The soldiers advanced past Hilt buried beneath his living corpse and the warrior pushed the undead from his blade, picked up a burning rag from the undead next to him and dropped it onto the dead man he had used for cover. The body flared but his comrades did not turn as they ran headlong at the palace.
Hilt’s ears popped and he saw Talisker’s device burst. Before it exploded, he knew instinctively what it was and climbed a lamppost as the blackberry stain spread behind the two women heading for the palace doors.
Undead soldiers fell as their feet and boots stuck to the ground, roaring with frustration, as Melody and Laurel reached the stairs. Talisker dragged his stone feet across the doorway and reached out to take Laurel from around Melody’s shoulders and bullets whizzed around them.
