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🌸 A N E E L A 🌸
The expected first strike against the ravkan party didn't come from the soldiers right behind Ximen. They kept on steady but something else was moving in the far.
Aneela heard a buzzing sound, as if hummingbirds were coming their way, and wondered what made that kind of noise. Her questions were answered once she saw three figures rising on the horizon.
She took an unsteady breath. "Are these ...?"
"Khergud, yes!" Zoya called out alarmed.
"Nikolai, you and Kheru need to get back to the Grande Palace." Aneela turned to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Take a horse and promise me that you won't stop until you're there."
He grabbed onto her arm with his free hand and shook his head heavily. "I'll stay."
"No, go! We'll be fine."
"Aneela."
"Please. Be safe with Kheru."
"I'm not leaving you."
"You're not, you're just following an order." She gave him a warm smile. "Because this is a command from your princess."
"My love-"
"Nikolai, listen to your wife!" Zoya yelled over to them as she was calling on her powers to pluck the three khergud out of the sky. "Kheru, get to safety with him!"
The soldiers with metal wings dipped towards them and shot through the air in a rapid pace that confused and scared Aneela at the same time. What on earth was done to them? The three of them had been biologically augmented and were ready to kill the ravkans. Zoya shot a massive blows towards them, but they ditched it with ease.
Nikolai pointed his gun at Ximen when the foot soldiers behind him started to move. "Call them back."
Ximen grinned at him and pulled a dagger. "Not a chance."
Zoya quickly knocked the air out of his lunges, making the prince stagger backwards as he tried to take a breath, clutching his hand to his throat. "That will take him a minute to recover. Kheru, Nikolai, you heard the princess – go and don't look back!"
"We won't leave you." Kheru declared and put her hand out to Nikolai. "Give me your other gun."
Nikolai handed it out to her without another word and then shot at a soldier in the leg who was on her way to run over to them. Aneela was going to beg him and Kheru to get to safety once more, but the words died on her lips as one of the khergud flew into their direction, losing distance between her and Nikolai in a rapid pace.
Quickly, Aneela raised her arms and tried to make the metal stop moving but Nikolai grabbed her and they both slammed to the ground as another khergud had tried to come for her from behind.
