Chapter 11
We rode through the forest for a long while on a narrow roadway that cut through the wood. By late afternoon, the woods began to thin and gave way to smaller trees, planted in perfect rows set in a field. I recognized them immediately.
“Is that an orchard?” I said loud enough that several men turned to look at me.
It was my father who answered. “It is, Sweet Girl. This place is Glinhaven, we have reached the outlying lands of Castle Lux.”
The orchard trees strained under the weight of the fat, purple grapes that dangled in bunches from spindly branches. The trees were perfectly healthy, it’s just that the grapes were by in large healthier.
Past the fat grapes, the land spread out in rich green and gold fields along the rolling hills to one side, alternating like a patchwork quilt. To the other side, a sea of lavender and white wildflowers swayed gently, bordered by a flat glassy lake the color of Liam’s eyes. Far in the distance, I could make out the white caps of a mountain range that sat surveying the land majestically.
“So, will we get there tonight? To Castle Lux, I mean.” I asked my father, hoping we’d made better time than Liam thought we would.
He shook his head and glanced toward the sun where it sank toward the horizon. “We will make camp soon, we’re losing the light.” He gave me his signature warm smile again. “Tomorrow, before noon.” He turned and pointed to a clump of trees near the lake. “Nikolas, I think that will do nicely.”
Nikolas pulled the reins toward the left and brought his horse closer to my father’s. “As you wish, Your Grace. I shall send Forster after the scouts.”
I figured that must’ve been the party he’d sent out ahead of us earlier.
The Knights quickly went to work setting up camp by pitching tents and watering horses. They broke out canteens and unpacked more of the dried meat that I’d decided wasn’t so bad. A few gathered some of the juicy grapes from the orchard up the hill.
Liam went to feed and water Rogue and returned bearing grapes. “You knew I wanted to try them, didn’t you?” I said excitedly when he handed over the fruit.
He ran a hand through his locks and laughed. Warmth spread through me as I watched what an honest smile did to his face.
He looked up at me and saw me watching him and the smile slowly faded from his face. His green eyes smoldered as he looked at me in a way I was becoming familiar with. That way where I felt like a book whose pages were open to him and he was hanging on every word.
That look did things to me and my good grief I wanted him to kiss me now. I wanted to feel his mouth cover mine and tangle my fingers in the soft waves of his hair. I’d seen this look enough now and was convinced it was not just my imagination running wild and dreaming up things that couldn’t possibly exist.
He felt something.
I wasn’t sure how strongly or even what it was exactly, but it was there. I, of course, undeniably felt something.
Nikolas chose this inopportune moment to interrupt. “Princess, is there anything you need?” The strangest thing happened then. I felt a tingling and turned to find Nikolas holding to my hand, his blue eyes watching in fascination as he stared at my hand in his. I knew what he was looking for, I was looking for it too. There was feeling spreading up my arm, pulsing through my body, and it originated from our joined hands.
“She’s fine.” Liam’s words were low, but full of loathing, effectively snapping Nikolas and me out of our strange moment.
Nikolas broke the contact and looked into my eyes as though he were lost. The reaction for both of us to the words spoken was delayed, but I caught up as my mind registered what Liam had said…and how he’d said it. It shocked the hades out of me.
From the look on Nikolas’ face, the same went for him.
Liam’s eyes widened as they settled on me. “I…I am so sorry. I do not know what has come over me.” He ran his hand over his face and looked at the ground in stunned silence.
Nikolas looked from Liam to me and back to Liam and mumbled, “I do.”
Liam’s eyes snapped back up to meet with Nikolas’. He took a beat, breathing deeply in and then back out before addressing me again. “I am so very sorry, Dani.”
Nikolas looked almost as shocked now as he had earlier. “You dare to address her so informally?” He turned to stalk toward Liam, who sent me another apologetic look before pinning Nikolas with a steely one. I saw the hand that hung by his sword twitch at his side.
I was unbelievably glad my father was not witnessing this little fit of testosterone between the two.
I marched up behind Nikolas and grabbed his sleeve. At my touch, he halted immediately and turned to look down at my hand. His eyes slowly found mine and I knew what he was feeling. The sensation returned, spreading again from the same place it had stopped before, like its mission wasn’t complete yet and it was trying to come full circle. I jerked my hand away, uneasy with the sensation, unsure of what it meant.
I got my bearings and said my piece to Nikolas. “He calls me that because I have asked him to. Repeatedly.” I delivered the words in such a way that I hoped was kind, yet final.
Nikolas studied me again like he had before, only this time he seemed to find the answer he was looking for and it was one that pleased him. His eyes softened, but never left mine.
Then, I heard the earsplitting scream.
Nikolas was the first to react, reaching an arm around me and dragging me behind his back even as he drew his sword with the other hand. This time I didn’t feel the strange tingling, but had no time to ponder on it. I blinked and Liam stood next to me facing the direction of the screams just like Nikolas, an arrow nocked and looking for a target.
Like a chorus, the sound of swords being drawn from their sheaths rose up on all sides. Knights were mounting their horses and shouting words I couldn’t concentrate on.
Nikolas’ command was the only one I understood. “ARCHERS!”
Men who had seconds ago been joking, laughing, and pitching tents were now all business as they fell into formation at Nikolas’ words. Knives, bows, arrows, swords and a multitude of other weapons I couldn’t properly identify were unsheathed, nocked, and at the ready…every eye focused and searching for danger.
