Chapter Three
There were so manyof them. I gulped, my pulse skittering and leaping with fear. It was a sea of purple uniforms and sharp swords. There was nowhere for us to run. There was no way to fight off so many.
It was a nice dream while it lasted. But I got them caught.
Saber’s arm around me grew so tight it hurt. Sky leapt in front of both of us his sword held high. I didn’t know where Whist was. I hadn’t seen him since before we were stopped.
Sky ran at them and they met with a clash of swords and fists. He couldn’t stop them all and they slipped past him and ran for us, determination in their shoulders, on their faces. Saber released me and shoved me further behind him. My fingers slippery with sweat and worry scrambled for the daggers Sky had given me as panic roared in my ears.
Whist appeared from the trees like a furious avenging angel of death, his sword glittering in the sunlight as he sliced and jabbed. Saber kept them away from me while I waited for an opening to throw the knives. Whist and Sky moved so quickly I couldn’t find a clear shot.
I didn’t think singing would save us this time.
One of the guards stepped forward. “You aren’t getting away. Put your weapons down and come peacefully and you won’t be hurt.”
No, not until they dragged us before the king and he had us executed.
But maybe, once we met the king, and he realized I was their kindred soul, my assassins would be granted clemency.
I squeezed Saber’s arm. “Do what they say. You three are impressive, but there’s like fifty of them.”
Whist threw his sword to the ground with a roar of rage. Sky and Saber followed his lead, their swords and knives clinking on the ground as their chests heaved with furious breaths. My knives were lost, buried in the flesh of a couple of the guards. Unfortunately, I didn’t kill anyone. I just pissed them off. A lot.
The assassins didn’t actually kill anyone either. But they injured and knocked out a lot of the guards. The three of them surrounded me, their hands reaching behind them to touch me, like they were afraid I would disappear. Like they wanted to soak up as much of me as they could while they still had the chance.
It was over.