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The hallway ended at a set of double doors, and we all halted, unsure of what waited on the other side. The scent of blood, sweat, and death filled the hall. “We have to get out of here,” Leo growled. “This is the only way.”
“Let’s fucking do this!” Atticus flung the doors open and we stepped into the chaos. The main hall was engulfed in flames, a violent battle waging between two factions. Everywhere I looked, there were flashes of gunfire and screeches of pain. Bodies were strewn across the castle, some unmoving while others screamed out in agony. I could see desperation in the eyes of the defenders, their faces twisted with fear or rage as they fought against their attackers. Atticus grabbed my arm, his grip tightening around me as if to protect me from the slaughter that surrounded us.
I stepped over a dead lord who was bleeding out on the tile as another man wearing all black started sprinting toward us. Leo intercepted him and landed a punch in his stomach. Bullets soared by my head as Atticus tackled another masked man. I found a discarded gun on the floor and quickly picked it up. When I saw another attacker heading straight toward the double doors we had just walked through, I raised my gun, cocking it with my thumb. I held my breath, aimed, and pulled the trigger. The bullet hit the man in the shoulder, but he managed to keep himself steady. Another bullet whizzed past me, and I spun around, but no one was there. “Leo! Atticus! Are you okay?” I screamed as I turned back around to find them fighting for their lives.
“Christine!” Atticus scrambled to his feet, holding a limp Leo in his arms. “He’s hurt!” Atticus glanced around, fear in his eyes. “Find a way out of here, or we’re going to die.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Leave me,” Leo gurgled. There was a wound pouring blood in his gut.
I moved to help Atticus, but someone grabbed my arm, dragging me toward the large double doors. “No!” Leo’s voice was unrecognizable, his eyes wild.
A man wearing all black tackled Leo and Atticus to the ground, and I aimed the gun at the man dragging me. He was nearly as tall as Atticus, but I’d been trained to fight men twice my size.
I pulled the trigger, but no bullet lodged in his skull.
Fuck. No more ammunition. Rearing back, I slammed the gun against his temple. There was no way I’d go down without a fight.
“Bitch!” he growled as I punched him again and again. I gathered my energy and kicked him as hard as I could. He fell to the ground and my fists flew, hitting him in the face and chest. My hands were bloody and my knuckles were raw, but I kept going. I kept fighting.
Blood poured from my lip, nose, and jaw as I rammed my knee into his groin. He gasped in pain, but before I could hit him again, he threw me over his shoulder, spinning me around until I was face-first on the hard floor. “The boss said to keep you alive, but I think it’ll be much more fun to kill you.”
I got to my knees and he grabbed my neck. “Let her go,” Atticus growled. He was bleeding profusely from his head.
The man’s breath was hot on my face as he leaned in, his fingers slowly tightening around my throat. “You dumb cunt,” he hissed. I could feel my airways constricting as my vision slowly started to fade. Tears stung my eyes. I was going to die right here in this castle, surrounded by hundreds of forgotten souls, never to be seen again.
Rage and desperation surged through me. I had to survive. I thrashed and kicked, screaming as loud as I could in a vain attempt to draw help, but it was too late. I felt my strength waning, and the darkness closing in around me…
A bullet traveled through the room and landed right between his eyes. He fell forward on top of me, crushing me under the weight of his body.
A thunderous boom echoed through the grand hall, followed by a myriad of soldiers falling to their knees. Atticus gasped for breath, his panic palpable. I trembled as a figure emerged from the commotion, gun in hand and locked onto his target. Theodore DuPont strode forward with a menacing ferocity, his eyes cold and unforgiving. His booming voice filled the room. “I told you not to kill her! Can’t anyone follow directions?” As I looked into the hard gaze of DuPont, I felt pure terror in my bones and knew that this man betrayed us.
I shoved the dead man off of me and pulled myself up as Atticus and Leo groaned on the floor. “What’s going on?” I asked in a shaky voice. Soldiers fell to their knees and bowed, not wanting to give up their life.
My fingers closed around the blade, my heart pounding in my chest at the sight of it. A lifeline.
“Father,” Atticus gasped, shock and disbelief etched on his face. “What is the meaning of this?”
Theodore DuPont sneered, his eyes gleaming with malicious intent. “I’m aligning myself with an ally that knows what it takes to get the job done.”
Fury coursed through me—I knew we couldn’t trust him! I lunged forward, brandishing the weapon, ready for a fight. He clicked his tongue mockingly and stepped back. “I’ll kill you,” I vowed through gritted teeth, fear and determination pumping through my veins.
“No,” he said, his voice dark and deep. “You won’t.” He nodded toward a man while rolling his neck. “Bring out the prisoner.”
I trembled as two men dragged August’s limp body along the bloody floor. My breath caught in my throat as they dropped him on the ground, one of them kicking him in the ribs as he lay there. I took another step. “August!”
Theodore scoffed. His voice dripped with hatred. “I know my son taught you to be a killing machine. You can try attacking me if you want, yet Augustus will be a lifeless corpse before you even take a single step.” Another masked man cocked his gun and pressed it to August’s temple. “Love is a feeble emotion. And it will take you down, Lady Christine.”
I swallowed. “What do you want from me?”
His face broke out in a wide grin. “I want you to marry Lord Nathan.”
“No!” Atticus screamed. The two men holding him back struggled to keep him still. Theodore glared at his son, disgusted by his actions.
“Or what?” I asked.
Theodore DuPont’s burning eyes bore into mine. “Or I’ll kill everyone you love. Lord Nathan will be the next king. And I’ll be his business partner.” He paused to address Atticus. “We’re only as strong as our alliances, Atticus. It’s time for a new reign.”
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
