22. Nicholas
22
Nicholas
S olitude kept me company by the water under the cover of nightfall. I couldn’t bring myself to leave the silent shadows in hopes of running into Ella. Memories of being under that table in the next stall over kept me warm against the chilling sea breeze. The way her thighs constricted my hips until my legs pressed against her ass. The way I let my hands rest on her in an intimate fashion until she was completely over me.
The way she gave in and accepted my touch.
I’d been pinned many times throughout my training history, but it’d never been that fun. If she showed up at all, I wondered if I could somehow convince her to spar tonight, maybe find another opportunity to let her dominate again.
Losing would become my top priority to get that outcome. Though there was a strong likelihood she’d put me on my back all on her own.
I’d have to get Tula to make a little more room in these pants. I adjusted to counteract the growing tightness.
A blur of shadows slipped into the nearest blacksmith’s shop. A smile formed beneath the concealing fabric over my face, wondering which of us would get to the other first. I held the advantage and could execute my own little game of cat and mouse.
I didn’t know who this woman was in the light of day, what responsibilities she shouldered, what roles she played. But watching her navigate the night, knowing the fiery spirit she possessed, set my heart ablaze.
She sparked something in me when I’d been striking a match to no avail for so long. Motivation, encouragement, determination; she breathed new life into my purpose.
I assessed which route to take so I could conceal myself from her as long as possible. My heart galloped with excitement just for the chance to speak with her again.
But my anticipation turned grave when I heard and spotted a group barreling down the strip toward the pier. A quick scan of the ocean had me realizing the waves weren’t flowing in a natural, undisturbed manner. Their getaway ship laid in invisible wait. How had I not noticed it before?
Muffled screams echoed down the alley, and scant moonlight highlighted the display. A group of four men held a gagged woman and a bound man with sacks over their heads. Ella was closer, and I prayed she wouldn’t charge out there by herself.
Before I could reveal my position from the shadows, she proved my prayers went unanswered. Shit.
I raced on her heels, essentially joining her side at the same moment we intercepted their path. “Ella,” I whispered, sword drawn. She jolted, nearly swinging a dagger in my direction before registering who I was.
I offered a reassuring nod as the group approached. I’d be damned if I let anything happen to her, despite being outnumbered. All my years of personal training were about to be put to the test.
“Who the fuck are you?!” One of the men holding the small woman cursed before wrenching her backward.
From this close, I could see they’d bound both the woman and man in chains, though the man more so.
“Let them go,” Ella commanded from behind her mask.
Two of the men chuckled, no doubt because they underestimated the skill this woman possessed.
That could work greatly to our advantage, but I couldn’t help that my blood heated. “I’d listen to the lady, or you may wind up with her dagger embedded in your skull.” Lethal warning dripped from my deepened tone as I edged closer to Ella.
The bald man’s head glistened, as did his long-handled axe when he withdrew it upon approach. “You take the girl. I’ve got him,” he said over his shoulder, delight in his voice that indicated he welcomed the fight. One of the kidnappers with tousled locks holding the chained man let go and stepped forward, withdrawing a scimitar from his belt as he advanced toward Ella with equal enthusiasm.
“Please don’t die,” I begged in a whisper to the woman at my side before running full speed at the axe-wielding assailant. Gods how this night had taken a turn.
Quickly gauging the distance between the two attackers, I swung my sword, clashing with my opponent. In a daring maneuver, I kicked him in the gut, forcing him back several feet before lunging for the scimitar-wielder. He was almost caught off guard, but threw up his steel in the nick of time.
“What are you doing?!” Ella shouted as I entangled myself with both attackers.
Confused, I spared her a glance. She couldn’t be itching for a fight that badly that she was disappointed I took her opponent?
Her baffled glare was directed at me as her hands flailed outward in question. Yep, she was indeed talking to me.
Before I could respond, I had to rear back from the slash of steel attempting to split me in two. Ella ran past as I fought with the man meant for her. I could only surmise she was targeting those still holding the prisoners, but I had no time to help as the axe swung from behind.
I rolled out of the way. In a fight against time, I cut a quick glance across the dark alley. Ella hadn’t wasted a second. She engaged the lone assailant holding the chained man, forcing him to release his hostage.
As much as I wanted her removed from the danger, she’d made a fucking smart move. Now only one kidnapper remained holding the bound woman. I prayed he’d consider his hostage more valuable than teaming up against Ella.
Before he’d probably even had time to consider his options, the bound man robbed him of the opportunity. He whipped the blinding sack from his head, spit out his gag, and with chains binding his ankles and wrists, he bent at the waist and sprinted headfirst with a warrior’s roar toward the woman’s captor.
We’d divided their forces in under a minute. What they’d naively assumed to be a standard abduction operation had been thrown off the rails entirely. I rose to my feet, accepting the two-on-one challenge before me.
“Stop her! Restrain him!” the axe-man snarled to his companion, gesturing toward Ella who’d clearly sabotaged the most critical part of their mission.
Over my dead body.
I rushed the scimitar-wielder before he made it two feet in her direction, tackling him to the ground. These men had prepared themselves for bloodshed—welcomed it. The increasing tension in the air confirmed there would be no opportunity for civil discourse, no alternatives for either party other than success. Even if it was to the death.
