“Sire! I saw Candela with a crew of Zhylaw. To the north, near Brierra Lake.”
Brodin straightened. Close. Too close. Brierra Lake was a water source for the city.
He spun. “Annora, assemble a team. We’ll take two drifters to the lake.”
His First Claw nodded and turned, shouting out orders.
Poppy stepped forward. “I’m coming.”
“No.” It was too dangerous. Every protective instinct in his body revolted at the thought.
“Brodin, how many times are we going to have this argument? If Candela infects any of you, I’m the only antidote you have.”
His jaw worked. He cursed. “Fine. But I’m assigning a cleaver to you. You’ll stay by their side.”
She nodded.
The cleavers opened the weapons lockers lining the back of the room. They all changed into their leather armor and grabbed their weapons—staffs, clubs, axes. Annora pulled out her favorite club. Crafted for her, it had a carved hilt, and a strong, sturdy design.
Brodin pulled out his axe and strapped it to his back. They could all fight with their claws or in wolf form, but they weren’t just the wolf. All of them trained with multiple weapons. A semi shift was the preferred fighting form. It allowed them more dexterity and the ability to talk, all while using their claws and strength.
Then he opened the locker that stored the spare armor and weapons. He pulled out the smallest leather vest he could find.
“I want you to wear this.” He held it out to Poppy.
She turned and he helped her fit it over her shirt, and tightened the straps. It was a little too big, but would give her mid-section decent protection.
“Let’s move.”
The drifters were rugged, open-topped vehicles designed for the forest, with solar-powered engines. They climbed in, Annora claiming the driver’s seat with Brodin beside her. Poppy sat in the back, sitting between two cleavers who dwarfed her.
“Luka, Poppy is your first priority.”
“Yes, Emperor,” the shaggy-haired man replied.
Annora started the engine. The vehicle was nearly silent. She grasped the U-shaped controller in front of her and they pulled out. A second drifter followed behind them.
They followed the track into the trees. Brierra Lake was an hour drive away.
“What’s our plan?” Annora asked, as she kept the vehicle on the track.
“Stop before the lake and go in on foot.”
His First Claw nodded.
They reached the parking area and climbed out.
“We need to move fast and silently,” Brodin told them.
Poppy lifted her chin, looking determined.
They set off, jogging through the trees.
Soon, Brodin scented the lake, and the intruders. The faint chemical smell of the Zhylaw.
He held up his fist, and his cleavers stopped. They dropped to their bellies and shimmied forward.
The water of Brierra Lake gleamed like a jewel. It provided crisp, clear water to the city and was monitored by the science teams. Brodin scanned the tree line. An owna hawk made large, wheeling circles in the sky. They were always interested and curious, so he zeroed in under it.
“To the right,” he said. “Twenty cora from the lake.”
“I see them,” Annora murmured.
Several Zhylaw stood by the water. They were all slender, of medium height, and clothed in stark, black uniforms. The sunlight glinted off two black vehicles. They were simple in design, with a flat bed at the back for hauling things.
Then, a woman with red-and-black hair stepped out of the trees.
She was curvy for a Zhylaw, wearing a black, all-in-one suit. Her hair whipped around her face like it was alive. It was rumored that the ends were tipped with poison. She wore metallic gloves whose fingers ended in claw-like spikes.
“That’s her?” Poppy’s voice held disdain.
“That’s her.”
Large, pod-like canisters rested on the back of the vehicles. He needed to know what they were.
“Let’s get closer. Keep an eye out for any sign of our people.”
His group moved quietly. It was unlikely the Zhylaw would detect them. They weren’t hunters or predators like the Damari. They relied on their tech, not their senses.
They got closer, and he heard the murmur of conversation.
“Zavir wants his son. Everyone else is expendable.” Candela smiled darkly, her voice sharp. “The rest we’ll watch act like the animals they are.”
“Yes, Warlord.”
“For now, we wait,” Candela said.
“Our drone from the city showed that the Damari managed to avert the massacre,” a male Zhylaw scientist in a black uniform said.
Candela smile’s slipped, her hair waving across her face. “A minor setback.”
The Zhylaw shrugged. “King Zavir isn’t fond of setbacks, Candela.” The man sounded smug.
Candela’s gaze narrowed to the man, and she cocked her head. “Are you angling for my job, Gav?”
The man lifted his chin. “If you can’t get Emperor Sarkany to join his father, then I’m happy to try.”
Candela’s smile turned scary, and she sauntered closer. “I don’t fail.” She moved fast and ran her claw-tipped fingers into the man’s gut. “And I can’t be replaced.”
The man choked. She stepped back and he clutched his bleeding stomach. Black blood spread over his skin. He made a panicked sound.
“A new version of my tasseloris agent.” She smiled. “I’m told the poison’s effects are excruciatingly painful.”
The man screamed. His skin turned black, and it spread, climbing up his neck. His skin cracked in places. He collapsed, convulsing on the ground, and making horrible noises.
Poppy looked away. Brodin touched her back.
Enough.
He’d stop Candela. Now.
He rose, his cleavers with him.
Luka grabbed Poppy’s arm to hold her back.
Brodin put her out of his mind, and stepped out of the trees.
Candela spun. “Ah, you’ve arrived. I knew you would.”
“I’ve come to kill you,” Brodin said.
She gave a throaty laugh. “You aren’t strong enough, or smart enough, Emperor.”
“My claws cut a lot better than your fake ones.”
A smile flirted around her mouth, and she lifted one hand. Her metal claws glinting in the sunlight.
“Release the rockflies,” Candela yelled.
Two Zhylaw near the vehicles opened the pods.
Insects streamed out.
Poppy stared in horror as the insects streamed into the air. They dipped and weaved, moving as one.
Brodin, Annora, and the cleavers focused on Candela and the Zhylaw, as though the insects weren’t even there.
But if they got bitten…
Pulse racing, Poppy surged up, but Luka pulled her back down.
“We have to help,” she said.
The cleaver’s jaw was tight. “We have to wait.”
Brodin focused on Candela. He let out a howl that raised goose bumps on Poppy’s arms. Brodin and his cleavers charged, drawing their weapons.
The cleavers cut down several Zhylaw.
Brodin went after Candela. The warlord pulled a long piece of rope off her belt. It glowed red, clearly full of energy.
A whip.
She snapped it at Brodin. It curled around his forearm, and he hissed. His huge axe fell to the ground. The warlord yanked back, and Poppy stared in horror at the burn on his arm.