The wagons had been circled.
Oh, no.
I still had no idea what was going on. I looked around frantically in the dusky light for the source of the screaming. When I found it, my stomach turned.
One of the scouts was riding furiously toward us, bellowing his warning for all he was worth. Scarlet stained his cream tunic, but he rode with such conviction and dedication that he seemed unaware of his injury. A chill ran down to my bones when I finally made out his words as he shouted them again. “BLACK RIDERS!”
Then, the scout’s body jolted and he slumped forward, falling off the horse. I couldn’t understand why at first, but then I could see feathered fletchings of two arrows reaching up and out of his back once his body hit the ground.
Liam and Nikolas cursed at the same time.
Nikolas screamed another command. “FIRE AT WILL!”
Just like the first time, I felt the Earth tremble beneath the feet of their horses. I trembled as well.
There didn’t seem to more than fifteen, possibly twenty. But Liam had said something about them being faster and stronger than a human should be and I wasn’t sure how much our numbers would matter as a result of that.
They were closing quickly, maybe a minute or so before the two sides met. I searched frantically for my father now. I had just met him, I barely knew him and now I was afraid I’d never get the chance. My eyes darted around and after a few seconds, I spotted him riding toward us, a sword in his hand as well. All traces of his sunny smile were gone from his face in this moment. He looked at me as if his heart was breaking and then spoke to Nikolas. “You will keep her safe.”
Nikolas nodded and said simply, “Always.” I had a new respect for Nikolas in that moment. Not because it was so important that he protect me, but because his loyalty was so real it was almost tangible.
My father was satisfied with his answer as well and he turned to me. “I will see you soon, Sweet Girl.” With that, he charged forward, as his deep baritone bellow pierced the air. “DEFEND! DEFEND!”
Tears began to pour from my eyes as I watched him ride away.
I felt helpless as the battle began. The din of metal against metal surrounded us, here in the center of the guard.
Liam steadily loosed arrows and so far as I could tell, he never missed his mark. Too soon, he traded the bow for a sword. Nikolas stood at the ready, a sword for each hand. The enemy was that close now.
All at once, everywhere I looked men were engaged in battle. I could see how the Black Knights seemed inhumanly powerful. But still, there was something to be said for good old determination…and also swords that gave off an ethereal glow in the hands of the Knights of Castle Lux.
I didn’t know how, but I knew they were pivotal in keeping the Black Knights from plowing through them. The only one here who didn’t have such a sword was Liam.
But he had something up his sleeve. His sword looked like the blade was carved of ice I noticed now. He and Nikolas were now both engaged on either side of me and I stood there feeling stupid and useless.
For every stroke that fell on Liam’s blade, a surge of blue current was conducted down his opponent’s sword, visibly denting the superior strength with each blow.
I stood there, alternating between watching Nikolas as he fought and Liam as he did the same.
I watched as Nikolas sliced and parried, the swords working as if they were extensions of his hands. The Black Knight ran head long toward Nikolas and I feared for him as I realized the blow would do detrimental damage.
But I had underestimated him.
He knelt to one knee and slid in toward the scraggly, bearded man as he jumped toward Nikolas, swinging his ax, intending to connect with flesh and bone. Spinning beneath the bearded man as he flew through the air above him, Nikolas buried the length of his sword just beneath the sternum…the weak point of their armor. The body hit the ground with a dull thud and Nikolas withdrew his sword and drug his forearm across his face, wiping away the beads of sweat that dotted his head.
He looked back to me and I felt relief when I saw he was unharmed. I quickly turned to Liam who was swinging his sword through the air and I realized he’d just deprived the body he was fighting of its head. Another wave of relief washed over me.
I searched the fighting for my father, but my eyes stalled as I spotted one of the Black Knights with his gaze trained on Liam. He raised his arm and I saw he held the handle of a long, curved blade. He was much too far away to swing it at Liam and make contact, but it turned out that was never his intention.
To my horror, the Black Knight brought his arm forward and with a flick of his wrist the blade was flying through the air. I knew where its trajectory would take it. The path it was on would end in Liam’s skull and he was completely oblivious, back turned and unaware.
“NOOOOOOOO!” I screamed, raising my hand and wishing I could stop the blade as it spun.
And then…the blade halted as if frozen in mid-air as if it had heard my silent plea buried in my screams and had decided to comply. I stared at it and my raised left hand, with a faintly glowing blue sun outlined against my skin.
Did I just do that? No, not possible.
Liam had turned at the sound of my scream and stared at the blade that hung in the air, inches from his face. The Black Knight who’d thrown the blade stood staring in disbelief as well.
Nikolas placed a hand on my shoulder, his voice was concerned and kind when he spoke. “Princess.”
I let my arm fall and the blade followed suit as if they were connected, falling to the ground with a heavy thud. Then, the world jumped into fast forward again.
The battle was still in full swing all around us and Liam turned toward Nikolas and me, eyes still wide in shock. As more Black Knights trickled through the lines, he looked to me with a pained expression on his face. Then he looked at Nikolas, his face full of resolve. “Get her away from here!” He shouted.
The next thing I knew, Nikolas had hauled me up onto a saddle and we were cutting through the night as fast as the steed could carry us.
Tethered (The Avenlore Series) Page 14
