While Cassiel made his speech, trying to calm Magnus’ fury one last time, Lilith found the terrified, vulnerable and malleable minds hiding inside the stables. How wonderful.
“Don’t speak to me, Cassiel. You broke your oath… you bring only shame to your family, such a disappointment you are. Your words are no longer worthy of my consideration.”
Lilith glanced at Reed and motioned with her eyes for him to distract their adversaries further.
“But Charlie here, is still very much worthy of our consideration,” Reed interjected and gave Charlie a wicked smile.
Bast heard the quiet whimper as Charlie leaned into her for safety.
Reed, though, continued, “Oh, but it wouldn’t be me having fun with you this time. No, no… I get my pleasure elsewhere, but you see, these fine men behind me, they’ve been craving to plunge their dicks into a warm, supple woman. And after I tell them what you like, what makes you scream the most, what makes you –” A thump of a dagger, imbedded into the ground between his feet, stopped Reed from talking further.
He looked from the dagger and up at Bast, who now stood protectively in front of Charlie. The warrior woman had her machetes in her hands, as she pointed one at Reed and then back at herself.
Reed laughed. “You, girly, want to fight me?” He eyed Bast, scrutinizing her scant attire. “You do look ready for a rumble - between the sheets.”
Disa sprung forward into an aggressive stance in front of Bast when Reed pointed his own swords at her human sister.
“Oh… and you have a kitty cat with you. It will be a pleasure tearing you apart, my dear.” He winked.
Bast didn’t respond. There was no point. The man was crazed and clearly trying to distract her, so Bast called Disa back, petted her head and whispered a command to her feline sister to protect Charlie when the time came.
A cackle burst forth from Lilith’s mouth. “I think it’s time to play.” She nodded to Magnus and turned her malicious smile at Delilah and darkness crept into her eyes.
Delilah looked around in panic, trying to find out what Lilith meant, what kind of magic the witch had summoned to aid them.
Magnus’ men and the bandits started scraping their armaments against their armors, shields or other weapons. It was an eerie sound, not deafening but it held a menacing foreboding.
The prince pulled out his new weapon, the striker, already cranked, and pointed it at Olivia, “Last chance dragon, give me the medallion or she dies.”
Kaden’s eyes turned amber, aglow with fury at the threat against Olivia’s life.
“I have heard much of your skill,” Órva'ar said, and his voice and presence made the scraping sound cease for a moment. He kissed the top of Olivia’s head and took a step backward. The men picked the taunting again when Lilith glared at them. Órva'ar continued, “But it seems your bravery does not match it. You threaten a helpless woman instead of your real adversary.”
Olivia flinched at the word “helpless”, resenting it even as she understood that Órva'ar didn’t mean it the way it sounded. She kept her gaze on Magnus and the deadly weapon pointed towards her heart. It was hard to look away.
The dragon in human form retreated further, and people moved out of his way, letting him pass, giving him space. He needed the expanse to shift and fly off without hurting anyone. He hated leaving Olivia’s side, the urge to stay clashed against the reasoning behind the retreat. Órva'ar could barely hold back from bursting forth in his true form. Especially now, but he knew it was for the better.
“Yes, and you seem like a perfect example of that now. Retreating like a coward,” Magnus said, his grip on the striker unwavering.
“Millie?!” Giant’s voice made Olivia glance back, just as most of the people on her side did. “What are you doing here? And Aimee? Go back girls!” he yelled, frantic.
It was then that he noticed most of the people from the stables, the women, children and the elderly running toward them. Their eyes held the same look - panic and terror, tears streaming down their faces. In their hands, they clutched improvised weapons; pitchforks, knives, spades, even riding crops. Others from the stables ran after them, trying to thwart their advance.
Olivia’s eyes widened in disbelief. Her heartbeat quickened, deafening.
Órva'ar shifted into his dragon form before Millie, Aimee and the rest reached him. When a shot rang out, his head snapped toward Olivia in time to see Cassiel throw himself in front of her. Delilah’s frightened scream marked the beginning of the battle.
Lilith’s maniacal laughter reverberated over the shouts and cries.
