Page 89 of Winter Gods & Serpents

I dismounted, bringing her down with me. She had noticed them both before I had. How?

Men one by one came from the forest, masked and in masses. Certainly such groups were usually caught and fought from sentries patrolling these roads, but twice now the princess had been targeted.

I unsheathed my sword and she stepped back, her features going wild and aghast at the sight of the black steel. She hid her trembling hands behind her back and took small away from me, her attention never leaving my weapon.

“Not the time for games, Princess.”

Two men charged toward her and two daggers flew behind me landing on their skulls.

“Put that away,” Caiden ordered sternly reaching us and handing me one of his swords. “Snow, look at me,” he called to her, “come now, cakes, at me. Put that thing away,” he repeated, turning towards me and I sheathed my sword back.

The princess seemed still in a state of shock, straightening herself she swallowed and relaxed, finally coming out of her daze.

I pulled her behind my back and swung the sword back and forth, leaving five men injured afront us.

Another jumped from behind a tree, she ran in his direction and skid on the snow below him missing his strike. Her sword meet his shin before she stabbed it the on the ground to stand herself up. Swiftly, she unsheathed her thigh dagger and nailed it behind his head.

Bitter taste filled my senses.

“What?” she panted, walking to me.

I had not realized I was gawking at her mouth open. She was not all talk after all, had this been how she had fended off those men before?

“Behind you,” she warned, and all gates of magic opened on command. I lift the man in the air, and she threw her dagger piercing his chest. Two others came and I froze their shadows in place before she swiftly slit both their throats.

I tasted death, too suddenly, my sight fogging.

“Wait,” she shouted in my direction. “I want one alive, can you do what you did again?”

I nodded and the last attacker stilled on his knees on the ground.

Her soldiers gathered around us along with Mal and Caiden, panting and covered in blood.

“He is good,” the latter said pointing to my brother. “Nice to know Adriata did not send two wimps, but not so nice to know they might as well have sent two assassins in Isjord, your father will be most glad to know that for sure.”

“Good thing for those bracelets of eternal friendship we weaved,” my brother joked, throwing him a wink.

Caiden grinned. “Mine better be thick with diamonds.”

Silas did not care, castle grounds were laced in dark craft, suppressing us of spiritual mana, disabling us of wielding most of our magic. Guards too had doubled since the day we first came.

The princesses attention moved to the man I held under magic. “Who has sent you? Adriata?” she questioned, kneeling to face him.

Her words took me back.

She removed his face covering and he spat in front of her. “You will rot, you ybris bitch.”

My eyes fell shut at the thick Darsan accent he spoke, Adriatian.

“Lovely,” she mused. “Did you follow us from Kirkwall?”

He did not answer. He was terrified of her, even though he would not show it.

“Tell her,” I spat in order, “and I will be the one to kill you, not her.” That earned me a death glare from the princess, but no gainsay so I took that for approval.

“You betray and kill your kind for her, the bringer of death?” Disdain in every word and his shadows grew a pale green of disgust and appal.

I shook my head. He had no right for that reaction. “You betrayed and put us to great risk by doing this, the lives and freedom of millions were to be put in danger by your recklessness and old outdated ungrounded fanaticism.” I neared him. “You speak and I can at least spare you your honour.”