Free The Last War (Book #9 of the Sage Saga) by Julius St. Clair

black trench coat, still attached to the tree by some invisible force as the tree timbered to the ground. As the tree hit with a loud boom that echoed across the small forest, she realized that he must have used his invisible dagger to hold it there.
    She spun around and Kyran was there, reaching out and grabbing her throat with his long, bony fingers. She went to stab him but he jumped on top of her shoulders and spun around her like he was a scarf. He applied more pressure to her larynx and she dropped to her knees in a panic. She tried to scream but his grip was uncanny. She tried to punch him, but he squirmed at the right moments, dodging her blows as if he was made of liquid.
    “Sleep, Princess,” he whispered in her ears. “Do not worry. We won’t kill our friend unless he gives us no choice.”
    Catherine’s eyes bulged as her vision went black. James’ words echoed through her mind as she went unconscious:
    “I’m not Bastion. I don’t go insane when my survival is threatened. I care about the people around me most of all. If you were in danger, I’d do anything in my power to ensure your safety.”
     
    *              *              *
     
    Bastion thought about heading home. To lie on his bed with Lily at his side and take a nap. He would hold her tight from behind while he nestled his face into her hair, and she would giggle and say that he was tickling her. Of course, he would deny that he was doing anything, and she would turn over, and he would attack her with a kiss. And then the rest would be history.
    That’s what he wanted more than anything. Just to be with her, not all those people.
    It was nice at first, gaining their attention and acceptance, but he wasn’t used to that. As a few minutes turned into an hour and that turned into more hours, he began getting restless. They would complement him on his skill and give their own take on why they didn’t talk to him earlier. Most mentioned the Great Collision and how it was a big upset, but everything seemed to be okay. That’s how the end of the world worked, they said. People talk about the end, but it never happens. Life goes on. Humanity goes on. The world keeps on spinning.
    Bastion got bored with hearing all of that.
    He just wanted to go back to his world, or take a stroll to Lily’s. Those were the only two people he really cared about and could rely on. He had seen people like this before, not with him, but others. How popularity didn’t equal loyalty. All it took was a little gossip, a couple rumors and a change of public opinion and he would be the pariah again. A few minutes of their praise was fine, but not hours.
    Which is why he was almost relieved when he heard the crowd begin to murmur.
    Finally! He thought. A group had returned! It could be Kyran and Chloe, or another Delilah squad. Either way, the frail townspeople that had been left behind would want to hear all about their escapades.
    But then he stood up from his wicker chair, and the crowd parted for him, and then he knew that he shouldn’t have wished for the celebration to be over. After all, it was a rare thing those days.
    Deaf had not only returned. He had come back with the defected Sages.
    There were twenty of them in all, and while they didn’t appear strong individually, their collective strength was formidable. He remembered a little of his time under James’ tutelage. The young Sages had been trained differently than James and his friends had been. They were used to individual combat. One on one. But the young ones had been prepared for war, and taught that they would have to take on multiple combatants at once.
    It meant that they could attack him all at once and not be confused. It meant that they could catch him off guard.
    Bastion took a deep sigh. “Lily, are you awake?”
    “I am,” she said solemnly. “I see them.”
    “I don’t think they want to talk.”
    “I know,” she said. “I know what this means.”
    “You