“You're not leaving my side, remember?” Sebastian argued, receiving an eye roll from me in response.
“I’ll go,” Sawyer offered. “What's your preference?”
Unsure, I looked to Sebastian for guidance. “I dunno. I’ve mostly only worked with a dagger.” I’d only used a sword a few times in practice and during the trials. I was much more confident with a dagger, but options were good.
“You should have a sword in a situation like this.” Heturned to Sawyer. “Something light. A thin blade but sturdy hilt. Bring a sheath to go with it.”
Sawyer nodded, then took off in a jog.
“It's not too late, I can still bring you to the dungeons. You can get out of here,” Sebastian suggested as he turned back to me.
“No. I need to do this.” My family deserved retribution, and I would make damn sure they got it. Only then would I allow myself to grieve.
He puffed his cheeks out, nodding as his hand settled on the back of my armor and guided me out of the hall.
Chapter
Forty-Two
Absolute chaos surrounded me.
Within minutes of Sawyer meeting us in the courtyard with my sword, the dormitories were attacked. I had barely attached the sheath around my waist before needing to draw the weapon, as the first Draemornian soldier reached the cobblestone path leading straight to us.
Now—just hours later—there were bodies piled up around my feet. They were yet to be anyone I knew, but my fear intensified with the rattle of each cadaver. The continuous clang of metal caused my ears to ring, and it was difficult to hear anything over the blood-curdling screams of mortals as they killed orwerekilled.
Sebastian had his back against mine. Because of him, I hadn't made a kill yet, but it was only a matter of time before someone's death was on my name. Though I should have felt remorseful about that, I didn't. I feltvengeful. These people were the reason that I’d been left without a family, and I would make them beg for my mercy.
The thought smacked me in my soul, cascading into an unbearable ache in my heart with the realization that I had no blood left alive. It was just me.
The brutal truth made me want to crumble to the ground, but I had to resist. I’d pretend it wasn't real—pretend that this horrific reality was simply a nightmare.
I held onto my courage, using it as motivation to pivot my torso and swing my sword through the bicep of a Draemornian who tried to sneak up behind me. The soldier cried out, the force of my swing jolting his body back. Blood dripped from the slice in his arm as he moved in on me with his teeth jarred.
Before he could retaliate, Sebastian peeled himself from my back, swinging around me and slashing his sword through the air. The blade slid through the gap between the soldier's helmet and chest armor, cutting his head clean off. It dropped to the ground with a thud. Blood splashed over the fronts of my legs as the skull tumbled, stopping when it hit my foot.
I looked down at it, motionless.
Adrenaline stole my disgust.
Shit.
This was really happening.
My gaze rolled slowly to Sebastian, who stared, silently judging my reaction. “You okay?” His eyes peered at me through the steel helmet that covered his beautiful skin.
He killed that man with such ease, such poise, that I now understood why he had been so worried that I wouldn't love the real him.Thatwas the real Sebastian. Charming, but celestially lethal when he needed to be. A prince. A soldier—a head soldier, at that—and a damn good one. He thought that side of him would scare me, but I welcomed it. I’d take him in every form, the good or the bad.
He was too immersed in making sure I was okay to notice that another Draemornian was running at him, sword raised.
My heart pounded sporadically as I ripped my dagger from its sheath. My eyes narrowed in on my target, planning for the best course of action and noticing how the Draemornian lacked a helmet.
Pulling my arm back, I chucked my dagger as powerfully as my muscles could manage. The blade hit the soldier in between the eyes, embedding itself deep enough into his skull that it no doubt hit brain matter. He dropped forward onto his knees before face planting in the dirt.
Sebastian’s eyes widened as he spun around just in time to see the Draemornian’s corpse drop. “Holy shit,” he marveled under his breath.
I stepped around him and bent down in front of the dead soldier, where I ripped my blade from his skull, wiping the blood and dripping turquoise toxin on the grass next to me before sheathing it back in the strap on my thigh.
“Yeah. I'm okay.” My response was nonchalant as I rose, choosing to ignore the fact that I just made my first kill.
