Of Blood And Fire by Ryan Cahill (best color ebook reader txt) 📗

he cried out in pain. That was something her mother had taught her, not something her father would approve of. “If you ever find yourself in that situation, Ella… Praise the gods, you won’t. But if you do…” Her mother had said, pointing to her heel, as she gave a swift kick backwards, a smirk on her face.

It worked just as Ella had hoped. The young man rolled around on the ground with his hands between his legs. Ella’s heart felt like it was about to explode. She immediately ran towards Rhett. A shriek escaped her mouth as something caught her by the foot, sending her hurtling towards the ground. A shooting pain erupted in the side of her head when she landed.

“Stupid bitch!” the soldier spat as he heaved himself to his feet and sent a swift boot into her rib cage. The coppery taste of blood sprinkled her mouth. She coughed viciously. It felt like her lungs would come out of her chest.

Before she could collect her thoughts, something landed on the ground beside her with a thud. She turned and screamed as the soldier’s cold eyes returned her gaze, blood streaming from where his neck had been attached to his body. Within seconds, screams and shouts filled the air. The shriek of steel on steel rang harshly in Ella’s ears.

She clamoured to her knees, still dizzy from hitting her head. She reached out with her hands. Finding purchase on the wheel of the wagon, she used it to heave herself up to a hunched position. Her ribs ached with every breath, and blood rolled over her lip, trickling down her chin.

A sinking feeling enveloped her when she saw Rhett standing in the middle of the three remaining soldiers, long cuts along his thigh and shoulder. Aside from the young soldier who had grabbed Ella, there was another, crumpled in a heap at Rhett’s feet, blood streaming from his neck.

She looked around quickly. The boy and his father were gone; they most likely bolted in the chaos. She would have done the same. Harson Link – may the gods harbour his soul – was strewn out in the dirt, soaking in his own blood. Ella’s heart ached. He was such a kind man.

Wailing caused Ella to spin her head. The other man from the cart launched himself at the soldiers, taking one of them to the ground in a bouldering tackle. Tears rolled down his partner’s eyes as she screamed after him.

In the confusion, Rhett slid his blade through the heart of one of the other two soldiers, then rounded quickly to block a blow from the other. The captain. His already horrid face was contorted in fury. He swung wildly at Rhett, roaring unintelligibly into the air. Rhett side-stepped one of his haphazard swings, ducked under it, and cracked him around the back of the head with the pommel of his sword. The soldier fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

“Ella!” Rhett ran over to her, his hand outstretched. She grasped it with all her strength, so much so she saw him wince momentarily. “We need to go, now!”

“What about the others?” She hadn’t even noticed that she was screaming. Her heart was beating so loudly in her chest that it drowned out everything else. She saw the reluctance in his eyes. He didn’t turn his head, just kept his gaze fixed on her own.

“Ella, we need to go. Now—”

He spat out the last word, snapping his mouth closed as blood trickled out and over his lip.

Every hair on Ella’s body stood on end as her heart dropped into her stomach. “Rhett! Rhett, what’s wrong?”

His lips tried to move. More blood spilled over them like wine from a cup. He looked down, holding his hands around his stomach. A polished steel spear tip jutted out from just below his belly button, dripping thick red blood onto the dry dirt below. “Ella?”

He dropped to his knees as the spear was yanked backwards, pulled free of his body.

“No! No, Rhett…” She could hardly see. Her eyes welled with tears. She couldn’t breathe. “No, no, no….”

Ella cupped her hands, pushing them against Rhett’s stomach, but the blood just poured through her fingers. She couldn’t stop it.

He fell onto his side, then rolled onto his back. He tried to talk, but every attempted word summoned forth spurts of blood.

Ella’s head pounded. Her eyes were raw, and her stomach sank into the depths of the void. She was going to be sick.

“Don’t you dare!” she roared. “Don’t you dare leave me! Rhett Fjorn, do not leave me alone!”

Rhett reached up and rested his hand on her cheek. The slightest of smiles touched the corner of his face, just short of his eyes. “I… would… do it all…” He was cut short as he coughed up more blood.

“Rhett… please… I can’t do this, not without you. I can’t…”

He rubbed his thumb against the side of her cheek, like he always did. She did everything she could to burn that feeling into her mind, to etch it into every crack and crevice.

“Rhett…”

His hand dropped to his side. His chest fell. Ella’s throat dried up. She wanted to scream, but her entire body had lost feeling. Her tears dried up, along with her throat. She felt her heart ripping.

“Get on your feet, or I swear to the gods, I will run you through as well.” The soldier’s voice was like a rusty nail being dragged across steel. It was the younger of the two. The captain stood behind him, his hand pressed against a bloody gash on the back of his head.

Ella filled her emptiness with rage.

It was like something had possessed her. Ella leapt to her feet, screaming so hard that her lungs burned. The soldier didn’t even have the time to swing his spear. He howled as she crashed into him. Grief and rage consumed her. She clawed at him, feeling the skin peel away under her nails. His screams washed off