While this escalation wouldn’t have been my first choice, the scales of fate would only tip in one direction: them, or us.
I plunged my sword into his throat. I didn’t have time to react to the sensation of his skin giving way to my blade before it sliced through bone with an audible snap, severing his spine. I’d never fatally wounded a man before, but with Ella as their target, I had no other option.
Knowing this man would never get up again, I yanked the sword free, putting his gurgling body behind me to blunt the axe’s blow just in time. The wild eyes staring back at me were filled with feral rage, and I knew there would only be one way to stop him. Forcing my crimson coated steel to control his weapon, I fed it toward the ground, redirecting his attack. He released a wrath-fueled scream as he stumbled.
I sliced my steel across his wooden handle, throwing off his balance, and spun. My blade lodged into the man’s side, and his howling scream echoed in the quiet market. By the time I drew back my weapon, I turned to see Ella toe-to-toe with her opponent.
“Ella!” I raced toward her.
“Get him unchained!” she demanded through gritted teeth as she braced for another sword swing.
I slammed to a halt, hesitancy constricting me like a python. Something deep in my gut called me to rush to her aid, but this woman was no damsel. She’d presented our terms clearly that night—she didn’t need me, she could handle herself. So I battled the screaming part of me that wanted to intervene.
But damn if she wasn’t thinking clearly. Freeing that man would give us a final advantage before we could bring this scene to an end.
The last captor released the bound woman in an attempt to fend off the shackled man charging at him like a bull. She pulled the bag from her head and gag from her mouth. “Sverik!” she yelled as the chained man did his best to dodge the blows aimed for him. I wouldn’t be able to assist him while the attacker continued his offensive moves.
I moved quickly and landed a punch so devastating the man fell to the ground, knocked out cold. The woman rushed over to the felled man and rummaged through his pocket. Her sobs wracked the night, but she raced to Sverik and picked the man’s locks. When the chains fell, rattling as the heavy pile coiled around itself, he faced Ella.
“GET DOWN,” he yelled.
Ella glanced at him for only a moment. While her opponent became confused and pivoted to face the now freed man, his eyes widened, and Ella dropped. Sverik’s hands erupted in flames that burst forth in a tunnel targeting Ella’s opponent.
He barely had time to scream before the fiery blaze consumed him.
“Fire wielder,” I whispered. Within a heartbeat, I was moving, feet pounding against the dirt, propelling me forward. I threw myself over Ella, who had her head hidden beneath her hands as she crouched on the ground.
That wielder could annihilate us all if he chose, but I would make sure she got out of this alive.
I peered over my shoulder to see the man on fire stumbling around in agony. He neared us, dangerous heat licking at my skin, so I lifted my sword and swung. It impaled his flaming neck, not severing completely. I yanked it free, blood spurting over the dirt, and he fell to the ground, still roasting under red flames.
The next second, another tunnel of fire ripped toward the unconscious man who’d held the woman as she clung to the fire wielder from behind. I returned to Ella and urged her to her feet, more than thankful to feel her living body beneath my gloved hands.
The strip was lit like the noonday sun from the flames, a testament to the power this man controlled. He did it with so much strength and precision, it was awe-inspiring to behold.
Once the wielder finished with his recent target, he strode with determination toward the man I’d sliced at the hip that I hadn’t noticed had been crawling toward the docks. A wet trail followed behind as he dragged his gravely injured body.
“Wait.” I attempted to stop the fire wielder, but the look of pure fury on his face told me I wouldn’t be heard. Without revealing my identity, I couldn’t command him. Instead, I placed my hand on Ella’s lower back as we stood and simply watched the wielder incinerate the dead body I’d taken down first, then focus his dwindling power on the one trying to escape.
My gaze pushed past the display to assess the water. As I feared, the flattening waves indicated the ship was leaving the port. And with our only leads currently reducing to ash, I’d lost the opportunity to figure any of this out.
Ella slipped from my touch and went to assess the small woman’s condition. I intensely watched the wielder as he allowed his protruding flames to die down and drop his hands to his sides. On his walk back, I could see the perspiration dripping from his face. By the time he managed up the incline to return to the woman, she had to catch his collapsing body.
“Will you be alright?” I asked.
The man struggled to face me, but drew up his eyes that flickered from the light of the still burning bodies. He nodded.
“Thank you,” the woman said with an uneven voice.
“Did you know those men? What they wanted with you?” I asked, scraping for any leads.
“It happened so suddenly. They broke into our home while we slept. They didn’t say why they wanted us, and we never had the opportunity to ask.” The woman’s lip quivered as she gripped the man I assumed was her husband.
“I’d suggest laying low for a while. If they know where you live, they may make another attempt. If you recall any details, anything at all, please write correspondence to the prince, and sign it from Marco. Do you understand?” I waited to hear their confirmation so I could know that despite their shock, they’d heard me. The least conspicuous correspondence I could receive would be from my cousin, which reduced the risk of unauthorized eyes accessing that information. “Good. Go find a healer to tend to your wounds. I wish you both well.”
As they gathered their strength to leave the scene of their nightmare behind, I searched the lane for Ella.
But she had vanished.