Paladin Rising (The Paladin's Curse Book 1)

by Kristell Carnie

  “I’m begging you to protect my mother now, to allow me to do what I need to, what I’m going to do, with or without your help. As of this moment forward, I relinquish you of my guard. You are no longer my protector. Your sole purpose is to get Mum to safety. That is an order.” I throw in the last bit on a whim, hoping it may seem official and meaningful to him the same way it does to our human army.

  His face twists into a thunderous expression and under any other circumstance I would be wetting myself, but right now he is still nowhere as scary as what stands behind me, breathing heavily against my back, waiting for his victory.

  Mum squirms on the ground, finally coming round enough to understand what is happening and by the sounds of her mumbled words being muttered through swollen lips, she doesn’t approve of what I’m doing. Nothing new there.

  I try to ignore her outreached hand, not wanting to see her grief-stricken face as I once again walk away from her. My only solace is that this time I’m doing it for her, instead of because of her.

  Garvien stands there, his head tilted as he watches the emotional struggle unfold in front of him. His brow is creased in thought, as if he truly doesn’t understand the enormity of what I’m going through, of the incredible struggle that it is to leave your family for good and know that you will never see them again.

  Perhaps he truly doesn’t know what it means to love someone enough to sacrifice oneself - he is a monster after all. I doubt he’s ever loved anyone or anything enough to endure the hurt of the unknown.

  For a split second, I almost feel sad for him, for the loneliness and emptiness he must have felt all of these years. But one look into his malicious eyes, squashes those fleeting thoughts instantly. He is cruel beyond words, a true monster. He doesn’t deserve love and I’m going to be the one who makes sure he doesn’t ever get the chance to experience it.

  I have a plan, however weak it is, it’s the only hope I’ve got. I just can’t execute it until Mum is far away from us, somewhere safe where Garvien can’t use her as bait. All I need is for him to take me away, and soon.

  I raise my arm, pulling the sleeve of my shirt up enough to display the coveted bracelet resting against my skin.

  I lower my voice, seductive and persuasive, “Take what you want, Garvien, take me and leave.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  “Don’t hurt the girl, she’s mine,” Garvien instructs his all too eager counterparts. His eyes, filled with yearning, linger on his ring that is now my bracelet. “Subdue the other two and return to Zantron with our prizes immediately.”

  We all move at once. The seven Zantronians charge at us, while Garvien stands back, not getting his hands dirty, all the while his greedy eyes are glued to me, watching to see how I will react.

  I have to be so careful; I can’t risk showing my slight strengths just yet. I need to fool him into believing I’m nothing more than I was before. Weak and pathetic.

  Zaneth obviously didn’t listen to my orders as he stands in front of me, somehow blocking the attack from all seven men that fight to gain control. His swords glide through the air effortlessly, blocking blows from their own weapons which seemed to appear out of nowhere and now systematically attack with less grace than even Ellestra showed during training.

  These Zantronians are just the grunt workers. They lack the skills which ooze from Zaneth’s years of practice, but there are still more of them than us, no matter how good Zaneth is, we’re on the losing team.

  Still guarding Mum I lunge forward, pulling two daggers from Zaneth’s leg sheaths. I can’t overthink my next move or I will fail and right now failing isn’t an option.

  Holding the hilt firmly in my shaking fingers, I focus on nothing more than the technique Blay taught me, before throwing the dagger with as much force as I can summon. As if he can sense what I’m doing Zaneth ducks at the exact right time, bringing his sword up and burying it in one teenage-looking guys stomach, while my dagger tumbles through the air, the wickedly sharp point hitting one unprepared Zantronian directly in the eye.

  His agonising screams become even more frantic as fire erupts from his skin, lighting up the blackened night, engulfing him completely before he extinguishes into a pile of dust, only to be carried away in the gentle breeze, with the last harrowing echo of his demise.

  Zaneth’s own kill evaporates in much the same way, except he doesn’t utter a sound, only his eyes, wide as saucers, show any sign of disbelief before he too crumbles away into nothingness.

