Read Such a Daring Endeavor for Free Online

a doubtful grunt. She nudges him with her boot. “You never lost it, did you?”
    Ren’s face blanches. “Dircey, I swear—”
    “Show me the scar!”
    Ren pants, kneeling on the floor before her. My hand travels to the sore point on my own thigh where the wide, three-pointed wound still mars my skin. A scar left by a Xian claw isn’t something that can be replicated easily, not with the way the purplish bruise surrounding it never fades.
    Inhaling, Ren adjust himself to sit and reaches for the hemline of his pants. He hikes the left pant leg up to his mid-thigh, revealing the triangular patch of purpled skin surrounding three whitish bumps where the skeletal prongs punctured him.
    “Satisfied?” he says. “I didn’t betray you.”
    Dircey analyzes the scar for several moments before returning her attention to the chair Ren just moved with magic. She’s lost in thought for several moments.
    “I didn’t think it was possible,” she says.
    “Neither did I,” says Ren, panting, staring at his hands. He slouches back, capturing his breath. Not having used his magic for a couple of months, I imagine it must be that much more taxing.
    Dircey steps toward us, dusting her hands. My heart pounds, pleading it’s enough for her.
Please, angels, let it be enough.
    Shouts resound outside. Dircey snaps her head in Ren’s direction.
    “What did you do?”
    “Nothing,” Ren cries, gesturing to the chair. “I only—”
    “I knew it,” Dircey grumbles, marching toward Ren, one hand upturning her shirt to retrieve the knife tucked into her belt. “I knew you were a traitor.”
    A window shatters, and four Arcs pile into the large, abandoned foyer. The first two wield briefswords. They pause only for a moment to scan the area, but their faces smirk with satisfaction the minute they see Ren and me. One with dark hair, pockmarked skin, and a magitat below his ear jerks the Xian claw free from his belt, snarling in my direction.
    “It’s her,” he says. “Ain’t the general been looking for her?”
    The other, a large man with blond hair and a ring through his nose, digs a small device from his pocket. The same device used outside the gate to check people’s magic levels. He holds it up, guiding it in each of our directions.
    “Not just her. They’re all tainted!” he shouts.
    “You axrat, Ren Csille,” Dircey calls over her shoulder as she prepares to meet the oncoming raiders. Balls of light collect in her palms. “I gave you a chance, and you betrayed us at the first shot!”
    “I didn’t call them here!” Ren yells.
    I run forward, arms outstretched and magic coiling along my arms, and smack the device from the blond one’s grasp.
    The pockmarked soldier glowers at me. “You’re the one they’re after, aren’t you?”
    “Guess you’re not going to find out.” I bow for his waist to practice the takedown Talon taught me. I’m rusty—the move doesn’t give the result I know it should, but it knocks him off-guard enough for me to follow with an elbow to his nose.
    Micro takes the Arc with the claw down with a heavy fist; Dircey goes to his side, dodging a swing from a briefsword. It’s clear none of them have Talon’s footwork, or his quick reflexes and skill at prejudging an opponent’s moves. But still, they’re good.
    The Arc’s blade slices against Micro’s side, marring it with a huge gash. Dircey growls, baring her teeth. Her magic sizzles on impact, instantly shocking and freezing the Arc’s movements. He stumbles to the floor, giving Micro a chance to smash his face with a thick boot. Dircey turns to heal Micro’s gash.
    Ren makes it to his feet and manages to take on two soldiers at once. I propel my palm at the remaining soldier’s jaw, knocking him back before going to my brother’s side.
    “Dircey thinks you called them here? How could they have gotten here so fast?”
    “Don’t ask me!” Ren snaps.
    I try to remember what I did in the other fights I’ve had. After the