The Tales of the Wanderer Volume One: A Book of Underrealm (The Underrealm Volumes 4) by Garrett Robinson (elon musk reading list TXT) 📕

Neither guard answered her.

“The Rangatira’s council should not take long,” I told her as I walked by on my next pass. “Once she has decided what she wants to do, we can determine how to help her.”

“I hope it is as quick as you say,” said Mag. “Or she will come out here to find a trench where she once had an even floor in her hall. Stop pacing.”

I stopped, but I glared at her. “I will, but only because I want to.”

“Of course,” said Mag.

“This is no time for jokes, Mag. People are already dying, and—”

From Ditra’s council chamber came shouts and the clashing of steel.

As one, Mag and I and the guards turned towards the doors. But while the guards were still staring in confusion, Mag and I sprinted for the doorway. At the last moment, the guards turned and crossed their spears to bar it.

“No one is permitted to—”

“Oh, be silent,” said Mag, snatching one of the spears and slamming the haft into the guard’s head. The woman reeled backwards.

“My apologies.” I struck the other in the face. He slammed into the door. With two quick jabs, Mag knocked her guard to the ground, senseless, and then took mine to the floor with a swift kick to the side.

We threw open the doors and rushed inside to a scene of chaos. Ditra’s ranger captains stood at the foot of her dais, facing outwards, blades in their hands. Only four remained, including Maia—three lay on the floor in swiftly spreading pools of their own blood. There, as well, lay two people in guard uniforms. But ten more guards remained on their feet, and they were pressing in towards the rangers with blades drawn.

“Ditra!” I cried.

Her gaze snapped up over the combat to see me. But she could not spare more than a glance, as the guards pressed forwards and the rangers tried desperately to hold them back.

Mag threw her spear before we reached their line. It impaled one guard straight through his chainmail. His hands scrabbled at his back, trying to grasp the thing. Mag reached him a blink later, planted a foot on his back, and dragged the spear out with both hands. Oku lunged, latching onto the leg of one of the other guards. The woman fell, and Oku’s jaws crushed her throat.

I had nocked an arrow. As Mag did her bloody work, I fired as fast as I could. Two of the guards fell to my arrows. Maia joined his lord on her dais and found his own bow, and he sank a shot into the eye of a third.

But the other rangers had fallen now. One of the guards leaped for Maia and swung her sword for his face. He managed to block it with his bow, which snapped in half.

The guard dragged a knife from her belt and plunged it into Maia’s shoulder. Then his gut.

His eyes went wide. His hands scrabbled for the guard’s face. But he only succeeded in gripping her helmet and pulling it off.

Kaita. It was Kaita.

Ditra and I froze in horror at the same time. And then Kaita plunged the dagger into Ditra’s chest.

She fell back, striking the chair and then the ground.

“No!” I screamed.

Kaita stepped forwards. She raised her dagger to strike again, to be sure.

The arrow flew from my bow. It pierced straight through her forearm. She cried out and dropped the dagger.

In shock, she looked up and noticed me for the first time. Then her gaze fell upon Mag closer by. There were only four guards left, and even as Kaita watched, Mag slew one of them.

Oku lunged at Kaita, bowling her over, and I heard her scream as his fangs sank into her already-wounded arm. Somehow she managed to throw him off. It gave her just enough time to rise and flee. One of the Shades saw her go, and he tried to follow. Together they ran for the back of the room, to the staircase that would take them up into the keep. Oku went after them, silently, hunting.

I sprinted forwards, already nocking another arrow. I loosed it at a Shade on the dais from only two paces away. Distracted as he was by Mag, he never even saw the shot that killed him. Mag slew the last one a moment later.

“Ditra!” I cried, falling on my knees beside her. I seized her shoulder and pulled her up.

She gave a deep groan, fingers clutching the front of my jerkin.

“Ditra!” I said again, my voice breaking. Sky above, she was alive. I seized her tabard and pulled it aside, trying to see her wound.

I saw only metal glinting up at me. Chain mail. Several of the links were bent and pressed into her flesh, but she would survive.

Lost for words, I could only take her shoulders and pull her into an embrace. But Ditra pushed me away.

“Maia,” she said, wincing as she clutched at her chest.

Panic had driven him from my mind. I looked over. He lay on his back, hands and arms twitching as he held the wound in his belly. I helped Ditra over to him.

“Albern,” said Mag, her voice toneless. “The weremage.”

“Go,” I told her. “Find her if you can.”

Mag started off as I joined Ditra by Maia’s side. But he looked up at me with wild eyes. “Vera.”

I felt a sickening lurch in my gut. “No. It is Albern. We are here.”

“No,” he said. His voice shook with pain, grunting between gasped words. His eyes found Ditra’s. “My—lord. Vera.”

All the blood drained from Ditra’s face. Her hands twitched, wanting to hold Maia, wanting to pull away. She looked wildly from him to the doorway through which Kaita had fled. Still unsure, she looked back down at him.

“Maia—”

“Go!” growled Maia, glaring up at her in fury. “Get—out—of here.”

I wagered it was the first time in his life he had ever dared to give her an order. But Ditra obeyed it, bolting for the back of the room. Mag