“Malik!”
The solar eclipse had drained him, leaving him a hollow version of the warrior I once knew. Beside him stood Reyna, her face etched with lines of worry, her posture taut with unspoken fear.
“We have to go!” I said the command was a more desperate plea than an authoritative order.
Reyna met my gaze, her eyes holding a storm of hidden troubles.
“We have a problem,” she said, and something in her tone told me that our plight had just deepened into a chasm from which we might not all emerge.
With Olivia cradled securely in my arms, my focus remained on Luna. I lurched toward Reyna, every step driven by the urgency to ensure she was safe.
“Take the child,” I said, my voice raw with panic and exertion.
The baby’s wails pierced the thick air as Reyna carefully wrapped her arms around the newborn, cradling its tiny form against her chest.
“Raul and his men have surrounded the cave,” Reyna said, her voice steady despite the dire weight of her words.
I froze, my blood thundering in my ears. “Fuck, can this get any worse… I thought Raul was burned to death!”
“Raul has half a face and one eye now,” she replied, her tone calm but the imagery horrifying. The darkness mercifully veiled the gruesome picture her words conjured, but the thought alone was enough to churn my stomach.
Gritting my teeth, I adjusted my grip on Olivia, determination searing me. With one last glance at Malik, who nodded weakly, I pressed forward toward the cave’s mouth, ducking beneath jagged rocks and skirting piles of debris. Behind me, Reyna and Malik followed, their steps, careful yet swift, shadowed phantoms in the gloom.
Emerging from the cave was like stepping into a nightmare. The scene outside was straight from hell’s darkest depths. Raul stood at the forefront, his charred face a grotesque mask of hatred. One side was a ruin of melted flesh, his single eye gleaming with malice amidst the carnage of his visage.
“You little bitch!” he snarled, his voice a guttural growl that made my blood run cold. “Look what you did to my face!” His hatred was directed at Reyna, who stood firm despite the venom in his words, clutching my child with unwavering resolve.
The stench of scorched flesh wafted on the wind, a nauseating reminder of the violence that had twisted him into this monstrous figure. But I couldn’t dwell on vengeance or fear. Olivia’s life hung in the balance, and time was slipping through my fingers like grains of sand. Without proper care, I would lose her—and the thought of a world without Olivia made the air around me feel unbreathable.
Everything felt like a blur of motion—rock, sky, the looming shadows of Raul’s men—yet I forced myself forward, Olivia’s fragile weight pressing against me. Each step was a battle against the fear clawing at my throat.
She’s going to die.The thought echoed relentlessly in my mind, a chilling refrain I refused to accept. I couldn’t—wouldn’t—let it become reality.
Reyna’s voice cut through the haze of my dread.
“Oh, Raul, I did such a bad job. I have to finish what I started. I have to make sure everyone lives happily.” The resolve in her tone was a stark contrast to the gentle way she then turned to Malik, offering him the bundle in her arms. “Hold the baby.”
Malik extended trembling arms, cradling the newborn with all the strength his weakened body could muster. Despite his exhaustion, he held her as though she were the most precious thing in the world.
Reyna lifted the hem of her dress, revealing twin blades strapped to her thighs. In one fluid motion, she unsheathed them, their polished steel catching the dim light.
Reyna was upon Raul’s men before they could react, a deadly whirlwind of precision and fury. The guards, weakened by the fire, were no match for her. Her movements were a dance of lethal grace, her blades singing as they struck.
Who is this woman? And what the hell happened to Osman.The thought slammed into me as I watched her, mesmerized and horrified. My mind raced, trying to piece together what had happened.
The clash of steel against steel rang out, interspersed with the guttural cries of the fallen. And then... silence.
Reyna stood amidst the carnage, her chest rising and falling with controlled breaths, her blades dripping crimson. Only Raul remained, stumbling backward, his one good eye wide with terror.
“Roman,” Reyna said, her voice steady yet charged with purpose, as she pointed one bloodied blade at our disfigured adversary. “I must end this.”
My heart pounded against my ribs, an erratic drumbeat. “No. Don’t. We take him with us.”
Surprise flickered across her face, but she nodded. Without hesitation, she bound Raul’s hands with practiced skill, the ropes biting into his scorched skin. He struggled feebly, his strength no match for hers.
With an almost effortless motion, Reyna heaved him into the wagon like a grain sack. Her calm efficiency belied the chaos that had unfolded, but there was a sense of unyielding determination in her actions—a resolve that matched my own.
I watched, bewildered by the woman who had just single-handedly turned the tide of our desperate situation.