Delilah noticed one of the prince’s horses drop dead, and her mother’s eyes flashed with more power. Delilah dropped to her knees and held Cassiel’s head between her hands. She summoned her magic and willed the light flowing from the core of her being to reach Cassiel faster as blood gushed from a hole in his armor.
Bast charged forward. She met Reed in a clash of metal. There would be no holding back here, nor mercy.
Charlie looked around wide-eyed, trying to comprehend the sights around her. So much frantic movement made her dizzy. A blur of bodies ran past her, and the sounds of battle-cries and clanging metal filled the air.
The dragon roared. Charlie whipped her head around to see Órva'ar. The horde of people from the stables reached him. He had been distracted by the sound of the striker’s fire. The people struck at him with their makeshift weapons. Some were clinging to his arms and legs, climbing up his tail. She could see the panic in the dragon’s eyes and it scared her.
He took a deep breath and let a scorching ball of fire burst from his mouth toward the bandits still not mingled with the people on his side. After that, he was trapped. He couldn’t attack his own people. It was hard to rebuff them without hurting them. Órva'ar realized if he let Kaden take over, if he turned human again, he wouldn’t survive the assault of the unwilling people.
The look in Aimee’s eyes broke both the dragon’s and Kaden’s heart. She kept stabbing at him with a knife, not doing much damage, but her utterly terrified features and the tears rolling down her cheeks spoke of her desperation. She was afraid to die, she was only a child.
“Please…” he saw her lips move. “Don’t kill me.”
Neither Kaden nor Órva'ar knew what to do but to bear the assault. He hoped he had taken down enough of the bandits when he had a chance.
A body slammed into Charlie, forcing her to lose her footing and crash into ground. She looked up. Disa stood over her protectively, hissing at a man with a sword in his hand, a mere foot away.
Disa pounced, catching the man by surprise. He stumbled back and the big cat was quick to sink her fangs into the man’s throat, ripping out his trachea.
Charlie was dumbstruck as the wild cat returned to her, fresh blood coating her muzzle.
The sight of the torn-up man, the blood, the meat, the bones, the smells… Charlie heaved to the side.
She quickly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Disa’s gentle bite on her arm drew Charlie’s attention. The cat was trying to drag her away. Charlie followed, covering her head with an upraised arm for protection. She scanned people’s faces, trying to recognize someone. She could no longer see Olivia, and it frightened her. Charlie hoped her sister at heart wasn’t doing anything heroic.
Disa led her to a tree. Charlie pressed her back against its bark and took out the dirk she had been given to protect herself. The big cat never left her side, scaring away or fighting off whoever tried to approach her.
As she clutched the weapon in a tight and painful grip, Charlie prayed to whichever Gods might be listening - to keep her friends safe, to keep Bast safe. The thought of her Bast getting hurt, or worse, brought fresh tears to her eyes. No longer able to spot her anywhere, Charlie’s stomach twisted most painfully.
A blur of black fur rushed by and she recognized Pup. The wolf jumped onto the back of a man who was beating Olivia’s shield mercilessly with his sword. Pup clamped hi
s jaws around the back of the man’s neck and shook his head violently. The sound of furious snarls reached Charlie’s ears. The man’s body dropped to the ground, blood pouring out of the wounds.
Olivia turned to see a man lying on the ground behind her. She offered him a hand and helped him up. They stood side by side, in time to face their next opponent.
“Are you hurt?” Delilah’s face appeared in front of Charlie. Her brow was smudged with blood and her hands completely covered in a deep red color.
“N-no.” Charlie shook her head.
Delilah nodded. She took off her precious amulet and put it around Charlie’s neck. “Stay safe,” she said and planted a quick kiss on Charlie’s forehead before running off. As she moved through the fighting crowd, it seemed as if no one took notice of her.
Must be magic.
Charlie’s eyes sought Bast again. Where are you, my goddess? She sniffled and flinched back when Disa warned off yet another bandit.
