BooksBarbecue
Back The Ones We Burn
Chapters (93)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Part One: Skra: Sixty Days Remain
  5. PART ONE SKRA SIXTY DAYS REMAIN
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4 Two weeks later
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. Part Two: Monster: Twenty-Five Days Remain
  25. PART TWO MONSTER TWENTY-FIVE DAYS REMAIN
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. Part Three: Butcher: Six Days Remain
  40. PART THREE BUTCHER SIX DAYS REMAIN
  41. 32
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. 44
  54. 45
  55. 46
  56. 47
  57. 48
  58. 49
  59. 50
  60. 51
  61. 52
  62. 53
  63. Part Four: Bloodwinn: Coup Successful
  64. PART FOUR BLOODWINN COUP SUCCESSFUL
  65. 54
  66. 55
  67. 56
  68. 57
  69. 58
  70. 59
  71. 60
  72. 61
  73. 62
  74. 63
  75. 64
  76. 65
  77. 66
  78. 67
  79. 68
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80 EPILOGUE Three months later
  92. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  93. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The guard captain moved in perfect sync with her, his sword cutting a deadly arc through the air, Ranka’s long arms slicing her axe in great sweeps whenever the witches drew too close. Behind them, Percy guarded the twins. Foldrey took the Murknen, and Ranka spun to face the Kerth, seized the witch’s hair, and dragged her back. Metal sliced Ranka’s arm. She barely registered it. Her blood-magic rose and she shoved it down, struggling to remain in control. She didn’t want to kill this witch. There had to be a way to save her. It had to be different this time. It had to.

To her left, Foldrey battled the Murknen. He was a wonder, a blur of movement in the dark, a testament to what a lifetime of training could hone—but he was tiring. The Murknen planted a foot on Foldrey’s chest and kicked him backward, sending him sprawling. Percy leapt forward. The twins cowered against the wall, exposed and unprotected.

The Kerth slammed her elbow into Ranka’s stomach. She twisted, slashing one knife across the backs of Ranka’s calves—and drove the other into her stomach.

Pain blistered through her. She gasped, staggering backward, and the Kerth twisted, barreling toward Percy instead. Foldrey and Percy turned, fighting in tandem, moving like two halves of the same whole as they formed a shield in front of the Sunra heirs.

Ranka swayed. The Murknen was distracted. Ranka rose, creeping toward her, her heart pounding. With the Murknen taken out, it’d be three against one. They could win.

The Murknen turned, her nostrils flaring. Ranka tensed her legs. She’d sidestep her at the last minute—let the witch’s own momentum carry her right into a wall. The Murknen barreled toward her. Ranka braced herself—and a gust of wind slammed directly into her, sweeping her clean off her feet.

“Shit!” a familiar voice squeaked. “Ranka, shit, oh no, I’m so sorry!”

“Galen,” Foldrey bellowed. “Stay out of this!”

Ranka sprawled on her back, ears ringing.

The Murknen headed toward her.

“I’m sorry!” Galen cried. “I—I was trying to help, I’m sorry! Ranka, look out!”

The Murknen stood over her. Ranka’s head spun. The witch snarled and brought her foot down on Ranka’s wrist. Pain turned the space of her hand to a void of crackling black.

The Murknen flipped her knife and slammed the hilt into Ranka’s temple.

The last thing Ranka felt was a flicker of surprise.

It’d been ages since someone had bested her.

The first time Ranka had kissed death, it’d been with Tafa.