Chapter 23 Keane
TWENTY-THREE
KEANE
Iraced toward the spot where Lily should be having her meal with Lasloe, my sword already drawn. Danzin had allegedly been searching for plants in the garden, although it was more likely he’d been lurking and spying a little on their date, and he’d raised the alarm of an attack.
Fear raced through me, along with shame and regret.
Lily had wanted me there with her tonight, guarding her, and I’d said no out of petulant jealousy.
I’d refused her because I couldn’t bear to see the woman I loved being courted by other men.
It was official—my feelings for Lily had put her in danger.
I was no longer capable of doing my job.
“Princess Lily is under attack!” I shouted to guards as I ran by, and footfalls echoed over the stone floors and out into the gardens as people joined my charge.
I glanced behind me to see not only my men, but also four of Lily’s suitors, reaching for their swords and other weapons.
Theund carried a small hatchet, Hirth had some sort of small dagger, and Gusten and Danzin both had swords, although I wasn’t sure if they had ever been anything other than ornamental.
Too bad Vasso was still recovering from being poisoned.
He looked strong and capable, and would have been useful to target in a fight.
And where was Lord Covack? Probably asleep, knowing him.
Something whizzed over my head, and I glanced up. Lord Covack stood in his bedroom window, bow aimed ahead of me as if he’d read my mind. At least the fae lord wasn’t completely useless.
I picked up my pace as I heard Lily’s voice yelling my name. I skidded on a patch of gravel as I rounded the last corner, announcing my arrival is a noisy shower of small stones.
She was gone.
Soldiers waited for us, and two of them had captured Lasloe. A pang of guilt hit my chest as I saw the body of the guard I’d assigned to protect Lily.
“Free him,” I ordered, pointing toward Lasloe. I carried forward, slicing down any soldier who dared approach me, as I barreled through the disturbed brush after Lily. They must have taken her this way, and I wouldn’t stop until I found her.
Others followed me, but my focus had narrowed to the path ahead of me.
I came upon a group of the shadow warriors and cut them down, my pace quickening at the thought I was getting close.
I leaped over fallen trees and dodged bushes and rocks, and then I finally heard people moving ahead of me, including Lily’s voice.
I burst through the trees with my sword raised, and instantly took stock of the situation with my guards’ training.
Two soldiers dragged Lily, who had her hands tied behind her.
Malren walked beside her, and a circle of soldiers—both real and illusion—surrounded them.
I should have known it was that villainous traitor behind this kidnapping.
“Let her go!” I called out, and everyone turned toward me, swords raised.
“Get him!” Malren shouted, as he grabbed Lily’s arm and tried to hurry her along.
She screamed my name, and it was like a bucket of ice dumped over my head. Attackers blocked my path, but I plowed through them, with my own soldiers and some of Lily’s suitors at my back. Like a madman I charged forward, slicing and stabbing, not caring who I took down to rescue my beloved.
As the clash of weapons echoed through the forest, I managed to cut down one of the men holding Lily, then kicked the other one back, setting her free.
“My hands!” she cried, as I took out her other captor.
I quickly cut the rope tying them together, then shoved her behind me as more of those shadowy illusions came toward us. But then I heard Malren behind us, and knew we were surrounded.
“You’ll never escape! Hand over the princess!” Malren said with a cackle.
I spun around, trying to protect Lily from attackers on all sides, my sword between us, but there were too many. Shadowy bandits leaped at me and I blocked them, but then Malren lunged at me with his sword. I turned to block it, but was too slow, and prepared myself for the blow.
Then Lily raised her hand and drew a rune in the air, and a blast of ice shot out toward Malren, knocking him back.
He fell to the ground, and it gave me enough time to take out some more of the illusions.
Lily kept drawing runes, shooting sharp bolts of ice at the illusions and at Malren as she continued her magic.
One struck him in the arm and he screamed, dropping his sword, before slipping away into the forest.
When all the illusions were gone and Malren’s soldiers had either fled or been defeated, I took Lily’s arm, wishing I could do more. “Are you all right, Your Majesty?”
“Yes,” she said, though she sounded breathless.
Admiration for Lily crept through me as I realized what she’d done with her magic, but then she stumbled like she was weakening, and I caught her just as snow began to fall from the sky.
“Just a little tired,” she added quickly, as she straightened up.
“Understandable. Your magic has grown stronger.”
“Yes, I’ve been practicing in my spare time.”
“It was most impressive.”
“Let’s not discuss it here.” She glanced around the area, taking it all in. “Where’s Malren?”
My hands clenched into fists. “He got away. Again.”
“Princess Lily!” The shout came from behind us, and I released Lily’s arm as I turned to find the source.
Grimelda hurried down the path in our direction. Well, as much as the woman could hurry while she hobbled.
“Princess Iris came to find me when she spotted your attack out of the window. She’s quite safe in the castle, Your Majesty. Do not fear.”
Lily nodded, her usual serene expression back in place as my men examined the dead soldiers and dragged the living ones toward the back of the castle, to an old jail cell.
Grimelda huffed and puffed at my side. “I’ve come to see you safely to the castle.”
“Oh, I can manage, thank you,” Lily said.
“You should go.” My tone left no argument as to whether I was offering my opinion or issuing a command, and she narrowed her eyes at me in such a way I expected an argument.
But she turned to Grimelda and nodded her head. “Thank you. Yes, I should check on Iris and Vasso.” Then she turned her head, glancing around our group, and her lips parted. “And Lasloe. Is Lasloe all right?”
“I’m here, Princess Lily. Here and perfectly safe.” Lasloe waved his arm from where he stood beside Gusten, his arm wrapped around the pink-cheeked man’s waist.
“Thank you all for coming to my aid,” Lily told her suitors, who moved close to fawn all over her. They began to lead her back to the palace, and though Lily glanced back at me once, I was already forgotten.
I signaled for a couple of my guards, taking in their ashen faces. “Go with them and ensure the safety of Princess Lily. Secure the castle while I check the grounds.”
Their dumbfounded expressions didn’t change as they nodded. Most of them had never seen fae magic like that before—that had probably shocked them more than the attack Lily had thwarted. Lily had tried to hide her forbidden fae heritage for years, but now she’d used it openly.
And she’d done it to save me.