The Defiance of Vim (Catalyst Book 4) by C.J. Aaron (graded readers txt) 📕

soil below. The emotion, the blackness that followed the creature seemed to spread in its wake, leaving a barely perceptible stain on the ground.

With a turn of its head toward the wasteland at its rear, the beast opened its mouth. The wail that echoed from its lips was jarring. With the cry, birds leapt from their perches, taking flight, scattering into the sky above. The creatures seeking shelter in the grasses scurried away, hastening to put distance between themselves and the beast.

As the flutter of wings and commotion in the underbrush ceased, only silence remained.

The calm only lasted a moment.

From the depths of the wastes behind the solitary blackened creature, cries from a host of unseen mouths answered the call.

Chapter 1

The muffled cry of alarm woke Andr from the light slumber he’d adopted as a habit over the cycles. The ring of his sword freeing its sheath sang over the roar of the waterfall that crashed into the pool along the edge of the square. The pervasive mists that clung to Tabenville blurred the few sources of light in the area. Illumination from the torches and lanterns was confined to diffused halos suspended in the particulate. They dotted the road leading into the Erlyn, burning alongside the scattering of buildings that lined the path.

His body responded instinctively. Andr rushed from under the cover of the crudely constructed tent along the edge of Tabenville’s lone square.

The distant circle of light at the edge of the Erlyn’s entrance snuffed out.

The scant light from the moon and stars above did little to illuminate the village through the mist. His eyes struggled to make sense of the murky darkness. Andr squinted into the night as he raced toward the woods. The area along the mouth of the forest’s entrance appeared blacker than its surroundings.

A thick, endless darkness swelled.

The phrenic archer Kaep blew past him, her innate speed carrying her at a rate that defied logic. Strands of his hair blew across his face as the wind in her wake jostled it. The massive figure of Ramm, followed by the slender form of Vox, streamed by. They passed as if he were standing still, not running at a sprint. Small blue flames crackled around the elementalist’s left arm.

Though his eyes struggled to make out the details, his senses were fully aware of what approached through the shadows. His gut feelings had saved his life on more occasions than he cared to recall, yet the sensations that swelled over him now defied his experiences.

He’d witnessed firsthand the horrors of the Horde. The wicked, unnatural fighting ability. He’d sensed the pure hatred and malevolence that pulsed from the very core of their beings. Andr tasted the flavor of those emotions now. The black stain of hatred, fear and hopelessness that washed over him was startlingly similar.

He knew the truth, the disastrous fate that awaited the tributes once they left the walls of The Stocks. Their withered shells would be imbued with the essence of the evil Horde. If they survived, they would become the Lei Guard.

It was they who streamed from the mouth of the woods.

Between the phrenics who had rushed past and the Lei Guard, a solitary figure stood. His body was wrapped in a pale glow, almost as if the light was pulsing from his left arm.

Ryl.

The phrenics cried out in warning as they raced forward. They still had too much ground to cover.

The line of the approaching Lei Guard stalked silently. Ryl walked calmly forward. Without warning, he thrust his arm into the sky. The golden glow swelled around his arm, growing brighter by the instant. A pinpoint of light burst to life above his outstretched hand. It remained stagnant for an instant before blossoming into a massive ball easily a meter wide. The orb burned with the brilliant light of the sun, pushing back against the approaching darkness, illuminating the wall of approaching soldiers.

Andr was forced to shield his eyes with his free hand as he ran forward. Overhead, the clouds in the sky churned with the fury of a storm. High above, the winds spun in a vicious circle, wrenching any nearby clouds into their vortex. The ring of turbulence seethed, yet the sky in the center was peaceful. The undisturbed stars above watched with ever-growing curiosity.

He could see Ryl’s body strain under the weight.

Andr felt a shudder roll through him as the woods cried out in warning, echoing the calls of the phrenics. The trees along the arboreal border shook as if disturbed by a sudden gust of wind. The moonlight flashed off the leaves that rained down like tears shed from their agitated branches.

Much like he had in the chamber with Da’agryn, Andr felt drawn toward the woods. He felt the unseen force wrap around him like a giant hand, pulling him onward, pleading with him to hasten his approach. He recognized the voice of the Erlyn. There was urgency in her call and an undeniable sense of panic in her voice.

It chilled him to the core.

Ahead, Ryl’s knees buckled.

A chorus of raw hatred, bloodlust and murder erupted from the Lei Guard as they charged forward as one. The song of their swords clearing their sheaths cut through their cries.

The blinding ball of light flickered, sputtering as Ryl sank further to the ground under its unimaginable weight. His head rolled backward. The scream that issued was devastating.

Andr had heard the scream. The wail that the phrenics referred to as the Cries of the Fallen. It was a cacophony of voices, each with their own agenda, own personality, own emotion. When he’d heard it last, it had screamed defiance.

The voice that cried out now was alone.

It was ragged. It was pitiful. It was devastated.

It was all that remained of his friend’s energy. He watched in horror as Ryl was crushed beneath the weight of the light. Death streamed toward him.

The Lei Guard were nearly upon him when Kaep reached his side. Her bow was still slung over