The Warden

Prologue

Scalding anger rushed through Werold. She kept it in check, barely. With all her slumbering side could muster she snatched out at the whirling night wights. They passed through her grasp like smoke through fingers. Manu shielded her twisted children from Werold and even now they appeared as nothing more than murky smudges that disappeared and reappeared in rapid succession.

Kyla took another blow.

Werold winced. No.

Another attack landed.

Not again.

Kyla staggered, dropping to her knees.

The night wight aimed a killing blow at the back of her neck.

The goddess had lost too many children to the night wights. To her Daughter's, Manu's, ambition and spite. She wouldn't lose another if she could help it.

She snatched Kyla into her godly grasp. It was difficult. The woman had had dealings with Manu, bargaining away some of her precious light to extend her life. But she hadn't given away all of it like the night wights. The animal portion she still retained gave Werold purchase, access, and so she poured power into Kyla.

The woman came to life with murderous vigor.

She evaded the killing stroke, springing back to her feet with such speed the night wight staggered back as though struck. That hiccup of surprise gave Kyla an opening and she struck out three times in rapid succession with her hands and feet, once to the throat, another to the temple, the last to the inside of the knee. The wight collapsed with a strangled gurgle.

Sorrow ached through Werold. She never enjoyed seeing any of her children—no matter their state—in pain.

The other night wight had regained its feet and came at Kyla from behind. Werold thrust the impression of the oncoming attack into the woman's mind along with more energy.

With fluid grace, Kyla ducked under the night wight's swing, grabbing its wrist in the same motion. She smashed the flat of her palm into its elbow forcing the joint to crack in the wrong direction in a grotesque fashion. The wight shrieked out. Pressing her advantage, Kyla trapped the creature in a headlock before twisting the wight's head sharply. The neck crackled as the creature fell limp from Kyla's grasp. Without a quiver of remorse, the woman walked over to the other still recovering night wight. It lashed out. She kicked it in the head, rendering it unconscious. She bent down and broke its neck as well.

It unnerved Werold just how casually her daughter had learned to dispense death.

What have you become, daughter mine?

A flutter on the edge of Werold's protracted attention caused her to expand her view outward.

Night wights. A whole pack of them descended on Kyla's location.

Communicating with her children in her slumber was difficult. She did her best. It wouldn't do to help Kyla survive one fight only to have her die against impossible odds.

RUN! Werold pushed the impression of a pack of wights heading her way as well.

The woman took off like a meteor streaking through the night. Werold did all she could to open up a path for her and conceal her going. The goddess observed with tight apprehension to see if the new arrivals would give chase. They didn't. Relief soothed through her.

That was too close, the goddess thought as Wilo's rays began to brighten the sky over Kyla's location and the woman slowed her pace to a light jog. As the drowsy dark fled, Werold became more alert, more able to connect with Kyla's physical state.