Valerie caught up to her, furious. "Anything you can do, I can do too. Don't you dare look so smug."
Luna shot back with a cold smirk, "I know you can. But I was first, and that just kills you, doesn't it?"
Valerie was left sputtering. "G-Go to hell!"
The wind whistled loudly in their ears as they raced on.
…
Andrew stopped his headlong rush and slowly turned, scanning his surroundings. Onyx and Ivory stood nearby, swords in hand, flanking him on either side.
Further out, figures were moving to encircle him.
Andrew let out a cold laugh. "Go on then. Make your move."
Onyx stepped forward. "Where's the Godslayer? Hand it over, and you might just walk away alive."
Andrew sneered. "Hand it over and live? Then what are all those people out there for?"
Ivory's tone was flat. "They're not from Swordhaven Keep. You can ask them why they're here."
Andrew shook his head. "Why should I ask? I can give up the Godslayer, but I've got one condition."
Both Onyx and Ivory's voices hardened. "You've got too many conditions. Keep pushing, and you'll die ugly."
Andrew gave a mocking smile. "Go ahead, try it. If Mr. Topsfield Senior doesn't want the Godslayer, then you're free to attack."
The two went silent.
From behind, a gritted voice broke the tension. "Andrew, you really are a pain in the ass, aren't you? Today, you're handing over that sword. And if you want to walk out of the Eastern Regions in one piece, you'll pay a little price for it. Like, say… your manhood."
He emphasized the last word with hatred.
Andrew turned, and a crooked smile spread across his face. "Jericho! Look at you, back from the dead?"

Verify captcha to read the content
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Rising from the Ashes (Andrew and Lauren)