Change of Darkness (The Change Series Book 3) by Jacinta Jade (best new books to read txt) 📕

Siray, likewise, didn’t pause but turned in the direction of her next friend.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

THE NEXT PLATFORM across was Zale’s, and the soldiers scaling its sides had renewed their climb with haste. Several body lengths away from Kovi’s platform, the other structure was too far away for any Kaslonian to jump onto.

But not for a sevonix.

Once again, Siray’s feline form demonstrated the incredible power it contained as she sprinted for the edge of Kovi’s platform and vaulted into the air, her body arcing through the space between the structures, her front legs and shoulders stretched forwards.

She landed safely just beyond the edge of Zale’s platform, her front claws digging into the wood as her back legs joined them neatly and she slowed herself to a stop, pivoting with the intention to release the ropes binding Zale.

But as she stalked towards Zale’s pole, someone spoke again in her mind.

Behind you …

The voice was still weak, but its warning made Siray’s instincts flare up, and she whirled around, teeth bared, just as Zale shouted his own warning.

‘Look out!’

A small blade flashed towards Siray, and she darted sideways, her speed saving her life as she felt the blade penetrate the flesh of her previously uninjured shoulder. Bending her neck, she wrapped her jaws around the hilt of the blade and pulled it out with her teeth, flinging it sideways.

As the weapon sailed through the air and over the edge of the platform, Siray turned her glaring blue eyes upon the male now standing weaponless before her, and she drew her lips farther back from her teeth in a savage snarl.

Realising his foolishness, the soldier tried to take a speedy step back, but Siray sprang at him, her claws out as she grabbed for his shoulders, dragging him down to crash against the surface of the wooden platform. Rolling him over onto his back with one paw, as if his weight were nothing, she watched his eyes widen in fear as she pinned him, his arms raised to protect his face.

As if that would save him.

The smell of urine pervaded Siray’s senses as she casually bounced the top half of her body up and then let one paw take most of her descending mass.

Onto the soldier’s windpipe.

The crunch beneath that paw was tremendously satisfying, and Siray sprang off the body, zipping around to the rear of Zale’s pole.

Part of her noted his golden eyes go wide as he saw the result of her efforts just before she ducked her head to apply her teeth to his bonds.

An instant later, Zale stepped away from the post, pulling the remainder of the tattered ropes from his arms and body, and went stiff as yells began to reach their ears.

Siray twisted her head to better catch the sounds.

She understood what they meant a breath before Zale and began to back away towards the edge of the platform.

Zale nodded at her. ‘They’re rallying. Do what you need to, and I’ll get Baindan.’

Siray snarled softly in agreement and ran to the edge of the platform, yet before she leapt, she heard Zale speak softly from behind her.

‘Please be careful.’

As she turned on that ledge, his golden eyes stared into hers, his face pale but set.

Siray’s predator eyes caught the glint of something metallic on Zale’s exposed wrist, but she didn’t allow herself a second look as she extended her claws and then began to let herself slowly down the side of the platform.

When she judged she had climbed far enough down, she sheathed her claws, disengaging them from the wood, and allowed her body to tumble down through the air.

As she fell, she instinctively rotated her head and shoulders, her rear legs following.

Her front paws touched down on the sand an instant later, before her coiling rear legs propelled her away.

As she veered around from the side of Zale’s platform, Siray confirmed what her ears had already told her. The thirteen remaining soldiers were indeed regrouping … had realised their only chance of standing against her lay in maintaining a coordinated front.

And more of them had Changed. The rilander who had charged her once before was at the head of the group, his massive bulk turning to face her. Others within the group were cripwofs—a common form in the Faction, it seemed—and there was even a black yeibon, which gave her pause for a moment, so strongly did it remind her of Tamot.

But then she caught a glimpse of Zale running across the sand for Baindan’s platform, and that burning white haze snapped back into place like an electric field, blocking out all other thoughts.

Some of the soldiers were still in their normal forms, gripping weapons as they wearily watched her approach, but Siray didn’t hesitate as she sped across the distance between them, her speed an advantage against their numbers. The less time they had to plan a counterattack, the better.

The rilander didn’t wait for Siray to reach them but went on the offensive, charging away from the others and straight at her, its intention clearly to flatten her.

But as the creature’s bulk and strength was its advantage, Siray’s swiftness and cunning was hers. What had started off as just small hunches in her mind now became more pronounced urges. It was the instincts and wild mind of the sevonix, sharing the experience of this battle and merging with her so that Siray’s mind was enhanced … making her a more dangerous foe. It made her sharper, faster to calculate everything from the distance between enemies to the arc of a leaping attack. And it made her more ferocious. Because, while the white fire was hers, it seemed to make her connection with the sevonix stronger.

Yet she was still in control. Just.

It was this weapon of a mind that assessed the rilander stampeding towards her, and which told her exactly when to launch her attack. Every fibre of her body was alert, ready to be called on, and she timed her next move as the six thundering columns