Free Blood of Heroes (The Ember War Saga Book 3) by Richard Fox

wall, there was no sign of what Gall had been talking about.
    Hale lowered his rifle, his eyes glued to the raging inferno ahead of him. What had once been an orchard of neatly spaced trees had become a field of torches. The intense heat from the fire activated the auto-cooling system within his suit.
    “When she said ‘side of the fire,’” Torni said, “she meant the other side of the fire. Didn’t she?”
    “There’s no way around,” Yarrow said, pointing to the cliffs.
    There were civilians beyond that fire, innocents that needed Hale and his Marines. His choice was easy.
    “We don’t go around,” Hale said.
    “Sir,” Standish said, “sir, you’ve got that crazy ‘I’ve got a great idea’ look in your eye, don’t you?”
    Hale turned around and steeled himself. Selling this wouldn’t be easy.
    “Button up,” Hale said. “Set your suits for void. We’ve got the air to make it.” Hale tapped a command onto his forearm and felt his suit tighten against his body. His helmet plates constricted and the smell of recycled air filled his visor. The rest of his Marines and Steuben followed suit.
    “Follow me!” Hale charged into the inferno.
     
    ****
     
    Caas grabbed her little brother’s hand and fought to get him out from under the toreen tree roots as soot-stained fruit fell from overladen branches, the spikey skin stabbing through her tunic. Ar’ri barely fit into his chosen hiding place; the noorla would find him in seconds. A gust of wind sent choking smoke over her.
    “Come on, Ar’ri. You can’t stay there!” Caas coughed and yanked at his arm again. She was only six, but she was still Ar’ri’s big sister. He had to listen to her.
    “No!” The little boy tried to pull his hand to his chest, but Caas’ hold on him was absolute.
    “The monsters will get you, Ar’ri. You have to come!”
    A noorla ’ s wail sent a chill down her spine. They’d attacked during breakfast with no warning from New Abhaile or the village guard. Mother and Father promised that Galogesvi was too far away, too small, to be attacked. Once the tunnels were repaired, they’d go to New Abhaile and leave with the good aliens Ancient Pa’lon promised were coming. That was their promise, and her parents had always kept their word. But the noorla were here.
    They’d sent her and Ar’ri with the schoolmaster through the orchards, promising they’d catch up with them at the storm shelter. Father had been holding one of the family rifles; Mother had the other. They both promised over and over again that they’d see their children at the shelter.
    Then the fire cut off the village, and noorla were waiting for them in the shelter.
    Dotok screams came from behind her. She glanced back and saw dark shapes moving through rolls of straw in the harvested fields. A woman ran from the edge of the field, but a dark arm shot out and dragged her behind a tractor. Her screams cut off suddenly.
    A noorla stepped around the tractor, claws dripping blood. It looked right at her. Caas’ fear melted away, replaced with resolve. There was no escape. Nowhere to run this time.
    Caas pulled her brother up and buried his head against her chest. He sobbed, clutching at the back of her arms just like every time he’d wake up from a nightmare.
    “Don’t look, Ar’ri. Don’t look.” She hugged her brother close and stared into the fire. She said a prayer, asking forgiveness for all the bad things she’d done. She hadn’t been to a shrine in weeks, and Mother always said that the bad things you did would weigh down your soul.
    A monster charged out of the fire, flames clinging to its arms and shoulders. It held a rifle like her parents’, but it wasn’t as big as the noorla . It raised the weapon and pointed it right at Caas. Caas pulled her brother close and closed her eyes.
    She heard a snap break in the air overhead and waited another second, sure her life was almost over. She opened a single eye and saw the new arrival fire