“Go,” I hissed at him.
Shifting my grip on my sword, I grasped the door handle and gave a small tug.It was locked, but the guards would have keys.
Behind me, a sword clattered as it tumbled from someone’s arms and hit the floor.I winced at the intrusive noise, and someone cursed.
Outside the doors, the footsteps in the hall hesitated before they raced onward at a far faster pace.My father must have sent some guards back for more weapons, or perhaps he’d suspected I might try to raid his castle.Either way, his men were coming.
When I looked back at the room, most of Tucker’s followers had vanished into the portal.The rest rushed forward as they sought to escape with their arms loaded with weapons.
Tucker waved his arm as he urged them onward.When I turned back to the door, a face materialized on the other side.
The woman stared at me through the window.I didn’t know where my father had told his women guards to stay while they searched for the lightning bearer, but now that they knew it was Ellery, he’d called them back for duty.
A man appeared behind the woman; they glowered at me as keys jangled on the other side.Stepping away from the door, I ignored the dull throbbing in my leg as lightning danced across my fingertips.
My wounds had mostly closed, but with the shaft still embedded in my leg, that injury wouldn’t heal completely.I wouldn’t let it slow me down.
At least twenty amsirah were still running for the portal as the woman shuffled through a set of keys, and the man placed his hands against the window.I wasn’t in the mood for another fight, not after today, but I’d gladly kill anyone who sided with my father.
Tucker and a few other amsirah came to stand beside me.As they did so, a key slid into the lock.Lowering my sword, I threw one hand out and hit the metal door with a lightning bolt.
The woman yelped as she flew away from the door and the smoking hole in the center of it.The guard ducked to peer through the hole before stepping to the side.
More of my father’s men shuffled around outside the door, but they stayed away from the window.And then the click of the lock sounded, and the door flew open.
CHAPTERTWENTY-EIGHT
Ryker
Guards poured insidewith swords and battle-axes raised as they charged toward us.I didn’t know if they were stupid or brave, considering we outnumbered them and I had my lightning.
They’re most likely petrified of my father and would rather die now than face him.
And that was a sad fact.I released another wave of lightning that took out two of them while arrows flew from the rebels beside me.
Three arrows struck some guards and knocked them back while others kept coming.More arrows were released, taking out another two guards, before they were on us.
Swords clashed as steel banged against steel.A battle-ax flew past my head; it whistled as it sliced through the air before crashing into the wall.
One of the guards tried to rush past us toward the open portal, but Tucker took out his legs with a sickening crunch of bone.I should close the portal.We couldn’t risk anyone getting through it, but if I did, we’d be stuck here and would have to fight our way out of the castle.
If anyone got too close to it, I’d kill them.Until then, I couldn’t risk trapping us here.
When another guard swung a sword at me, I brought my blade down on his arm, slicing it to the bone.The man bit back a scream and released the weapon.
I freed my sword, and he fisted his good hand to swing at me.I leaned back to avoid the blow that would have sent my mind reeling.
While I was off balance, he charged.I managed to get my sword up between us in time to avoid him crashing into me.The blade sank into the tender flesh of his belly as momentum drove him down to the hilt.
For a second, his mouth opened and closed before I shoved him and the sword away from me.I was more exposed without a weapon, but I didn’t have time to pull the blade free as more rushed at me.
A woman was only a few feet away from me when an arrow struck her in the center of her forehead.Behind her, I threw more lightning at a guard before scrambling to retrieve the battle-ax.
I was almost to the weapon when another of my father’s men brought his sword down toward my head.Grasping the battle-ax, I was on my knees when I pulled it up between us, and his blade caught the handle.
The man bared his teeth as he pressed his full weight down on me.“Traitor,” he spat.
“And proud of it.I fight for the realm; you stand against it.”
