my side. I grabbed it with my other hand and shoved the joint back into place.

A sharp pop sounded. Another burst of pain shot through me, followed by immediate relief as the joint slid back where it belonged. I rotated my shoulder once, testing it. It hurt like hell, but it worked.

I grabbed my sword and rose to my feet. Damaging the other markings weakened them. Destroying the one on the chest killed them. Now I knew how to take the bastards down.

“The markings on their chests!” I shouted. “Destroy them!”

The golem attacking Zian swung one massive fist toward his head. He ducked beneath it and jumped onto the creature's arm before it could pull away. Zian ran two steps up the length of its arm and launched himself toward its chest.

His sword struck the glowing symbol, sending blue sparks flying, but the marking didn't break. The golem backhanded him. Zian flew through the air and slammed into a tree hard enough that pain ripped through our bond.

My stomach clenched as he hit the ground, but before I could go to him, he groaned and pushed himself onto his hands and knees.

“I'm fine!” he yelled.

The golem was already coming for him again. Zian lifted his head. The creature swung one massive fist toward him. Zian rolled aside, and the golem punched straight through the trunk of the tree behind him.

Wood splintered as the tree tilted dangerously. Zian came up beside the creature. Before it could pull its arm free, he jumped onto its back and climbed onto its shoulders. The golem thrashed violently.

He reversed his grip on his sword and drove the blade downward toward the center of the golem's chest. The point struck the glowing marking but didn't penetrate deeply enough. The golem reached for him.

Zian ripped the blade free and struck again. Blue light flashed as a crack appeared through the center of the symbol. The creature roared, spun, and threw itself backward, slamming Zian into the damaged tree.

Zian’s face twisted in pain as the creature stepped forward, then moved to slam him into the tree again. But Zian was faster. He drove his sword into the marking one final time. The symbol shattered.

Zian kicked away from the creature as cracks raced through its body. He hit the ground and rolled while the golem collapsed into a pile of broken stone behind him.

Across the clearing, Daemin sprinted toward a third golem. He'd apparently abandoned his sword at some point because he now had two daggers in his hands. The golem swung at him.

Daemin dropped low and slid beneath its arm, dragging one dagger through a glowing symbol along the creature's side as he passed. Blue sparks followed his blade. He came back to his feet without slowing.

The golem turned after him, but Daemin had already changed direction. He raced toward a fallen tree, planted one foot against the trunk, and launched himself backward. He landed on the creature's shoulders.

Both daggers came down, sinking into the glowing marking at the base of its neck. The golem jerked violently and reached over its shoulder, but Daemin ripped the blades free and jumped before it could grab him.

“Aim for the chest!” I shouted as golems crumbled around me, the guards working together to take them down.

The golem charged at Daemin. Daemin threw the dagger. It struck the glowing symbol in the center of the creature's chest. The golem staggered, giving Daemin enough time to send a second blade flying.

It struck beside the first. A crack split the symbol. The third dagger left Daemin's hand almost immediately. It buried itself between the other two. He’d pulled it so fast, I hadn’t even seen where he’d pulled it from.

The marking shattered. Blue light spread through the creature before its massive body broke apart and crashed to the ground. Around us, our men had already begun adapting to the new command.

Instead of wasting their strength striking stone wherever they could, they worked together to create openings to the center markings. Shadow Guards moved in pairs and groups, drawing the golems' attention before another guard attacked from the opposite side.

Daemin's assassins darted between the creatures, using speed rather than strength to get within striking distance before disappearing out of reach. Blue light flashed throughout the clearing as more golems fell.

Another explosion of stone sounded somewhere behind me. I searched for the next threat and caught movement near the edge of the clearing. One of the remaining golems was heading straight for the warehouse.

“Where the hell is that one going?” I shouted.

The golem slammed through the wooden doors instead of opening them, disappearing into the darkness. We followed. Moonlight poured through holes in the sagging roof, illuminating old crates, broken pieces of furniture, and rotting beams.

I could hear the golem's heavy footsteps moving toward the back of the building. Then I heard something else. A low buzzing sound. The same noise I'd heard earlier while we'd been waiting outside. The golem reached the back wall. Blue light flashed. Then the creature vanished. All three of us stopped.

“What the hell?” Daemin muttered.