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17
I didn’t run far.Silas recovered quickly and grabbed me by the hair. He yanked me off my feet, and I cried out.
Sebastian bellowed, “Jasinda!”
Busy clawing at the hands holding me, I didn’t expect the sudden thrust, and hit the floor.
I heard Silas goading, “Come here, little brother. Let me show you my skill with a knife.”
I scrambled to my feet in time to see Sebastian swinging at Silas, who proved quick at dodging. He proved even more adept at taunting, not that Sebastian appeared to listen. He had an intent expression.
With them focused on each other, I could escape. The steps were a few mere paces away. I could hide outside, in the wilderness—and be forever alone?
If I lived. I knew nothing about the surface world, especially its wild parts. What could I eat? Where would I sleep? What of the child growing within me?
As I hesitated, I watched the men battling, Sebastian relying only on his fists while Silas swung his knife. The blade didn’t give him any real advantage, until Sebastian’s foot went through the floor.
It put him off-balance, and while he wrenched it free, he couldn’t avoid being toppled by Silas. They hit the floor hard, and for a second, I worried they’d go through. Well, I worried about Sebastian. Silas could plummet to his death for all I cared.
The floor held, with the commander pinned under Silas. Not for long.
They grappled, Sebastian grabbing Silas’s arm to keep him from plunging the knife. Sebastian began to force back his brother’s arm, face taut with exertion.
An ominous creak of metal was the only warning of impending catastrophe. I glanced overhead to see part of the ceiling hanging by a literal wire, swaying before it dropped. Silas sprang out of the way, but Sebastian took a second longer. Part of the falling debris hit him, most of it harmless, except for the metal strut that speared his armor and pinned him to the floor.
He grimaced, but didn’t cry out. Horrified, I slapped a hand over my lips.
With Sebastian incapacitated, I could do little but watch as Silas approached slowly, smirking, knife still in hand, his goal obvious.
He was going to kill Sebastian.
I had to stop him. But if I saved Sebastian, he might put me back in a cell. He’d, for sure, take my child.
If Sebastian died, Silas would hurt me.
There remained escape. The stairs were right there.
With three untenable choices, there was only one thing to do.
I snatched a loose piece of metal off of the floor and charged, yelling.
That distracted Silas even as my swing fell short.
The man smirked. “Is that the best you can do? Watch, Brother, as I carve your breeder and kill your child.”
I squeaked as Silas slashed in my direction. My attempt to block was too slow. I unbalanced and hissed as the blade slashed over my arm, slicing through my sleeve and skin.
“You should have been nicer to me,” Silas complained. “I could have made you my breeder after we rid you of my brother’s bastard.”
“Never. I’d rather die,” I spat as I circled away, not that I got anywhere. Silas kept following, his gaze on me and not on the man pinned to the floor.
Sebastian twisted his feet around Silas’s ankles and managed to drag him down. Then, despite the rod sticking out of his shoulder, he wrenched himself free, pushing to his knees.
Silas rolled to meet Sebastian, eyes wide. “Why won’t you just die?” He lunged.
Sebastian somehow managed to evade him, and he shot out his good hand to grab his brother by the throat, still on his knees. Silas slashed at it, and despite the cut and blood, Sebastian held on.
Before Silas could cut him again, I grabbed his arm and hung on, dragging it down. When he wouldn’t release the blade and at a loss for how I could fight, I bit him.
That worked. Silas screamed, and the blade hit the floor. Sebastian kept squeezing Silas’s neck, ignoring the bulging eyes and gasping lips. Silas clawed and slapped at the firm grip.
A part of me cringed at what unfolded in front of me.
Then I licked my bruised and bloody lip. Silas would have done worse if he’d been given the chance.
I put my hand on Sebastian’s shoulder and watched as Silas died.
