Chapter 33 Erik
ERIK
The scent of fear filled the air surrounding Ariana even though she did not yet see what I knew headed straight for us.
Silently, she remained behind me while I faced where they approached, cursing myself for not bringing my sword.
I had not expected Ariana or anyone to be with me, so I left everything at home.
The sword I carried was not to protect myself, but those with me.
Sometimes fighting with fire was riskier than using a blade.
A chuckle sounded before me, followed by Hedrek stepping out from behind a tree.
His blond hair was loose and flowing down to his middle back.
His cold gaze settled on me. A scar I had given him a few years ago pulled at the side of his lower lip, slashing over his chin and down his neck.
Five other Lysians also came into view. If I was on my own, it would have been no trouble handling them all.
But having Ariana with me changed everything.
“Who do we have here?” Hedrek tilted his head as if to better see the Bavadrin standing behind me.
I shifted, blocking her from his view.
Damn it. In the single move, it was clear I wanted her unharmed. Hedrek would use that.
He tsked softly. “What are you doing with that little thing, Erik? A girl like that could easily be turned to ash.” Holding out his hand, fire flared over his fingertips.
Ariana’s breath hitched behind me.
“Go back to the hole you crawled out of, and I will let you live to see another day,” I stated flatly.
Hedrek had been born outside of the main Lysian group.
His great-grandfather and a few others left long ago, exiled to live on the edge of our lands where the mountains met the ocean.
I frequently monitored their movements in the past, and if any of them dared to come down from the hills, I killed them.
My skills sharpened on the bones and blood of his followers.
The exiled Lysians had turned me into a proper killer.
However, since my father’s death, my focus was redirected to retrieving my sister and our stolen conjurors.
My attention shifted, and that opened a window for the exiled pack.
I never expected them to so quickly become so bold as to wander this close to the main city.
I had been reckless. After this day, my errors would be amended.
They would think long and hard before stepping foot off their mountain again.
Hedrek smirked. “Where is the fun in that?” He took a couple of steps to the side to gain a better view of Ariana.
“It has been a while since you have come to massacre our family, Erik. I was beginning to wonder if something had happened to you. But I now see that a young Bavadrin seems to have drawn your attention elsewhere.” His gaze moved to her. “I suppose I owe you thanks, girl.”
A growl rumbled in my throat, bringing his attention back to me.
He smiled, the movement shifting the scar running through his lip. “I’ll tell you what, seeing as the two of us can burn everyone else here to a crisp, I’ll make you a promise: I won’t use my conjuring if you agree not to as well. Swear it on our families.”
It was his lucky day and his best opportunity at standing any chance against me, no matter how tiny that chance was.
By the looks of his men, they were trained fighters.
Each bore swords and weapons on their hips, while I had none.
Conjuring would have been the easiest way to end them, but that exposed and risked Ariana to my cousin’s flames.
Hedrek used that to his advantage. Fire could only be controlled so much, and I was uncertain whether I could protect her from his flames.
Though I had no doubts regarding my strength or skill, the five with Hedrek only had me to concern themselves with.
Taking them all down myself was going to be a challenge.
Behind me, Ariana’s heart thundered in her chest, yet she remained unmoving except for those wide green eyes that stared at the danger before us.
“Fine,” I agreed.
Hedrek’s smile widened. “Marvelous.” He then addressed his men, “Do try and keep the King alive. I’d like for him to witness the fall of his family’s rule.”
What he didn’t say was that I was also his family.
Hedrek came from my family line, one that broke off because my great-grandmother ruled the Lysians, and her greedy little brother thought it should fall to him and not a female.
He rejected her claim. Instead of killing him, my great-grandmother took pity on him, allowing him to flee.
He and a handful of others who shared his beliefs fled to the distant mountains at the ocean’s edge, making a home there.
I bared my teeth, claws lengthening, before Hedrek’s men attacked. They lunged at once, swords drawn. Staying close to Ariana was a greater risk than protection, for a blade aimed at me could quickly strike her if I dodged an attack.
A flash of steel thrust towards me. I sidestepped, avoiding it.
The Lysian snarled just as another came from my side.
Again, I managed to evade the blade, though he didn’t evade me.
My claws sliced through his side, deep enough to scrape against his ribs.
He stumbled forward before turning on me once more.
Adrenaline pumped into the chambers of my heart, shooting through my veins, sharpening my senses. My eyesight enhanced and muscles tightened. Fire burned underneath my skin as I kept the power leashed. I was going to kill them all.
Four of them surrounded me, taking their turns attacking. Meanwhile Hedrek stood at a safe distance. He had always been afraid to truly dirty his hands for as long as I had known him. Instead, he watched. The fifth Lysian was standing before Ariana.
“It isn’t fair if you come at me with a blade when all I have is my hands to defend myself with.” Ariana’s voice was surprisingly steady when she spoke to him. “Unless you are afraid of a Bavadrin girl, in which case, please keep the weapon.”
The male grunted, tossing the sword to the side.
Smart girl. She got rid of her opponent’s blade with only her words.
Two of the Lysians attacked me at the same time from opposite sides. That was a mistake.
I moved, grabbing hold of the faster one.
Using the momentum, I swung and shoved his body so that the blade of the other cut into his chest. Blood soiled my clothing.
The impaled Lysian’s hand loosened on his weapon, and I took it in time to stop the blade of another’s from slicing my neck.