  Two down, six to go.

  I don’t have time to freak out over their disgustingly extreme vaporisation, as the five remaining warriors take on the task of destroying us.

  Mum tries to pull herself up, not to move out of the way and hide like I’d hope, but to drag herself into a position where she can fight by my side, to protect me even when she can’t stand up straight. Her weak body sways and I find my concentration waning as she collapses back down to her knees. At this rate, the woman will get us both killed.

  A blonde haired, blue eyed Human/Zantronian takes advantage of my distraction, no longer content with Garvien’s orders; he wants his own revenge for the pile of dust which must have been his friend. Is it possible that they can be friends? Wouldn’t that indicate some tiny sliver of humaneness that seems intolerable to them? I don’t have time to analyse their personalities as he swings his sword at my head.

  His weapon is far more dangerous than mine, it has thirty more centimetres of sharp steel than the dagger I clutch in my sweaty hand and when he brings it down to connect with my blade, it sends a jolt of electricity up my aching arms.

  My entire body begins to overload with adrenaline, my deadened muscles heating up as if being shocked with thousands of tiny electric currents and my resolve diminishes. I can’t stand here fighting this way; I’m not strong enough to stave off these creatures. I have to use what little abilities I possess, regardless if I give away the element of surprise to Garvien. I’m out of options.

  I don’t know if using my talons inbuilt poison will help, I can only hope it will buy us enough time to get the hell out of here. The problem is, once they are activated, how do I inject six Zantronians, five of which are trying to cut my arms off?

  Zaneth continues to fight beside me, each attack blocked and met with a counterattack. He is strong and unrelenting but it’s obvious we are losing ground as we are forced back and surrounded while he still tries to guard me, pushing me back behind him once more.

  Using the momentary reprieve to my advantage, it doesn’t take much to summon forth the talons. Within a heartbeat I begin to feel the tell-tale tingling as they start to lengthen, hardening to a piercing edge. As I stand behind Zaneth’s hulking form, blocked from Garvien’s view, I allow the bracelet to take hold of me, consuming me in the way it has endeavoured to do since the beginning.

  It’s nearly too much, my blood turning to liquid fire, scorching my veins as it pumps through my unprepared body. Another part of me reacts, desperately trying to ease the burn with the tendrils of blue light which leach across my skin until I’m a spellbinding maze of patchwork.

  Heaven and Hell. Fire and Ice. Love and Hate.

  I am all of these, and now is my moment, my time to strike against these vile beings.

  I take my stand, stepping out from behind Zaneth’s shadowy protection, ready to face my fate and die for my cause if that’s what it comes down to.

  What I hadn’t counted on, was for at that exact moment, a shimmering black hole to emerge in thin air right next to the big old oak tree, spilling light out over our yard as well as all of us poised to attack each other, and allowing the one person in the universe I want to be by my side, while equally never wanting to be put into danger again, to step out.

  Blay. How did he find me so quickly and why the hell is he alone?

  My heart crashes as I see his still injured form limping towards me, his sword raised, ready to fight with his unwavering determination.

  The sudd
en spike of panic drains my shaky grip on the bracelets powers. I can feel myself shutting down, powerless to stop the retreating anger as despair takes hold.

  Now I have three people to protect – how the hell am I supposed to do this? My dwindling self-confidence takes a hit as the talons begin to shorten, retracting themselves back into hibernation even as I try desperately to summon them back.

  I’m useless without them, no better than a mere human, but I am a human with something to lose.

  I can’t bring myself to look at Blay even as I feel his gaze burning into my marked face. No, my gaze is stuck on Garvien, who in turn stares at Blay.

  I don’t like the way his eyes wander across Blay’s face, as if he’s reading a secret message that is not only compelling but completely unexpected.

