The Way of the Power Read Free Page A

she attacked, his blades blocked.
    She paused a moment, trying to see a way through to the girl. The guard had a large, muscular face that sported a thick mustache which curved down to his jaw. His eyes were kept open, taking in every possible threat. Malja knew that look well — whatever she tried, he would either block or die blocking.
    “We’re out of time,” she said.
    He backed up towards the girl. “You are. But I go nowhere.”
    “I don’t want to hurt her. I’m trying to save her.”
    “So they all say.”
    Malja shot a glance at each army. Several soldiers had reloaded and were lining up their shots, waiting for the others to be ready and the command to fire.
    The guard spun his blades, preparing to use his whirling maneuver again. “You best find another dead man to protect you.”
    “They didn’t shoot at me last time.”
    “Doesn’t mean they won’t change their minds.”
    An idea flashed in her head, and with a practiced motion, she sheathed Viper. Walking forward, she opened her arms. “I won’t harm you or her. I truly want only to stop whatever these fools want in hurting her.”
    “They don’t want to hurt her. They want her alive.”
    “The one leader said —”
    “Posturing. They’d never harm her.”
    “Come with me. Both of you. You can still protect her, but let me take her away from here.”
    “But she must be here. She is to go to the Temple at the top of Castel Dovell.”
    Malja stepped on the litter. The guard couldn’t stop her. If he did so, he would be leaving the girl exposed to the impending volley of gunfire.
    “Stop,” he said. “Come no closer.”
    She took three more steps. Then she halted, closed her eyes, and concentrated on her do-kha. She had never been properly trained in communicating with the suit — no schooling like Harskill had — but she had been practicing of late. While she could not create a portal, she did know how to make the do-kha expand. And that was exactly what she did.
    The black suit stretched outward from both sides. It created a wall around the guard and the girl. Then Malja willed the do-kha to harden. It was easier when she didn’t have to think about it — when the do-kha reacted off of her instincts. Or perhaps it reacted on its own instincts. But making it act in a specific manner was difficult. Her head throbbed as if hungover as she kept picturing what she wanted her suit to do.
    “Aim and fire!” the leaders commanded.
    She heard the crackle of rifles and felt the bullets smack against her do-kha, but it held. No bullets broke through. A second volley came. These struck her in the back and on the sides. It felt as if a heavyweight fighter swung a metal pipe into her. There would be bruising, but her bones remained intact, and most importantly, the little girl survived.
    “Reload!”
    With sweat dribbling down her face, Malja lowered her arms and her do-kha returned to its normal form-fitting shape. Her long coat bore several holes from bullets and a tear from the expanding of the do-kha.
    The guard looked upon her as if he had never seen a woman before. “You saved us?”
    “Not yet. We’ve got to get to safety. When they charge us —”
    “They won’t. Neither side is brave enough for that. They only hope to kill off each other and me. Then the victor will claim the Artisoll without effort.”
    Malja crouched near the girl. “Is that your name? Artisoll?”
    The guard stared at her oddly. “You don’t know the Artisoll? Where do you come from?”
    Ignoring the guard, Malja offered a smile to the girl but got no reaction. “It’s okay. I once took care of a boy who didn’t like to talk either.” Malja glanced at the shattered window she had jumped out of. Harskill and Abrazkia watched like two ghosts haunting the location of their horrible deaths.
    “Time to go,” she said. She reached out to grab the girl when the guard slapped her hand away.
    “You must not touch her. Only I can do so.”
    “Fine. Then