Chapter 30
Svanhild’s blows were the hardest to block. The female had such power behind her attacks that Asta was pushed back each time their blades met.
Maren mostly sat back, watching her body guard do her dirty work.
That made Asta more disgusted with her sister than before, the princess unwilling to even fight her own battles.
Every time Maren went in for a strike, it felt half-hearted.
That pissed Asta off more—knowing that even now, her sister could not be bothered to give Asta her full attention.
Asta’s mind ran rampant while she held off her opponents, trying to calculate a way out of the situation.
All she was doing was tiring herself out by continuing to fight them off without a plan.
She couldn’t stop fighting them to free Kaid, especially since he would need to be carried in his current sleep state.
But she also would not be leaving this room without him, so retreating to find help wasn’t an option.
While weighing her options, Asta managed to land a nasty gash to Svanhild’s cheek. If only she was one step closer, the finfolk female would have lost her jaw. Svanhild drifted back to steady herself just as Maren was shoved from the doorway by an orange-finned siren.
“Soren!” Asta cheered. She had been growing fond of the warrior during their travels, but now, he was definitely her favorite.
“I didn’t take you for the damsel in distress type of princess,” Soren chuckled as he swam next to Asta, “but here I am, saving your ass.”
“I was figuring it out,” Asta retorted.
“Yeah, it sure looked like you had everything under control. I’m mistaken,” Soren said dryly.
Maren swept her blade low, hardly missing Soren’s fin as he jolted backward.
Svanhild screeched in that horrific way the finfolk could and swung from above.
Soren blocked with his own, twisting the blades together until Svanhild withdrew to strike again.
The way he didn’t shake from the impact of Svanhild’s sword was a testament to his strength.
Asta rapidly swam to Kaid’s bedside. She touched his face gently as he slept peacefully.
When she flipped back the tethered blanket, she saw the large iron chain and shackles.
As she reached to free him, she was yanked back by a tight grip in her hair.
Long nails scraped against her scalp, then she felt the coolness of metal against her throat.
In the very farthest corner of her vision, Asta could make out Maren’s red hair as her sister rested her chin on her shoulder. Maren yanked Asta’s head back using her hair, leaving the column of her throat wide open to Maren’s black dagger that now rested firmly against her jugular.
Maren spoke in a voice that was much too calm for the mayhem surrounding them. “Everyone drop your weapons, or she dies.”
Svanhild grinned wickedly, keeping her sword pointed toward Soren as he tossed his sword and dagger to the floor. Asta dropped her sword onto the bed in front of her, trying not to lean forward into the sharp edge pressed to her neck.
Maren gripped Asta’s hair tighter. “Good little sirens. I feel like playing nice today, so I’ll make you a deal. Withdraw your fighters and leave the prince with us and you will all leave unharmed. Or, choose to continue to fight, and get yourselves thrown into the dungeons.”
Soren stared at Asta, the warrior awaiting command. Since when was Asta in charge? She was definitely in no position to be making decisions.
Movement in the doorway had everyone in the room turning their heads. Revna slowly centered herself in the threshold, two swords stretched out to either side of her. Her head tilted forward and she stared through her eyebrows menacingly. Revna would not be choosing either of those options.
As Revna swung a sword back, time slowed in Asta’s mind.
Through all the hate and resentment, something in her begged the sword not to kill Maren.
Begged the sword to spare her sister, just in case there was a small chance at redemption for them.
Because at the end of the day, when her life was on the line, Asta loved Maren and always would.
Revna’s sword speared through the air, its target locked in.
Please don’t kill her. Dear gods, please save her soul.
Asta pleaded with any god and goddess she could think of to save her sister not only in this moment, but in life.
The sword landed directly into the side of Maren’s hand that she was holding the dagger to Asta’s throat with. The point of the blade cut clean through Maren’s hand and grazed Asta’s shoulder. Maren dropped her dagger, letting go of Asta’s scalp in the process.She was alive. They both were.
Asta turned around in time to see another sword swinging directly for Maren, but this time, it wasn’t from Revna. Kaid hovered above the bed, one arm outstretched from releasing a blade toward the finfolk princess and the other pulled taut against the chain binding him to the wall.
Asta’s fin buckled at the sight of him, his deep crimson hair almost black in the dark castle’s ambiance. But despite the poor lighting, his turquoise eyes shone brightly, and they were looking right at her.
Maren ducked, avoiding the sword Kaid had thrown in her direction, but the distraction had cost her and Svanhild greatly.
Before Maren could stand straight again, Revna was on her, smashing her face into the stone wall and knocking her out cold.
At the same moment, Soren finned Svanhild in the face so hard that she passed out, her black blood settling in a cloud above her face.
Asta rushed to Kaid and he pulled her into an embrace as best he could with one arm. She didn’t know how he was awake, but there was no time for questions.
“Where do they keep the key?” Asta blurted, her eyes darting around the room looking for anything to help break him free.
Kaid shook his head. “They don’t have one. These are iron chains and iron keys have been lost over time. They put me in these on purpose, so I’d never be able to use my magic; Never be able to fight back.”
Soren and Revna came to Asta’s side and picked up the chain. “Grab on, Princess. If we can’t get it off of him, we’ll take it with us,” Soren said with a grin.
Asta held onto the chain along with Kaid grabbing with his free arm. Asta could see substantial bruising around the wrist that was cuffed, and her heart ached.
All three sirens pulled back in a heave, the iron nails in the wall groaning against their strength. If the anchor hadn’t come flying from the wall with all of their strength combined, it was no wonder Kaid couldn’t break himself free.
Multiple heaves later, the anchor came blasting from the wall and fell to the floor with a thud.
Kaid bunched the chain up into his arms and nodded. “Thanks. Now how the hell do we get out of here?”
“Follow me,” Revna said curtly as she exited the room.
Soren threw a thumb over his shoulder. “Sorry about that one, Your Highness. She needs a bit of work with royals,” he bowed. “Right this way, sir.”
Kaid made eye contact with Asta then followed the orange-finned warrior, Asta following closely behind.