A Beautiful Knight (The Cursed Kingdom #2)

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

G avin’s landing was smoother, unfortunately the sounds of swords clashing didn’t allow for any time of relief at landing in soft grass. Pushing past the searing pain, he rolled onto his back and opened his eyes. Bad timing, a Minotaur’s ax lowered right at his throat.

Death had arrived. Gavin’s eyes flew wide as time seemed to slow and a sword blocked the descent of certain death.

Niall flung himself at the creature, barely moving it. Centaurs, half horse, half man, were exceptionally strong, but the Scot somehow managed to keep it at bay.

Liam fought a few feet away, the Englishman’s elegant movements fluid as he battled against another creature.

When Gavin’s sword landed next to him with a thump, Liam grabbed for it. Padriag a few steps away, fought another centaur. Long bladed daggers in each hand, the young knight’s arms moved so fast they blurred.

“Behind you,” the knight yelled at Gavin without turning.

Jumping to his feet, Gavin swung his sword at the approaching Minotaur barely missing him when the creature leaped backward. Planting his feet, he held his sword with both hands preparing for the black creature’s advance, out of the corner of his eye he saw a centaur approaching from his right.

Relying on instinct alone, Gavin began to battle. Between blocks and thrusts, he kept an eye on the others. He dispatched the centaur, a loud scream ripping out as the creature evaporated. The sounds of battle seemed to fade as he turned to face off against the Minotaur.

Gavin, an unusually tall man, was still a head shorter than the black muscular creature that advanced toward him, snorting in anticipation. Thankfully, when battling, any clumsiness vanished, and his extensive training took over.

Gavin began fighting the beast. They were evenly matched, and he found himself actually enjoying the fight. If it wasn’t for the life-or-death portion, he wouldn’t mind clashing with enemies more often.

Seeing an opening for a death strike, he swung with all his might. Just as he would have struck, the creature disappeared causing Gavin to nearly fall over.

“Oh yeah!” Padriag danced a jig, then began sliding backwards, wiggled his hips and pointed a dagger toward the sky. “I’m bad, I know it.” He sang.

Gavin shook he head at the young knight’s antics.

The celebration was short-lived.

“Liam’s gone,” Nail told them.

Padriag’s celebration ended abruptly. “Shit.”

“That’s enough.” Meliot called out just as the last snap of the whip tore into Liam’s flesh.

Manacles that hung from the ceilings in the cold stone-walled room were locked around his wrists. No longer able to stand, Liam hung limply, his knees hovering just above the blood-stained floor.

A bucket-full of cold water drenched his face, someone pulling his head back by his hair and pouring more down his throat. He choked, coughing violently.

He could barely make out Meliot’s shape, since the cavernous room was choked with smoke from an enormous fireplace.

The wizard came closer to him, giving him a pitying look. Tall and lean, the ancient sorcerer still looked to be middle-aged. He was an evil man who obviously relished being a spectator of torment by the glee on his face.

“You have no idea why you are here do you?” Meliot leaned into his ear. “I think I will let you try to figure it out on your own.”

Liam head butted the wizard, barely tapping him, too weak to do much damage.

The sting of a hard slap barely registered. It was nothing compared to what he’d already endured.

“You hit like a woman,” he told the wizard only to get punched in the jaw so hard he saw stars. “Thanks. My head needed an adjustment,” he said, spitting blood out, satisfied to see most of it land on Meliot’s shoes.

The man’s outfit was a cliché. He wore long robes and pointy shoes, his beard and hair long and silver. If not for his predicament, Liam would have made a comment about it. But he was at a loss for a proper insult.

“What is her name?” The wizard spat out.

“Mabel. Betty. Amanda, or maybe Susan. I can go on all day, except no one is clarifying what woman you want me to name.”

“The woman who is to try to break you free,” The wizard replied running a fingernail into one of his lash wounds. Liam could hold back a moan.

When he remained silent, Meliot motioned for one of his minions to come near. The demon-like creature held a branding iron, the end of it, bright red. “Now, tell me the name.”

Meliot didn’t know who was to be freed. For whatever reason he seemed to think it was him. Liam wanted to laugh. Even if there was someone who would try to save him, Liam would die before revealing it.

The darkness began to fade, and Liam heard a low moan. Fighting his way back to consciousness, he realized the moans were his own. His sides ached, broken ribs the cause, no doubt. The pain of the fresh burns began to intensify, and he gritted his teeth, recalling not only how the creature branded him, but how he’d used the iron to hit him across the ribs until he passed out from the pain. As soon as he was free, he’d kill the little bastard.

Meliot never killed the knights, although, he did torture them until they wished for death. He was too evil to kill them and end their torment, as it was Meliot’s source of entertainment.

He didn’t recall telling the wizard anything and hoped he’d passed out before saying anything that could be used against them.

Why was he here? The one on the verge of escaping was Gavin, not him. The Scot felt the pull to the other side, not him. In truth, Liam doubted he ever would.

Glancing around discreetly under his lashes, he noted a guard by the door snored, his head hanging to the side. The other creature, the one who’d tortured him, was at a table, slumped over. Seemed even evildoers required rest.

His wrists burned from the irons around them, and he pushed up on his feet to allow some respite. It helped enough that he let out as much of a breath as he could with broken ribs.

Meliot never pulled them out of the alter-world whenever he decided to use them for sport, so Liam assumed that he currently found himself somewhere under the wizard’s castle. Hopefully the others were on their way. He didn’t relish another round with Meliot getting off at his expense.

Despite the animosity between himself and Gavin, the man would join Niall and Padriag in fighting with all their powers to rescue him. They’d made an oath to each other and had never once deviated from it. No matter what, they would always defend and fight for one another.

The creature at the table stirred and Liam went slack, closing his eyes.