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

her shoulder. She’d yet to fire a single deadly projectile in his defense. She slid to her knees at his side, her fingers frantically grasping onto his glowing left arm.

The change in the atmosphere was instantaneous. Electricity crackled in the air, making the hairs on his arm stand tall as a wave of energy slammed into him. He braced himself for the fall that was sure to come, yet he remained momentarily aloft. His mind ran rampant, struggling to comprehend the sudden change as he found himself frozen in place. Around him, the phrenics, the Lei Guard, all watched in a state of rigor. Andr had experienced the unsettling speed of the phrenics and of their counterparts, the Outland Horde. This was something entirely unique.

The only motion that persisted within the radius of the blast occurred at the epicenter. Ryl’s head rotated, meeting eyes with Kaep’s for a moment. What context passed through that look? Their bond had been curious. He’d observed the pair since they’d met. There was a profound understanding between the two, who had been strangers a little more than one cycle in the past.

The serene calm of the moment wasn’t to last. Ryl severed the repose as he surged to his feet. The ball of energy that moments earlier drove him into the ground now hovered effortlessly above his outstretched hand. Its glow took on a life of its own, swelling as it rotated, illuminating Tabenville with the light of day.

With a speed that was shockingly human, Ryl slammed his left arm to the ground, bringing the orb down with it.

The earth shook as it detonated.

Chapter 2

Time resumed its natural course with a sudden change far more jarring than the last. The force of the explosion tossed Andr backward like he was a feather on the wind. Particles of dirt and small stones pelted his body, stinging his skin where they struck. For meters, he rolled across the hard-packed ground of the road before sliding to a stop along the edge of the field.

Without pause, he lurched to his feet, struggling to regain his footing in the loose soil. He stumbled forward on wavering legs as he surveyed the scene around him. Unsurprisingly, the phrenics were on their feet. Their motions, though somewhat clumsier than he’d grown accustomed to seeing, bordered on normal. Ramm clutched his massive war hammer with one hand, though the butt rested on the ground to his side. Flashes of flames rippled across Vox’s arm.

Littered on the ground before the edge of the woods, the bodies of the Lei Guards remained where they’d fallen. None showed any signs of motion.

Several meters from where the deadly guard lay still, Ryl and Kaep remained. Their bodies were located in a small indent in the ground, the epicenter of the blast. Any loose dirt and debris surrounding their prostrate forms had been pushed away by the force. The short wild grasses and vegetation lay flat against the ground as if they’d been crushed under the press of a massive weight.

Andr glanced back at the commotion that rose from the village behind him. Le’Dral and his faithful lieutenants were at the head of a gathering of their loyal guards. The group staggered onward, gaining speed with every step as they recovered from the disorientation of the blast. The captain shouted orders to the troops, who stumbled to regain their footing. A board from the hastily constructed corral fractured under the weight of the spooked horses. The sharp, snapping noises of wood ripped through the night.

In the square, the tributes hastened for the relative safety of the overfilled common house. A few courageous souls stood outside, armed with clubs and blades, a last line of defense should an attack reach their ranks. Andr grinned; his heart swelled with pride as he clearly recognized the figure of his son, Cray, standing at the center of the line.

The emotion that rolled through his body energized him. He used the sudden rush of excited energy to power through the unsteady steps. It was only a matter of moments before he reached Ryl and Kaep. Vox was in the process of rolling the phrenic archer to her back. He leaned his head down close over her face, his cheek only a finger’s width from her mouth. He felt for the warm puff of air as she exhaled, watching for the rise of her chest. His left arm, still engulfed in flame, was held out at an angle, keeping the fire from licking her skin.

At Vox’s side, the towering figure of Ramm rose from his cursory inspection of Ryl.

“He still lives,” the phrenic grumbled as he moved to stand protectively between Kaep, Ryl and the motionless bodies of the Lei Guard. He hefted the massive war hammer with his left hand, slamming the shaft down into his right palm. Andr heard the crack of his knuckles as they squeezed the shaft in aggravation.

“So does Kaep,” Vox intoned. “I see her signature glowing as strong as ever. Ryl’s is far more dull than I’m used to seeing.”

Andr nodded in acknowledgment, though he couldn’t see the images the phrenic so clearly described. Surviving amongst Ryl and the phrenics for as long as he had, he’d grown accustomed to their ways. Talk of the phrenic mindsight and the mysterious signatures it revealed no longer astounded him. Though he lacked the gift, he grasped the concept better than most.

He opened his mouth to question the observation, yet the words stopped before they could escape.

The hammer of heavy boots on the ground echoed from the entrance to the Erlyn.

There was a creak of bows being drawn to their peak.

“Arrows,” Andr screamed at Vox as he dove to the side. He threw himself protectively in front of Ryl. The whizzing sound of the projectiles whistled overhead. He felt the disturbance in the air as they narrowly missed connecting with his skin. To his side Vox rolled away from the still bodies of Kaep and