Page 209 of Savage Throne
My eyes watered. “I-is he okay?”
Chen nervously nodded. “Yes. He’s been hit harder, but. . .”
“What?”
“He should get out of that tree right now.”
“Why?”
Leo moved toward him fast with something in his other hand.
I leaned forward. “What’s that?”
Chen trembled against me. “Get out of there, Lei!”
Leo was on Lei’s branch fast and jabbed Lei in the arm with whatever he had.
“No.” I shook my head. “What the fuck is that? What did he do?”
Movement sounded behind me like someone had been slapped.
“That’s how it’s going to be?” Aunt Min screamed.
Confused, Lei looked down at his arm and kept blinking his eyes. Then he pulled something out and slung it away.
The thing fell to the ground.
What the hell was that?
“No. No.” I struggled against their arms. “Let me go. Right. Fucking. Now.”
“Moni, stop!” Chen tightened his grip on my arm as I lurched forward.
“What was that?!” I twisted and turned trying to loosen their hold. “What did Leo do? We have to stop him!”
Duck’s arm was like a damn iron shackle. “Stay here. You’ll only make it worse.”
“Make it worse? Fuck you.” My jaw clenched as I turned back to the tree. “I could help.”
Lei staggered on the branch, his sword slipping slightly in his grip. His chest heaved as he tried to steady himself, but I could see it—the way his body began to falter. The way his movements slowed.
He dropped to his knees.
No, baby. No. . .
My pulse roared in my ears.
“Leo cheated!” I screamed, struggling harder against Duck and Chen’s hold. “He fucking cheated!”
“Moni, stop it.” Duck’s voice cracked with frustration. “You can’t help him right now! None of us can.”
“Yes. We can. We can all go out there.”
“It’s not the way of the East.” Chen scowled. “And if you go out there, you’ll distract him. You’ll get him killed.”
His words stabbed into me like daggers but I couldn’t stop my body from twisting against their hold. “How can you say that? He’s going to die if wedon’tdo something!”
Duck shook his head. “I’ve seen Lei survive worse than this.”
