Chapter 17 #2
These sick bastards knew. They knew what he’d survived, knew what taunts had been wielded at him. Had maybe committed some of the heinous torture themselves.
And they weren’t done.
Malakai had never completed the Undertaking. He was likely weaker than either warrior attacking him now, let alone two combined—
A blow struck my chest, winding me.
As maniacal smiles split the faces of the warriors over Malakai, I swore: Whether I used blades or bare hands, no Engrossians would ever hurt Malakai again.
Looking back to my own opponent, I charged. Met one strike. Two. Then, jabbed Angelborn in his thigh.
Wrenching her free, I shoved him away. I didn’t stop to finish the job, spinning back toward Malakai—
But someone else was already there.
Barrett.
Dax and the two guards we’d left them with rushed into the fight, too. The prince held a sword in his chained hands, the two Engrossians staring in disbelief.
“Your Highness?” the female asked, her slim blade nearly falling from her fingers.
“The one and only.” He looked to Malakai on the ground, then back at his warriors. “I wish I could say it was pleasant to meet two of my own.”
“You’ve been imprisoned?” the other Engrossian asked, eyeing Barrett’s chains and taking a step toward the prince.
But Barrett backed away. Guarded Malakai.
“I broke out of one cage.” He flexed his fingers around the grip. “I’m earning my way out of the other.” With that, Barrett swung his sword at his own man. He stumbled back, confusion and reluctance slowing his response.
“Come with us,” he reasoned, ax hanging loosely at his side. “We’ll get you home.”
Barrett swung again, awkwardly given his cuffed hands. “I no longer have a home.”
Malice coated his voice, and I saw the moment realization dawned on the two. As they charged at their prince who no longer claimed the throne. As they raised their weapons against him.
And I ran—sprinted with all the breath left in my body. Lungs tightening.
Pulling my arm back as I closed in, I let Angelborn fly.
She sank through the woman’s neck with an echoing squelch and anchored her to the ground.
The man spun to face me, a grotesque grin breaking. “You continue to show your hand.”
“What does that mean?” I spat, skidding to a stop near him. I drew my sword but held myself back.
“It means she knows you better than you think.” Fear chilled me. I couldn’t form a response—just froze. Couldn’t even summon the strength to react as he lifted his blade, because he had voiced one of the ominous thoughts I feared most.
Being known—understood—by the queen when I still didn’t have a damn clue what she wanted.
My eyes locked on that blade as it rose, and I willed myself to move.
To strike.
But I only watched it lower, watched his eyes get wide and gleeful for a moment.
Then, a blade shot through the back of his head, straight through his eye, banishing that ghoulish grin for good. Beads of dark red sprinkled my boots as he fell.
When I looked up, Malakai was there.
“Are you okay?” he asked, voice shaking. He wrapped his arms around me, tremors wracking his muscles.
“Yes,” I breathed. I squeezed him tighter, letting him feel the beat of my heart through the Bind. Reassuring and strong, I hoped.
Soon, the sounds of battle faded.
But the pained panic that took him over at the phrase Warrior Prince was seared on the inside of my eyelids.
Angels, the scars of those memories, the horrors they’d inflicted would never leave him.
I shoved aside every ounce of fear the Engrossian’s taunt about Kakias had instilled in me and squeezed Malakai tighter, letting him know it was okay.
He was not back in that cell. He was free. He’d never go back there again.
I looked at Barrett, whose eyes fell on the two Engrossian bodies bleeding before us.
“Thank you,” I said.
His head snapped up, face paler than usual as he looked at us both. “No. Thank you.”
We understood.
He would have killed those warriors if it came to it—but he hadn’t wanted to. I was reminded of the volcano, when I’d taken that burden from Malakai’s shoulders by killing Lucidius. The blood may stain my hands, but I was okay with that. At least I could keep them from feeling that remorse.
Slowly, the others joined us. I retrieved my weapons and Malakai recovered his armor. He held it at his side and slightly away from his body, like it was poisoned.
“Any injuries?” I asked, sweeping my gaze over each of them briefly, counting those before us. My sister, Cyph and Tol, Erista and Esmond.
One was missing—
“Collins,” Danya confirmed, looking behind her. His body lay still, arms folded on his chest, eyes closed. “It was swift.”
Her words hollowed out a piece of me. I didn’t know him well, but it was the first death of a warrior I was responsible for. It tarnished my heart, darkening the easy presence his smile had gifted. A loss I couldn’t prevent, a life that ended trying to help my cause.
My chest caved under that pressure, an echoing pang, despite the fact that I’d barely known the warrior.
“We bring him home,” I instructed through the dying piece of me.
Looking up to the stars, I wondered who else would be lost before this war was over. They twinkled down at me, all-knowing Spirits swirling in the mountains beneath my feet and Angels hovering on my shoulders, and I swore I’d carry the memories of those lost with me forever.
First Collins, then whoever came next in this war. I’d remember each face, each heart, each spirit.
“They were better fighters than I expected,” Tol said as we started back to the horses.
“Better than the ones from before,” Jezebel whispered.
It was possible they had been training harder in the months since I’d killed Lucidius, aware of the threat, but they hadn’t moved with the brutality of the Engrossians we fought after the Undertaking. This troop was swifter, like death on a wind. It was…different.
I made sure Malakai was out of earshot before asking, “Did any of them say anything to you?”
They both shook their heads.
When we reached the horses, I dug into Sapphire’s saddlebag for the keys I’d hidden there. Bone tired and limbs heavy, I found Barrett and Dax, slipped the iron into their cuffs without a word, and let their chains fall to the floor.
Barrett held my eyes for a moment, and I knew he understood. Saving Malakai had earned my trust, but the claims the Engrossians had taunted me with stayed buried between us.
As I prepared Sapphire for the journey home, I was less victorious than I’d expected. Instead, all I heard were those words: She knows you better than you think.
A chill hovered over my spine through the rest of the night, waiting for me to put pieces together.