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I’ve just killed two men. A third approaches. I see the hesitation in his eyes, the fear etched across his face. I step forward, keeping my gaze on him. We size each other up in the silence that lingers around us. Then he lurches toward me.
I gingerly step out of the way, making him swing his dagger at the air around him. I swipe at him with my sword, and his dagger falls to the ground. Defenseless, he stumbles backward, begging for his life. In my day-to-day life, I'm merciful. I consider it.
That’s when I hear her. Cassia screams as a large man carries her off. Mercy is for those who deserve it. I raise my sword high above me, and I cut through the man’s chest and leave him to bleed out.
The other princes move with a new found fierceness at the sound of her voice. We’ve finally found her, and we will cut and kill our way through all of these humans to get her back.
I take off in Cassia’s direction.
A large woman cuts me off. She looks like she can fight. Maybe she was a warrior, but I’m usually opposed to hurting women.
I contemplate this for a beat too long because she manages to punch me in my stomach. I double over, the wind knocked out of me momentarily, but I regain my senses in enough time to stop her next blow with my hand. For a human, she's very strong. I don’t want to hurt her. It’s not in my nature to hit women, but I have a nagging suspicion that she plays a big part in this whole operation with Cassia. And when it comes to Cassia, anyone’s fair game.
She wrenches her hand out of mine and pulls out a dagger. She jabs it in my direction several times, making me contort my body to avoid being stabbed. She’s all fire. Fear hasn’t even crossed her face. She’s more brave than any of those three men I just killed.
Yet, she’s also in my way.
“What’s your deal, lady?” I yell, as I dodge her dagger and leap out of her grasp.
I hadn’t expected to see another woman here. Kidnapping’s more of a man’s technique.
She glares. “You royal fae just take whatever you want. You have no respect for anyone else in this world. The girl is mine now. I’m going to keep her forever.”
Her words ignite a fire inside of me. So, shewasinvolved in taking our Cassia like she’s something to be stolen and locked away. I wind my sword up above my head and bring it down on the warrior woman as she tries to escape. My sword makes contact with her shoulder, slashing it open.
She lets out a guttural scream.
I catch a flash of Cassia disappearing behind the house with the man. My chance to get to Cassia isnow. I leap over this woman as she lies bleeding on the ground, and sprint in the direction I saw the man with Cassia go in. Pushing my legs, I urge myself to move as fast as I possibly can. Teleporting every few feet. Afraid to go too far and miss where he’s taking her.
My heart thunders in my chest.I have to get to her. Who knows what that man will do to her.
I round the back of the house and stop in my tracks, hardly believing what I see. There’s blood everywhere. I blink a few times, trying to make sure I’m seeing this right.
“How do you like that?” Cassia’s screaming at the body of the man. She’s holding his sword, and there’s a gaping wound in his back. “Now you’re dead at the hands of aprincess.How do you like them apples?”
She starts kicking his body angrily, gritting her teeth. I gawk, but I don’t interrupt. Apparently, she needs to get this out of her system.
“You’re just a little punk. A dead punk now. Holding me hostage. Making me clean up after you and your dirty ass cronies.” She lands a kick on his expressionless face.
“Some villain you are, being killed with your own sword!” She stands over him, panting.
The other three princes join me. We exchange looks and stare back at Cassia. She’s still assaulting the dead man and screaming at him. I don’t know if we should step in. We stand in a line and watch. Her one-sided fight goes on for a few more minutes before she takes a deep breath and looks up.
Her eyes widen. “You’re here!”
I take a hesitant step forward. She looks down at the man and the sword in her hand. Her face reddens, and she drops the sword. I rush to her and reach for her hands.
“Are you hurt?” I ask, looking her up and down.
Her face is swollen, a bruise growing on her pale skin. There’s a miserable-looking mark around her ankle that will need to be treated, but she looks to be in one piece. And her attitude certainly hasn’t been destroyed.
“I’m fine,” she says and pulls me into a hug. The rest of the guys join in.
And it’s nice. More than nice. We’re all covered in blood, sweaty and dirty, but we’re all together.
The ache in my chest finally eases, and I wish I could hold her forever. I wish this moment could last forever.
“You really know how to make a grand entrance,” she says as she pulls away from our hug. “I bet you killed a lot of those assholes, given your stench.”