Charlie looked to her left and all color drained from her cheeks. As Giant was carrying a sobbing Aimee away from the dragon, Cathal and Galor snuck up behind his back. Charlie screamed a warning, but her voice was lost in the clamor of the battle. Cathal swung his sword at the back of Giant’s legs, bringing him to his knees. In the next second, Galor’s sword struck the back of Giant’s neck. The big man plummeted forward, trapping Aimee under his warm corpse. Charlie’s stomach lurched, but the brothers didn’t waste a moment as they turned around in tandem and charged at a new victim.
Aimee struggled with all her might to crawl out from under Giant’s body. He was like a big brother to her. She wanted to stay by his side, to cradle and hug his body. All she could do, though, was cry silently while her trembling legs carried her back towards the dragon.
An arrow pierced Cathal’s armor, sinking into his shoulder. His cry drew Galor’s attention and he returned to his brother’s side. More arrows flew in their direction. They ducked and dodged, returning to the mixed crowd.
Charlie’s gaze snapped up at the tree not too far away from hers. Damien loosed arrow after arrow, aiming for the clear targets. He tried to aim at Lilith, but whenever he let go of the bowstring, his hand would slip, making him miss.
She saw that Theo was having the same problems. He was so concentrated on his target that he didn’t notice a bandit trying to climb up his tree.
“THEO!” Charlie screamed. He didn’t hear her though. “THEO!” she yelled again, willing her voice to carry far enough. The sounds of metal clashing against metal, mixed with the grunts and yelps of pain, drowned her voice out yet again. She could not let Theo be killed!
Just as she took a step forward, an arrow penetrated the man’s leather armor between his shoulder blades. He fell face first onto the ground.
Charlie’s eyes snapped toward Damien’s tree. He gave her a thankful nod and turned back to scour the crowd for his next target.
Disa brushed against her thigh in comfort, and those slanted eyes scanned the crowd for the next threat.
“Bast!” Charlie squeaked when she finally caught sight of her woman.
Bast was still going head to head against Reed. No one dared interrupt their battle. Blood oozed from a gash on the back her thigh. She ignored it easily as she raised her machete to deflect Reed’s mighty blow aimed at her head. Her weapon swooped down, sliding and rolling over Reed’s sword. At the same time, she swung her other machete high. Swiftly, she pounded his shoulder again and his armor finally cracked. Her weapon broke his collarbone and sunk into the flesh underneath.
Reed dropped to his knees from the force of the blow and looked up at Bast. His eyes bulged, not because of the pain but from the realization that it was a woman who’d felled him.
Bast pulled the machete out of him with another bone-breaking crunch, but Reed didn’t flinch. He just stared at her. She pulled her arm back, holding his gaze steady. Another forward blow and Reed met his end.
When Bast swiveled around. Charlie noticed that her hair was no longer neatly braided, and her chest heaved with shallow breaths. There was a wild look in her eyes. Finally Charlie understood why some people called Bast’s tribesmen barbarians. The warrior woman’s front was splattered with blood, it was hard to discern how much of it was her own.
Bast searched the bruised and battered faces for Charlie’s green orbs. When their gazes met, her features softened, and her muscles uncoiled slightly.
Charlie didn’t notice Disa had charged away from her until she pounced on the man sneaking up on Bast. She leaped into action again. Disa had pinned Cathal to the ground, but Galor was ready to strike down the big cat. Bast threw herself into the fray once more to help her feline sister.
Delilah ran past again, distracting Charlie. The young woman moved from one downed person to the next, healing where needed. Charlie wished that she could make her feet move so she could help. She was useless.
Movement far behind Delilah caught Charlie’s attention so she squinted her eyes and saw the prince’s horses galloping away. Three of them already lay dead on the cobbled road. Her eyes were drawn to Lilith.
The witch’s concentration was solely on the dragon. Invisible winds swirled around Lilith, ruffling her dark hair. She raised her hands, weaving a spell from thin air. Dark mist gathered, following her movements. The witch’s lips spoke words of power.
Delilah dropped to her knees mid run. She clutched at her chest and gasped for air. Charlie’s eyes trailed the bright glow flowing out of Delilah’s lips and towards Lilith, absorbed into the witch’s back.
Lilith had no idea who she was sacrificing while casting her new curse.
