Free The Healing Wars: Book III: Darkfall by Janice Hardy Page A

slowing.
    Danello tugged me along. “Nya, we have to get you out of here.”
    “But these people!” Like when I was little. People running, soldiers chasing, blood spilling. All because one man said no to someone in blue.
    “We can’t do anything about it—come on.” Danello yanked my arm and I stumbled a few steps, but I couldn’t look away.
    I could do something about this. I let go of Danello’s hand.
    “Nya, what are you doing? Aylin!” he shouted.
    If they were here looking for me, then the Duke already knew where I was. It wouldn’t matter if I shifted or flashed. I could stop the Undying, help these people, and free Soek.
    Let’s see how much pain is in your armor.
    I stepped forward into the mob and slipped behind one of the smaller Undying. I slapped my hands onto the armor and pictured dandelions blowing in the breeze.
    Whoomp!
    The flash echoed as the Undying screamed, high-pitched, feminine, and familiar. She turned as she fell, as everyone around us fell. Our eyes met.
    Tali.

SEVEN
    N o!
    I dropped to the ground beside her. She lay on the street unconscious, blood splattering the pynvium armor she wore.
    An Undying.
    Tali was an Undying.
    Jeatar’s words flooded my mind. “You’ve seen the Undying. You know what they do. Few want to suffer all that pain or inflict it on others. But the commanders make them. They twist minds and bend wills and create the weapons the Duke wants. How long do you think Tali can last in there?”
    Not long enough.
    “How could they do this to you?” I whispered. I ached to pull the flash from her, wake her up, find out why —but she’d been killing like the others. If I woke her, I might have to hurt her again.
    Anger churned my stomach, heated my skin. It was their fault. They’d done this to her. Twisted her, made her into a killer. I rose, fists clenched. I opened them. I’d need my hands.
    “What did you do to her?” I yelled, heading for the next soldier.
    The huge Undying turned and lifted his sword. I kept walking toward him.
    He lunged the last few steps and plunged the sword through my belly. I gasped, my skin on fire around the wound, and fell into him. He stared at me, a smug grin on his face. I reached up and cupped both his cheeks with my hands.
    “Not smart,” I said.
    He looked puzzled for half a heartbeat, then paled. “Shifter,” he whispered.
    I pushed the pain into him.
    He cried out and staggered to one knee, but was on his feet seconds later, his pain healed. “It’s the Shifter!” he yelled, and the other soldiers turned.
    He charged me as the other soldiers ran closer. I stepped into the charge and slapped both hands against his chest plate.
    Whoomp.
    Pain flashed, the tingle of blown sand tickling across my skin. The huge Undying screamed and collapsed. The advancing soldiers staggered and fell. The crowd stood frozen a moment, then cheered.
    “Run!” I cried. “Get away from here.”
    They didn’t listen. Some darted forward and grabbed the fallen swords. They attacked the soldiers, cutting them down as ruthlessly as the soldiers had done to the marshfolk. They turned on the Undying, and the Undying vanished beneath a wave of anger and fear.
    Tali!
    I ran back to her. No one had come after her yet. Danello appeared beside me. “Nya, we have to go.”
    “It’s Tali .”
    “What?” He looked down, paled. “Oh no.”
    “Get her to the boat.” I wasn’t done here. More shouts in the street, and the last of the Undying charged out of the traveler’s house, followed by Betaal and her soldiers.
    “Nya, wait!”
    I raced toward the Undying. Soldiers yelled, blades cut my skin, but I didn’t stop. They would all pay for what they’d done. Every last Undying.
    The soldier from the guardhouse stabbed me in the shoulder. I pivoted and grabbed his wrist, pushing the pain into him. He cried out and fell back, just like all the others. Another Undying, another flash echoing in the night, another sting of blown sand. More pain