The Claimed: Rashika's Resistance

Chapter 30: For Me

Half-blinded by the lightning and slipping on wet marble, I slashed at the closest archers. Hot blood splattered my face, joining the cold rain. Those nearest me cried out and shuffled backward, bows dropping.

Somewhere behind me, metal clanged, and cries split the night. Plu and Denavin? With no time to check the outcome, I bounded forward and lashed out again.

Moments later, the newest archers lay scattered around my feet.

I hopped over the bodies toward the other archers at the edge. One released an arrow before I reached her, followed by the slick crack of striking flesh and bone.

Janafir hollered in pain.

I winced at the sound but refused to slow down. When the archer attempted to notch another arrow, my sword zinged through the rain and sliced off her arm. The appendage flopped to the ground with a geiser of red. Before she could open her mouth to scream, I whipped the blade around to pierce through the flesh under her ribcage. Her eyes rolled up and body dropped sideways. I pounced on the next archer.

All around me, feet slapped wet marble, swords clashed, and cries rang out in a macabre symphony. My body moved faster than my mind, finding more rhythm and grace than ever before.

You can't dance without letting go.

Another archer down. Then another. When my scan failed to find any more archers, I realized I had neglected to breathe. I wheeled toward the center of the plaza, shoulders heaving with ragged gasps.

The pouring rain painted the plaza in dark monochrome, a disorienting blur of bodies and blades. Lightning spilled color over the battle and refracted off the marble, highlighting the spray of rebounding droplets. Among the chaos, I spotted Izra first. She fought beside Ru and Navi, forming a circle around a prone form on the ground. Plu.

Near them, a larger body lay forgotten. A shiny gold badge peaked through the puddle of red beneath her. Wide eyes stared back at me, unblinking.

A trickle of pity quickly drowned in a sea of pride. Plu ended Denavin.

Now I prayed Plu would live.

I started toward Izra to help them defend Plu, but an even more alarming sight sidetracked me. Jek pushed back two attacking Royal Guards to protect another incapacitated rebel. Janafir slumped on the ground supported by one hand, his other hand clutching his back. An arrow jutted out just above his tailbone.

I tore toward Jek. As Jek forced one guard back a step, I plunged my sword through the back of the other. Metal blade scraped his ribcage as he slid to the ground. I whirled toward the other opponent just in time to watch Jek impale her.

Jek's shoulders caved with a violent expulsion of breath. His left eye swelled half shut with a bloody slice, and the water streamed pink down the bridge of his nose. "Epsa, thank gods you're here. Cover me so I can drag Janafir off the plaza. He's hurt bad. He's... he can't even..."

His voice distorted, and his teeth clamped over his lower lip.

Behind him, Janafir groaned and shook his head. "Leave me, Jek. Keep fighting."

Jek huffed an exasperated breath that choked off in a sob.

I responded before Jek could. "Move him fast, Jek. I'll cover you."

Jek hooked his hands beneath Janafir's armpits and dragged him backward over the marble. Behind Janafir, a trail of red quickly dissipated in the rain. I cleared the way, slashing through opponents and shoving aside dead bodies.

By the time we reached the treeline, fatigue weighed down my limbs and constricted my chest. I grabbed one of Janafir's arms and helped Jek tug him through the mud past the first trees.