  When Garvien takes one step towards Blay, I react, lunging at my closest attacker, sidestepping his blow and digging what little is left of my talons into his stomach, while simultaneously pushing him towards Zaneth and ducking out of the way just as he drives his sword through the waning guy’s skull. He combusts into fiery dust particles, drifting off into the night air and taking the last remnants of my strength with him.

  I try to push back the fear, to stop it from controlling me and draw on the anger burying itself away, but when I see Garvien’s eyes bouncing between me, Blay and the now unprotected portal to Prytora, a new fear surges to the surface.

  His greed is evident as his lips pull back into a snarl, and I know what he’s going to do before he even utters the words.

  “The portal!” I scream.

  “The portal – seize it now!”

  With that one roared command, the Zantronian fighters break away from their attack and divert their course to the unprotected gateway between our worlds. They abandon their human forms, their bodies vibrating as they run, merging back into the hideous creatures that they truly are, losing their speed but regaining their colossal size and unequalled strength, the advantage fully back to them once again.

  Blay holds his stance, his body firmly planted in front of the portal, while Zaneth turns, scooping up my disorientated mother, her weak body looking dwarfed in his bulky arms. She buries her battered face in his chest to stop from being bounced around as he flat out runs to Blay’s side, who continues to stand strong, fighting them off, never showing any signs of his still unhealed injuries.

  I’m not far behind, my lone dagger still held in my death grip, ready to strike as soon as I get my chance. I’ve killed one and helped take another of them down now, I’ve watched them die because of me. I killed with honour and saw no retribution in their eyes, so I feel no guilt. Calasis would be proud of me.

  Now I have to stop Garvien from getting to the unprepared people of Prytora. I’m sure that the Prytorians will be able to defend themselves against these fighters, even in their Zantronian form, but Garvien? No, nothing can stop him, but I can certainly try.

  What little powers I had control over, are gone now. It’s just me, all me, an untrained human with her little dagger and a whole lot of people to protect.

  Garvien stands behind his fighters, waiting for any opportunity to make his move through the portal. Blay continues to ward them off, taking on two of them at once, while Zaneth attacks another one, still balancing Mum in his arms, shielding her as best as he can while never backing down.

  The last monstrous fighter stands back with his sword raised, his eyes glued to the portal, his thin, white lips dripping with what I can only imagine is blood tinged saliva. He is also the one thing in my way to Garvien.

  For a split second, I think about running. Turning around and sprinting back through the portal to safety, telling myself that I can sound the alarm and get help, get someone more qualified for this situation than me. Save myself first, like I always do.

  But then I see the weariness in Blay’s stoic face. Even as he fights with unrivalled passion, he is succumbing to his injuries, which have reopened and now blood drips through his cotton shirt, while sweat lines his sickly skin, and I know he will never give up, never give in to these creatures. He will fight until he is dead and that very thought is enough to propel me forward.

  I surge towards the guard, a guttural scream ripping from my throat, a pinch of my mother’s craziness gushing through my veins and giving me the strength I need to stay and fight.

  Finally Garvien’s attention is drawn away from the portal as he watches my demented attempt to assassinate him. I thrash my dagger wildly through the air, using my diminutiveness and speed to outmanoeuvre the slow giant blocking my path.

  “Rayna!” I tune out Blay’s distorted growl; I don’t need the distraction right now as the Zantronian brings his cumbersome fist down, missing my skull by a whisper.

  I spring forward as he winds back up to smash me into oblivion, driving my blade into his leg and slicing through his thigh right down to expose the bone.

  My small victory is short-lived as I fail to dodge his next blow. With an igniting fire that puts the bracelets pain to shame, my chest explodes in agony.

  I stumble backwards, the dagger slipping from my grasp to clatter onto the cobblestoned path, as I reach through my shredded shirt that is now plastered to my skin.

  Everything goes still, as if in slow motion. The fight around me continues to rage on, Garvien’s eyes widening in blink-captured-snapshots of disbelief, while Blay’s shouts of horror seem miles away.

  My feet turn heavy, each backward step I take, like lifting a bucket of wet concrete as my heartbeat begins to slow, each sluggish pump echoing like thunder in my ringing ears.

