Free The Sorcerer's Ring (Book 1) by Julius St. Clair Page A

biulo as her white robe disintegrated into the air. She almost didn’t land on her feet from exhaustion and her knees buckled as a result. Kace landed right beside her and scooped her up before the biulo could stomp on her leg.
    “Don’t exert yourself too much,” he shouted as he threw her onto his back.
    “Don’t think this is going to become a habit,” she said as she burrowed her head into his shoulders. Though her pride had taken a hit, she had to admit that it felt good to get a short reprieve.
    “Hey, I don’t see you as a damsel in distress. Just someone in need of a little help. There’s nothing wrong with that, right?”
    “Yeah,” she muttered as they came upon a tree line. From within the woods, flashes of light and cries of agony bounced off the branches. Once they were under the thick canopy and surrounded by darkness, Remi was able to pinpoint Olivia’s location better.
    She was standing in the middle of a large group, swinging her sword feverishly while it was blazing a dark red. Anything the blade touched—a leaf, branch, or tree—it sliced through as if it was cutting through water. Her attackers were staying back as a result, waiting for the right opportunity. Remi and Kace approached cautiously, looking for ways to intercept.
    One of them made their move.
    Olivia swung her blade toward the left and suddenly one of the women brought the palm of her hand to her face and blew out a gust of air from her lips. Olivia was hit with a wave of dust and dead skin that blinded her eyes and stifled her breath. She coughed and swung wildly but without the precision she once had, the raid group was able to take her down meticulously, tackling her at the legs and then jumping onto her back. Remi took a step forward but Kace grabbed her wrist.
    “Hold on,” he whispered. “Let’s wait for our chance.”
    “They’ll execute her,” Remi whispered.
    “Why would they do that?”
    “Because she’s a traitor. They’ll question her a little, but the moment will soon pass. They’ll grow impatient and it will be over before you know it. We have to move now!”
    Remi jumped down from Kace’s back and sprinted forward, slowly unsheathing her eidolon from the palm of her right hand. Just as she jumped through the last line of trees between her and Olivia, the hilt shot out and she grabbed it. She bellowed out a war cry, startling the entire group, and then she engaged—her dark purple Falchion slicing through the first man on her left.
    She refused to look at their faces. There was only saving Olivia.
    She swung her eidolon around her like it was a staff, blocking and parrying the raid group’s blows. They were stronger than her. And faster. But she didn’t have the strength to transform and besides, she had trained herself enough to know when to let their blades slide off the surface of hers, when to dodge, and when to strike. They were as predictable as ever, and she was anything but.
    The weak sick girl had skills.
    Of this, they couldn’t deny.
    “Got your back!” Kace shouted as he jumped on the back of  the woman who blew out dead skin and dust. Remi thanked him silently as she turned her attention to the big man in front of her—one who was known to increase the density of his skin. She didn’t want to risk her eidolon breaking, so she had ignored him for the most part. But he must have realized how much she avoided him, as now he was advancing at an alarming rate, trying to push his massive body against hers and swinging at her head whenever he felt ambitious. Soon, he would go all-out and that was the last thing she needed. She wasn’t sure if she could defeat him.
    It’s all in my willpower, she thought to herself as she parried another man’s sword and kicked him in the chest. He barely fell back and he swung at her again with more vigor. She ducked down, causing him to miss, and then she thrust her eidolon forward into his heart. He fell onto her blade, and consequently, her as well.