That was aggravatingly close. With a grunt, I shoved him back.
My attention swung to the Bavadrin.
Ariana moved cautiously around the male who targeted her, trying to catch her.
She avoided him three times before he finally grabbed her arm.
He yanked her forward with ease, for she did not resist. As she fell into him, her arm pulled back before flying forward, and she landed a hit to his throat.
The male coughed, suddenly gasping for air.
However she had managed such a hit, it was unlikely to happen again.
I moved, taking three long strides before shoving a blade through the Lysian’s back.
Ariana gasped as red droplets rained over her.
The Lysian fell before her feet as I turned back to the three who had been busy with me.
Another lunged. I blocked, but there was a flash at my side. I dodged too slowly. His blade kissed my thigh before biting deeper into the flesh there. It burned. The edge of his sword came away painted with my blood.
Damn it.
I didn’t have to look to know the wound was extensive.
Warmth coated my leg. A red river flowed from the cut.
I was losing blood quickly. Rage fueled me as I whirled on them.
This needed to end. No longer waiting for their moves, I attacked first. The Lysian swung, and I ducked.
He lost balance when his blade missed my flesh and slashed air.
I used that moment to shove the sword in my hand through his throat.
He dropped to the ground before he ever even knew he was dead.
It took five more seconds for me to drop the other two.
Hedrek and I were the only Lysians left.
My gaze pinned him as he picked up the blades closest to him. Not to fight with but to simply not waste resources. He was likely going to hand them off to others who were bred for this sole purpose: to fight me and mine.
Hedrek’s icy gaze cut to Ariana before returning to me. “A promise is a promise. Till we meet again, cousin.” He backed into the forest, and once more trees separated us, he finally turned and took off.
I remained still until I no longer heard his steps as he disappeared.
Even as the edges of my vision began to blur.
It took everything in me to remain upright.
As soon as Hedrek was gone, I lost my balance, falling to my knees.
There was so much blood covering me that the fool had not noticed the deep gash in my leg, utterly unaware that I was bluffing, for there was no way I could have effectively fought him hand-to-hand.
Suddenly Ariana was there, studying me, pausing at my thigh.
“You are losing too much blood,” she stated and went to stand.
Grabbing her hand, I stopped her.
“Run,” I said to her. “Hedrek may return. You need to leave.” She stood no chance against them. None. She needed to get as far away as she could and as quickly as possible.
Her gaze hardened, looking as though I had insulted her. “You will die if I leave,” she bit out, pulling her hand from mine.
I fell back, suddenly finding my head too heavy to hold up.
Ariana disappeared only to return with a sword in her hand. She used the blade to cut a strip from her tunic. I felt her hands on my thigh as she wrapped the fabric above the wound. Taking a smooth stick, she used it to tighten the fabric around my leg.
Unable to help it, I winced. My vision was darkening.
I should never have left home without my sword.
A hand firmly grabbed my jaw, forcing me to look upon her. “Whatever strength you have, I need you to use it. We need to get you closer to your city. I can help you, but I cannot carry you by myself. Can you do this?” Fear touched her features, though her voice came out confident and strong.
“Yes.” It sounded like a hiss from my lips.
With a frown, Ariana stood, awkwardly helping me to my feet.
She found a sturdy branch for me to use as a walking stick.
Grabbing a sword in one hand, she slipped her other around me, positioning herself under my arm.
I tried to keep my weight off her, but it was useless.
She nearly stumbled at first, her hold tightening on me as she regained her footing.
Finally, we began making our way back, one painful step after another.
It felt like we had been walking forever, though I was certain that if I looked back, I could likely still see the place we had started from.
We were not moving fast. Each step zapped more energy.
More and more of my weight shifted onto Ariana.
She began shaking in effort, though no complaint came from her.
My mind was slowing, a haze settling over it.
I glanced at the Bavadrin who struggled to keep me upright, who took one small step at a time with me.
I was entirely at her mercy. I would have laughed if I had the strength, for this was certainly something to behold.
A young Bavadrin woman trying to save a Lysian King, one responsible for keeping her against her will.
She indeed was something unexpected, entering my life without an ounce of hesitation.
Even after everything, she now stood beside me, trembling as she struggled to hold my weight.
Ariana whistled, a long and steady sound.
I cast her a sidelong glance.
“Lysian ears may pick up the sound.” She forced the words out between her clenched teeth, answering my question though I never asked.
Again, she whistled, low and steady.
We made it four more steps before I lost my balance, and we fell into a tree. Ariana used her body to pin me and somehow kept me from falling entirely to the ground. She stilled while leaning into me, trying to regain her strength.
Footsteps and a familiar scent drew my blurred gaze up past her.
“Iver.” His name was a rasp in my throat.
Startled, Ariana turned, finding my brother. A sliver of tension left her at the sight of him. Iver’s gray eyes were wide as he looked over us.
“Lysians attacked,” Ariana said. “He has lost a lot of blood.”
“Don’t move,” Iver stated. “I will be back in just a minute.” He took off into the woods, leaving Ariana too stunned to even respond. His steps moved further and further away before disappearing altogether. My head became heavier, and I was uncertain how much longer I could remain conscious.
When Iver reappeared, he helped Ariana as he took the brunt of my weight from one side.
We began at a quicker pace, moving in silence.
My eyes slid shut, and though I tried to open them again, they wouldn’t.