Page 117 of Destiny of a King

She saw Cadby pulled from his horse and was fighting two men at once. He drove his shoulder into one, sending him stumbling, then turned his sword on the other.

Adira lost sight of him when a horse reared between them. The animal’s scream pierced straight through her.

She barely squeezed her eyes shut when a hand seized her arm.

Adira gasped and opened her eyes. It wasn’t Dravic.

With a rough yank, he dragged her toward him. She fought immediately, twisting and striking at his hand, but he tightened his grip.

Dravic saw and he let out a roar of fury as he easily cut down three men in his path to get to her.

The attacker spotted him and quickly released Adira and fled into the fighting.

Dravic caught her against him. “I told you to stay with me.”

Adira stared at him. Even furious, even with men fighting and dying around them, fear for her filled his eyes.

She hastily responded, grabbing hold of his hand and moving closer to him.

His hand closed around hers. “I will not lose you.”

She stared, the words a precious gift, but hearing him say it, a true blessing.

“My king!”

Dravic turned at Seger’s shout.

Three men were coming at them. He pushed Adira behind him, returning to the battle.

The fighting seemed to go on forever, though Adira knew it could not have been long. Slowly, the king’s warriors gained the advantage. Fewer attackers emerged from the trees. Several fled when they saw their companions falling more quickly.

“Don’t let them escape!” Dravic ordered.

Some of his men broke away in pursuit, the rest continued fighting.

Adira’s breathing came fast. She could still hear everything, but the terrible confusion of sound had begun to separate. She could distinguish the ring of swords from men’s voices now. She could hear Dravic breathing heavily as he fought only a few feet away.

Then she heard something behind her, a rush of footsteps.

Adira turned.

A man barreled toward her. She saw his face only briefly before he slammed both hands into her.

The force sent her stumbling backward. Her boot got snagged on something beneath the snow. She fell back with force and pain exploded through the back of her head when it struck the trunk of a tree.

Stunned, her body sank, her bottom hitting the snow-covered ground.

Then Dravic was suddenly there. She did not see him cross the distance between them. One moment the attacker stood over her and the next… he was gone, Dravic standing there.

He dropped his blood-covered sword and crouched beside Adira, his hands going to her face. “Adira.”

She heard him, though his voice seemed farther away now.

Her eyes fluttered, trying to clear her vision.

“Look at me.”

She did, though his face was fuzzy.