She loped over and tugged at the ropes.
Qalae blinked her eyes fast to clear them from the sand.
“Addie.”
“I’m here. I’ve got to…” She automatically reached for a knife at her waist, but of course, it had been taken away before the “punishment.” Casting her eyes about for a sharp tool, Addie again absorbed the level of destruction.
Their settlement disappeared, and in its place was hell in full operation. Wrennlins erupted from every crevice and attacked from every angle. Chaos and terror had taken over.
No one was coming to save Qalae. And how could she forget the Rule of the Fallen?
She, Addie, was it, the queen’s savior.
Picking up a rock, Addie started sawing at the ropes, blocking out the paralyzing sounds and the smell of blood. The rock wasn’t sharp, and Addie’s hands were shaking. She felt lightheaded and weak, inadequate. A savior? God help Qalae.
A Wrennlin made a grab for a man and slammed him to the ground mere yards away.
“You have to go,” Qalae coughed. “Leave me, or we’ll both be dead.”
“No.” Stubbornly, Addie kept hacking at the strong flaxen ropes.
“Think about your child,” Qalae pleaded.
“I am. I’m thinking,” she grasped rock with both hands and put her entire weight behind the task, “how I’m going to tell him a story about a Wrennlin attack a long time ago before he was even born.” The dry fibers succumbed to her efforts and two circles eased. “Or she, if it’s a little girl. A story about how many people died.” She could hear the Wrennlin tear into the flesh of the man it had slammed down. “And how his mother - or hers - was such a coward that she abandoned her queen like some sacrificial offering,tied to a fucking post.” Sweat dripped into her gritty eyes and her arm muscles burned from exhaustion.
“The Rule of the Fallen absolves you of responsibility.”
“It won’t absolve me from my conscience.”
More ropes gave way and fell off, and Qalae wriggled her arms free to help Addie by tearing at the bounds that still held her legs immobile. Finally, when Addie didn’t think she could saw the ropes any longer, Qalae stepped away from the post.
But the punishment had taken a toll on her, and her legs gave in, forcing her to fall to her knees next to Addie.
“We need to move.” She rubbed her swollen ankles. “We need to go.”
A huge undulating shape rose over them. Addie didn’t think she could be scared any more than she already was, but fear swelled, magnified tenfold. She lurched to the side as the snarling gray head lunged, and tumbled in the weeds and rocks, swallowing dirt.
“Qalae!” she screamed in terror as the head followed her, striking down.
“I’m here!” In the spotty visibility available to her by the rising clouds of dust and the moving body of the monster, she saw Qalae on her feet, stumbling toward the post. Grunting from the effort, the queen bore down on it with her body, loosening it, and with an inhuman effort pulled it out. Turning just in time, she heaved it at the Wrennlin. It struck its head and threw it backward.
Using the distraction, Qalae ran past Addie, grabbing her hand without stopping, and jerking her to her feet, pulling her along, forcing her to move like a locomotive that pulls a rusty railcar whether it wants to come along or not. Addie did want to come along, but her legs were heavy and numb, and so much exertion so suddenly again made her head spin. She fell at some point, but Qalae didn't stop, dragging her along, and the hard ground abraded Addie’s knees and the taught swell of her belly.
Another Wrennlin rose from underground, solid and dark-gray like death. Qalae let Addie go and picked up rocks that she threw at the beast.
“Come on, let’s go!” Qalae hollered. Addie tried to stand, but her legs’ ability to support her own weight had gone out. She fell back to her knees.
“I can’t. I’m done, Qalae.” It hurt so much to admit defeat. After so much effort to survive, after everything that she’d achieved, her new life. Her male. Their baby. Goddammit, but she was so angry.
The monster shook off the rocks and sensed them. It slithered closer. It aimed its heads for a twin strike that would take them both down and out at the same time.
A perfectly aimed spear sang through air to lodge deep in the monster’s mouth. Its second head roared in pain.
Like an angel of mercy, Oh’nil swooped down on them out of a sandy cloud. His eyes touched Qalae’s face only for a split second, but in this split second, he feasted on the sight of her, his eyes betraying the depth of his love.
He extended an arm toward Qalae. Without a word, she pointed at Addie.
Reluctantly, Oh’nil scooped her up but turned to Qalae, waiting. He wasn’t going to leave her behind.
