62. Nicholas
62
Nicholas
F ighting the exhaustion in my bones, my body relied upon muscle memory engrained by years of training. My foot hooked around one of their ankles. My head crashed back into another’s nose. One of my arms came loose after the guard clutched his nose and screamed in agony.
I utilized the opening, barreling into the other to throw him off balance. My fist quickly found his jaw, driving it up hard until he also released me.
Without any weapons, I was severely outmatched by the number of guardsmenlining the perimeter of the market. Sebastian chuckled at the display of his whimpering men.
We gave each other a wide berth, circling like vultures around their prey. How many hand-to-hand sessions had we endured? Learned each other’s moves, weaknesses, strengths.
“I bet you’re asking yourself, how many?” He beckoned over the dirt between us, our paces never faltering. “How many guards have I drawn into my service? Who can you trust? Who’s betrayed you?” he taunted.
“Who do you serve?” I asked, making note of the guards on the outer portion of the square who inched closer, observing the spectacle, ready at a moment’s notice to obey an order of attack.
“I serve this kingdom!” he bellowed, his anger rising to the surface. He now aligned directly before the alley leading to the docks.
“Commander!” one of his men yelled.
It broke our focus, and I directed my attention toward where the man pointed behind me. Emerging from the dark, from behind the stage platform, a tiny figure cloaked in darkness, and a big towering man. The moonlight reflected off Odion’s bald head, two swords in his hands.
Nora’s dagger glinted, and my emotions collided. She shouldn’t be here, she needed to be far away from this. But if this was to be the last time I’d see that perfectly created woman, I was glad it was in this form, watching her take on the world with all the bravery ever possessed by any heart.
“Let him go, Commander Druller,” she ordered.
Sebastian sighed, dropping his shoulders. “Damn. I really liked you,” he said, not loud enough for her to hear from where she encroached the market square. “You two really do belong together.” He glanced at me. “This one is dull as a board, and you’ve got a fiery spirit, just like your father,” he shouted.
Confusion anchored my feet.
“What did you just say?” Nora asked, stopping a few feet before him with her raised daggers and murderous menace in her eyes.
“Proficient boat merchant. He nearly started all this years sooner. But the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I suppose. He also took a savior’s stance, refusing to hold up his end of the deal once he discovered what cargo we’d be shipping. He even threatened to expose the corruption of the guard, as he called it.” Sebastian chuckled to himself, assessing his sword and admiring the polished iron.
“You’ll be pleased to know he didn’t cower. Not as I took this very blade and slit his throat.”
The world stilled.
He continued, “I knew you’d come from good stalk when I met you. Truly believed you’d do well for this kingdom. Your father and I may have disagreed in the end, but he was smart. A good businessman. Pity, I was looking forward to your rule, Lady Nora.” He inched toward her, his body lax, unthreatening.
My stomach sank, knowing how much this would destroy her, distract her. I wanted to scream, to tell her to run, knowing his speed on a battlefield. Just before the desperation ripped from my throat, I noted his shift. Three squeezes against his hilt.
I moved.
Placing myself between him and her, the cold metal pierced my chest. With no weapons to wield, the only thing I could do was serve as a shield. Sebastian yanked the blade out and kicked my stomach.
The impact forced me to stumble, and I collapsed on the ground. The pain kept me down. Nora’s cry inundated the square. All I could do was look up, wide-eyed, to where Druller stood. The agony was near blinding, from the fatal wound through my chest, and the betrayal I never suspected.
Nora fell to her knees beside me, hoisting my upper body onto her lap. But her cries were drowned out by the intense focus I kept on Sebastian. My world quieted the moment he stepped forward, two steps away from delivering a fatal fate to the love of my life.
My lungs weren’t functioning normally, filling with a heavy chill instead of humid evening air. I couldn’t collectively get my lungs and voice to work in tandem to shout, and I knew I was about to watch my worst nightmare play out before me.
But his shoulder swung back, causing him to stagger. From between his legs, I could see the outline of an arrow embedded in the ground. He brought a hand up to the wound, cursing when his fingers darkened. “Who di—” The whizz of another arrow silenced his question.
Suddenly, the silence in the market broke. Gushes of wind swooped between the stands. Shouts and metal clanging off metal sang into the night. I saw Sebastian fall to his knees before Nora’s hands were cupping my face.
“Nick? Hey, I’m here. You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay.” I heard the crack in her voice when she must have seen how wrong she was. Judging by the layer of wetness coating my chest and ribs, I knew how badly this would go. “Odion!” She cried, straining her throat.
I’d familiarized myself with the sound of that man’s grunts, could tell that he was currently engaging one, possibly two guards.
“N-nora.” Cold flooded my chest in a way that made it ache, and I swallowed trying to keep the gathering liquid down. “Go.” The familiar feeling of phlegm during a cold rattled in my lungs, and I started to taste iron. The pickup of rushing wind didn’t help the chill settling over my bones.
The sounds of battle erupted into the night, as if an army had appeared from the sleepy town, ready to defend itself. Blasts of fire shot into the square, roasting men who traitorously bore Highcrest’s uniform. It was the fire wielder we’d saved.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she muttered, brushing the hair away from my eyes. She peered down at me, an angel above calling me home.
Not so gracefully, my head hit the ground when she spun out of the reach of a swinging sword, a dagger back in her hand in an instant. The edges of the world became blurred, but I could hear the scuffle.
“Don’t h-hurt her.” My words came out gurgled, my mouth finally spilling blood from the corner. I rolled to my side, an attempt to get to her, but a foot pounded against me, rolling me onto my back.
Reynolds, his scarred cheek accentuated by shadows under pale moonlight, cast an evil grin over me, a sword poised between his hands, aiming down. He should have been locked away in the dungeons, but no surprise that he wasn’t. “Sorry, Your Highness. I really rather like my job.” He raised the sword, and I prepared for the death blow.
Maybe death was actually painless. I pondered as a blinding white light consumed my vision. Except, when it faded a moment later, revealing the night sky again and the sound of continued fighting, I craned my neck to see Reynolds knocked on his back, gasping to replace the air knocked from his lungs.
Another blast of light sent him careening across the market, where a fire engulfed him, shooting from Sverik’s hands. Reynold’s cries rent the air as flames ate his flesh.
Nora rushed to my side again. “I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
Unnaturally slow, I moved until she was the only thing in my vision. “As long as you are.” I smiled, trying to hold back a fit of sputtering to clear my airways.
“Don’t go, Nick. I love you. You mean everything to me. I can’t do this without you.” Her tears kissed my cheek. It’s funny, the things you savor when you know you’re out of time.
“Are you admitting you need me?” I teased, referencing back to one of those first nights when she was adamant she would never. An instinctive cough splattered blood over us, all attempts to staunch it failing.
She laughed, but only pain lined her glistening eyes. She bore the look of loss, something I knew she’d experienced too much of already. I reached up, hand shaking, placing it on her cheek. “I’m sorry to put you through this again, my lady. You made everything worth it.”
She sobbed, and my arm slipped as I lost the strength to keep it up.