Chapter 58
Chapter Fifty-Eight
T he clear water was icy against my fingers, as I took a sip of the liquid cupped in my palms. Standing to my full height, I wiped my hands on my pants, letting it soak up the water.
The walk back through the forest had been blissful, but unfortunately, we’d run out of time, we needed to get home.
Stormfire’s whinnying reached me with ease.
“I’ll be there in a second girl,” I called to her, over my shoulder.
Spinning on my heel, I turned towards Maalikai, checking to see if he was ready to go.
A blur flashed in the corner of my eye. With merely a split second to spare, I dove to my right, narrowly missing a blow that would’ve been my certain death.
What the fuck.
“Emylia!” Ice curdled my stomach from the raw emotion breaking Maalikai’s voice.
I didn’t have time to respond, I barely had time to think. My flight or fight response kicked in and there was no chance I was going to flee.
Warriors were attacking, and I was going to kill them all. This time, there would be no mercy.
No remorse.
Barely missing a second blow, I made another dive for the ground. My shoulder impacted the hard, compact earth, but there was no time to dwell on the pain. Pushing myself to my feet, I sprinted for Maalikai, standing next to the fire. Without hesitation, he passed me a sword.
“You okay?” he spat through clenched teeth, wiping his bloody hands on the back of his pants, death already coating the air.
“Ready for blood.” I didn’t have much time to say anything more. I had to deal with the immediate threat in front of me.
Taking a few steps back from my attacker, I gained my footing, while I examined him. A black helmet covered a majority of his face, only his eyes were exposed, but they were deadly; he was ready to kill. My assailant leapt forward, wielding his sword with unrelenting strength.
Crap.
I managed to block everything he threw at me. He didn’t seem as skilled as the last ones we fought, but he still got a few good swings in. Eventually, my sword bit through his armor, claiming his heart, and his life.
Mere seconds were all I had before I had to fight off another barrage of attacks. This time from two warriors. Deflecting them both, I managed to break through their defenses within seconds. When I had an opening, I spun, swinging my sword in a graceful circle around me. The sound of a head hitting the ground curdled my stomach, but I didn’t have time to be ill.
Or maybe I’d just become accustomed with killing.
In one swift movement, my sword ripped skin and bone as I gutted the second one from throat to groin. Fuck, I was fast. I was like a friggin’ warrior Goddess.
Three more warriors surrounded me. They attacked me as I wielded my blade with unrelenting fury. I was clearly outnumbered and hesitant to use any magik just in case I needed the small store I had left from visiting Xayreia. Maalikai was stuck in his own skirmish several feet away, he wouldn’t be able to save my arse, if I needed.
Seriously, guys, calm down and give a girl a chance.
As quick as lightning, one of the warriors brought his sword towards my right arm, still parrying a different attack; I was unable to defend myself.
Fuck this was going to hurt.
The warrior collapsed without a sound–dropped like a stone, dead before his knees hit the earth, a blade jutting from the soft hollow beneath his throat. Maalikai had killed him without hesitation, without mercy, without apology. .
Okay, so maybe I’d been wrong. Maalikai was a fucking weapon and nothing would stand in his way, when it came to me. A split second later, we had both rendered the last two remaining warriors dead.
In an instant, Maalikai was by my side, cupping my cheek with his hand and searching my eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. You?” I panted from the exertion and wiped the sweat from my brow.
“Not a scratch.” He winked at me.
A relieved breath escaped me. “They came out of nowhere. Are they everywhere in the forest?”
Maalikai looked to the tree line. “Where are all Ophelia’s guards? They were here when we entered.”
I whipped around. No one but us and the dead warriors littering the field.
Where were they?
The galloping of our horses stole my immediate attention as I turned to look at them; my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach. Their eyes were frenzied, wild. Maalikai grabbed Jet, patting him, trying to keep him calm. I did the same for Stormfire, running my hand along her head. The whites of Stormfire’s eyes were crazed as she stepped unsteadily. Something had spooked them, something more than the fighting.
The smell hit me before I saw it. The undeniable stench of burning wood. Acrid smoke burnt the inside of my nostrils, bringing tears to my eyes. Something was on fire. But where?
I spun in a full circle trying to find the source of the smoke.
Dark, billowing clouds stained the sky, almost choking out the sun. There was so much of it. Thick. Black. Oppressing. How was that even possible? The fire was miles away. For this much smoke to block the sky, the fire had to be huge. Devastating.
Squinting, I examined the source of the flames. Confusion clouded my mind. There were no trees that way. No forest that would fuel that amount of destruction. The only thing that was back there was Ophelia.
Shit.
Maalikai must’ve realized the same moment I had. Without a second’s hesitation, he grabbed his bag, bow, and sheathed his sword and mounted Jet. “Hurry.”
He didn’t need to tell me twice. Before he had finished speaking, I was already on Stormfire, my bow and quiver safely secured on my back, my sword in its sheath at my side.
I had never pushed Stormfire as hard and fast as I did now, my mare on the hoofs of Jet. Even before we reached Ophelia, my sight blurred, shrouded in a haze of smog. Tears welled in my eyes, stinging like a bitch. There was no reprieve; it didn’t matter, we had to keep going.
As we caught our first proper glimpse of Ophelia, the world came to an obliterating halt. Pure horror curdled my stomach. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
What could I say?
There were no words for this.
The village I had grown up in was fully immersed in flames. Fire licked every part of it, engulfing the homes of family and friends. Blood rushed to my head, pulsing like it was going to explode.
Gently, Maalikai placed a hand on my shoulder. “Princess.”
Instantly, I was brought back to reality. Tears stung my eyes in a fresh onslaught of sorrow as I gazed up at him. The pain I felt was reflected in his own features.
“Ophelia is under attack.”
“What? No.” I spoke the words without even thinking, shaking my head in denial.
Not Ophelia.
Not my home.
But then reality set in.
My worst fears had come true.
The Warlord was here.