  I lift my shaking hand from my chest, not comprehending why my fingers are covered in blood, only gazing down at the beauty of the brilliant red which seeps across my alabaster skin from my collar bone, through my gaping breasts to end at my ribcage.

  All too soon time speeds up, returning to normal in a series of warped speed pictures that unwillingly drag me from my shocked state.

  I stumble backwards, my eyes meeting Blay’s dismayed gaze and I don’t know what is worse - the pain which consumes me or the absolute look of fear in Blay’s ashen eyes.

  He leaps forward, kicking one attacker in the stomach, the force sending the monster to his knees and allowing Blay just enough space to jump across, reaching my side before I fall to the ground.

  His warm arms wrap around my waist, dragging me back towards the portal while his own strength wanes. My head swims, blackness flittering across the edges of my vision and I close my eyes, allowing him to drag me while I rest my face against his solid chest, drawing in his earthy scent one last time. If this is how I die, in his arms, my lungs filled with the memory of him, it will be okay, I will die content.

  All too soon his soothing body pulls away and I’m thrust through the air, balancing on my own unsteady feet until another, completely less comforting arm wraps around me.

  My eyes shoot open, the realisation of what is happening chasing away any lingering fogginess that threatens to carry me off into the safety of unconsciousness.

  I lean heavily against Zaneth, Mum’s body still draped in his left arm, while his right struggles to hold me up. I push against his body, trying to get away with the last remnants of strength I have, only to have him hold me tighter, unrelenting even as he screams at Blay, demanding that he pull back.

  “Get them to safety!” Blay hollers, his command doing nothing to convince either Zaneth or me.

  “You must retreat!” Zaneth’s grip on Mum falters and she nearly drops to the ground. He hoists her up again but it’s soon apparent that he can’t hold two injured women and help Blay in the fight.

  The four remaining fighters attack with increased ferocity, sensing that their limited opportunity is coming to an end.

  “There’s no time! Get them back through the portal now!”

  “No!” my screams are deafened by the vicious blows of steel against steel, with Blay’s grunts of exertions met with their inhuman growls.

&nb
sp; I fight against Zaneth, thrashing my body wildly against his vice-like grip, my fingers clawing at his hand, desperate for him to release me, to stop what I know is coming. My efforts are weak, yet I feel it, the tingling deep inside me, pulsating through my veins, seeping into my wound, the blue lights slowly working their magic to knit the edges of my skin back together.

  With every inch I heal, my wound is reopened as I continue to fight my way back to Blay, blood pooling down my chest, soaking my clothes and making me weak, yet still I struggle forward.

  Zaneth drags me back, his strength unaffected by my attempts of escape. He is angry. Angry at the Zantronians for attacking us, angry at Blay for forcing him to retreat and angry at me for making him turn his back on his friend.

  With a massive heave, Zaneth drags us to the edge of the portal; my eyes locked on Blay, his legs giving out under him as the Zantronians finally beat him down.

  Garvien stands above him, his lips pulled back in a snarl as he orders his fighters forward once again.

  Blay casts one final glance at me, our eyes locking, an unspoken promise reaching me before he turns, his outstretched fist throwing a purple powder towards the portal at the same time that Garvien’s fist flies through the air towards Blay’s unprotected face.

  My last image of Blay, as he falls to the ground and the portal closes in around us, cutting off our worlds and leaving him at the mercy of the enemy, is of his lips mouthing the words, “I’m sorry.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  My harrowing screams fill the room, echoing around the castle, piercing the hearts of those who linger around, a verbal confirmation that the worst has in fact occurred.

  Unseen faces hurry forward, pulling Mum from Zaneth’s arms, checking her injuries with frantic movements before rushing her from the room.

  All the while I stand there, clutching at thin air that only a moment ago connected me with Earth, screaming abuse at the very person who sealed the portal off, in his last selfless act to protect us and therefore ultimately ending his own life.