Cassiel ran to Delilah’s side. Frantic, he sought for the source of her distress. She only managed to point towards Lilith. Charlie wondered how the knight was oblivious to the thread of light connecting the two.
Charlie looked down at the amulet Delilah had given her and saw it, too, was aglow. When she raised her head again, Cassiel was already charging towards Lilith. Damien and Theo realized what was going on and worked to rid Lilith of her guards.
Theo nocked an arrow and aimed, taking his time for a precise shot. His legs were wrapped tightly around the trunk of the tree. The fletching brushed against his cheek. He exhaled and let the arrow fly between heartbeats.
His aim was true, and the guard fell. One more crumpled to the ground when Damien’s arrow pierced the man’s armor.
Before Cassiel could reach the remaining two, Magnus stepped into his path. The knight skidded to a halt, his grip on his short sword and the hand axe relaxed.
The prince stood between the witch and Cassiel. His blond hair was drenched with sweat, clinging to his forehead, his armor decorated with crimson splatters. He gripped his trusty blood-stained greatsword in two hands and he glared at his former knight with cold blue eyes. He hated that the close combat prevented him from using the striker again, to kill the dragon. He would have to sort that out with the Inventor. Then again, Lilith wanted to deal with the monster on her own.
Magnus and Cassiel didn’t clash, merely observing each other. Cassiel knew how Magnus fought, and the prince had the measure of the knight. They had trained together many times, knew each other's weaknesses and tricks.
Cassiel only needed to get inside the prince’s guard. Even though Magnus had the advantage of a longer reach, Cassiel would have the benefit of a much closer and personal battle.
The knight glanced quickly at Delilah, and Magnus used the moment of distraction as his opportunity to commence the fight.
The prince moved and swung his sword at Cassiel’s head. Cassiel dropped to his knees, and the weapon whooshed over the top of his head. He added to its momentum by pushing it away with his short sword while he slammed the hand-axe into Magnus’ side. Several ribs and the prince’s armor cracked, but didn’t give way.
Clutching the amulet, Charlie was drawn to Delilah again. The young woman was braced on her hands and knees, her head tipped back. Her life-force slowly drifted fr
om her mouth, and into Lilith, feeding the curse she wove.
Charlie felt a tug in her soul, and she took a step forward. She needed to help Delilah; she had to save her somehow. With her next step, Charlie noticed she was moving in Lilith’s direction.
A wolf’s yelp made her eyes shift back to Cassiel and Magnus. The black wolf hung from Magnus’ back. The prince reached back with one hand, grabbed Pup by the scruff of his neck and flung him forward. The wolf’s fangs scraped against the armor before he soared through the air. He slammed into a body already lying dead on the ground. His head bounced off the weapon in the corpse’s hands. The wolf lay on his side, panting heavily and bleeding from a cut on his head.
Cassiel was on Magnus before the prince could recover. He swept the axe low, hooking it behind Magnus’ heel and pulling forward hard. The prince’s feet left the ground and he fell onto his back with a metal thud. The impact robbed him of his breath and dark spots danced before his eyes.
The knight straddled Magnus. He raised his sword high above his head, but his gaze never left the prince’s face.
Would he really kill the prince? As much as he hated the man at his mercy, and despised him, Magnus was still the king’s son. Cassiel had sworn to serve the royal family, just as his father had. He had broken that oath, could he really kill the man as well?
Magnus’ eyesight cleared and he gasped, filling his lungs with much needed air. He saw Cassiel hover above him with his weapon poised to kill, saw the knight hesitate. And the prince knew why. Cassiel might have betrayed him but he was too good a man… still too lawful at heart to kill one of royal blood. The prince realized the advantage; he would win.
Charlie wanted to scream at Cassiel to kill the bastard, but her throat wouldn’t produce a sound. The battle raged on around her, but she moved freely through the crowd. No one seemed to notice her walking toward the witch. In one hand, she held the dirk and with the other, she clutched the glowing amulet around her neck. Delilah’s magic must be protecting me.
Dragon's Prize (Dragons Awaken Book 2) Page 44
