Hands grabbed hold of Allyssa, dragging her along.
“Let go,” Kerdan ordered. “We will not be herded through this castle like sheep going to be slaughtered.” There were scuffling noises, and then Kerdan was at her side. The soldier took one look at Kerdan’s furious face and released her.
“Fine. But no funny business. Move it.” The man pointed down the dark hallway lit only by the occasional torch.
“Keep your head up and do as they say,” Kerdan mumbled in her ear.
She glanced over her shoulder. Darmik and Odar were right behind them, guards hovering nearby, no longer touching them.
Kerdan took long strides as he stalked through the castle, looking ready to tear the arms off the soldiers near them. Allyssa shivered, realizing he probably could without much exertion. The bindings around her wrists came loose. Kerdan walked as if nothing had changed, his arms casually at his sides, his bindings gone as well. Scrunching up the rope in her hand, Allyssa slid it into the pocket of her dress.
The dim hallway made it difficult to see much of anything. Kerdan’s shoulder rubbed against hers as he pushed steel into her palm. Her fingers closed over the small dagger, sliding it up her sleeve and out of sight—just as she’d learned to do when training with Nathenek in Emperor’s City. These men couldn’t discover her newly acquired weapon. It could mean the difference between life and death.
They rounded the corner and entered a great sitting room. Three dozen soldiers stood around the perimeter. In the center, Jana sat on a sofa with her arm draped over her legs, a goblet of wine in her hand. A fire burned in the hearth, heating the room.
“Well, well, well,” Jana cooed. “Look what I have here.” She gracefully stood, taking a sip of wine. “It has been a long time, brother.”
“It has,” Darmik said. “Unfortunately, not long enough for my taste.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she set her goblet down on one of the side tables. “No, I would imagine not.” On one of the chairs sat a man with dark hair, his back to them.
“I don’t think you invited us here to chat,” Darmik said.
“Talking is so overrated,” Jana drawled. “I have something much better planned.”
Allyssa felt another piece of steel against her palm. Again, she closed her fingers over the sharp blade, carefully sliding it up her other sleeve. She had to force herself not to look at Kerdan. The four of them stood shoulder to shoulder. How he’d managed to get the weapons, she had no idea. Was someone helping them? Hurit? Or had he stolen the daggers from the soldiers?
The man sitting on the chair stood, turning around to face them. It was Zerek, the soldier who had identified them. “Why don’t you tell our guests what you have planned, darling,” he said.
Darling? He’d always lacked the thick Russek accent. Could this man be Emperion?
“Darmik,” Zerek said, eyeing her father. “You’ve aged. That little wife of yours making you do her dirty work?” His eyes gleamed with triumphant satisfaction as he kissed Jana’s cheek.
Allyssa had seen those eyes before. Whenever Soma leered at her. Her stomach lurched because she knew, even without being told, that this man was Soma and Shelene’s father. The Emperion guard Jana had fallen in love with when she was only fifteen. He’d been by her side all these years, plotting along with her.
When Darmik didn’t respond, Jana chuckled, the sound soft. She took a step toward them.
“You killed my father,” Kerdan said, his deep voice reverberating through the room, making sure everyone heard his accusation.
“Oh, no,” Jana replied in her singsong voice. “I didn’t kill him.”
“Ordering his death is the same as killing him yourself. You are responsible for his death.”
“You poor child,” Jana said. “The loss of your father must be devastating. But don’t fear, I rounded up your elite squad. What are they called? Hunters or something barbaric like that?”
Kerdan stiffened beside her. “What have you done to my men?” His words were laced with the promise of death.
He’d said that his Hunters were always nearby. Jana must have known that and used it to her advantage to capture them. Allyssa wanted to reach out and soothe Kerdan, tell him it would be all right. But she didn’t know if things would go their way. Not when Jana had managed to capture Kerdan’s Hunters. His best friends and most proficient fighters.
“They will pay for their treasonous acts,” Jana announced. “Of that you can be certain.” She turned her attention to Odar. “And you.” She looked him up and down as if she could shred him to pieces with her eyes. “You killed my children. You’re a monster and will be dealt with accordingly. When I’m done with you, you’ll wish you were dead.”
The queen turned her attention to Allyssa. “I can see you trying to figure a way out of this nasty situation.” She smirked and patted Zerek’s arm before taking a step closer to where the four of them stood.
Allyssa could feel the steel of the daggers pressing against the skin of her arms, begging to be used. She glanced at Zerek, wondering if Darmik had figured out who he was. Most soldiers carried out orders from their sovereign because of a sense of duty. However, this one had a personal stake in this mess. Not only did he love Jana, but Odar and Allyssa had also killed his children. If anything, he was more lethal than Jana and not to be underestimated.
“I’d like to start things out with a little payback,” Zerek said, unsheathing his sword. His attention settled on Allyssa. “You,” he said, his voice filled with contempt. “You’re the whore who threw a knife in my stomach at Clovek.” The man’s eyes widened and he grabbed his neck, a small dagger protruding from it. Blood poured from the wound.
Shocked rolled through Allyssa. She hadn’t even seen anyone move, much less throw the weapon.
“No one calls my daughter a whore,” Darmik snarled. “And no one threatens her.”
Zerek dropped his sword, blinked, and collapsed to the ground, not moving.
Bloody hell. Her father had killed him faster than she could blink.
Jana screamed, the sound exploding through the room as she fell to her knees next to Zerek’s body.
Chaos erupted.
Soldiers withdrew their swords, charging at the four of them. Allyssa slid the daggers from her sleeves, clutching them in her hands.
“Aim to kill,” Odar yelled at Allyssa.
She nodded, steeling her resolve as a soldier approached her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her father engaged with three men at once, Odar had just killed one, and Kerdan had taken two down with his bare hands.
Allyssa swung, trying to keep the soldier at bay. If her father had some grand plan, now would be the time to execute it. However, neither Neco nor Nathenek appeared. If it had been Hurit she saw earlier, he wasn’t here now. They were on their own.
Someone grabbed her from behind. She swung her arm back, plunging her dagger into her attacker. He released her just as the man before her lunged. Stepping to the side, she easily avoided the hit.
“Duck,” Darmik hollered.
Allyssa ducked, and something whizzed by her head. The wind from a sword along with a whoosh sounded right above her. Blimey. She’d nearly lost her head. Two men circled her. Instead of waiting for them to strike, she stood and cried, “I surrender.” She threw her arms up in the air.
Both men sheathed their swords. As one reached for her arm, she spun and kicked his head while simultaneously throwing her dagger at the other one’s stomach. All her training in a dress was proving to be rather valuable right now. The one she kicked stumbled back, but didn’t fall over. She’d forgotten how large and heavy Russeks were. The other one withdrew the dagger from his stomach, his hands shaking and coated with blood. Knowing time was of the essence, she kneed his bloody stomach. He fell over, dropping to the ground. She bent down and picked up her dagger.
The other man cursed, rubbing the side of his face. He swung his sword and she stepped to the side, the blade slicing right past her. Allyssa needed a bigger weapon. When he raised his sword again, she slid to the ground, grabbed the fallen soldier’s sword, rolled to the side, and stood. With both hands on the hilt, she held the blade out in front of her, ready to fight.
The chaos reminded her of being in Emperor’s City at the markets. The energy, the loud sounds, the unpredictability was all the same. Nathenek had somehow known it would come to this—a fight to the death—and he’d done all he could to prepare her.
Kerdan, still without a shirt, was knocking soldiers down as if swatting flies. His face was stony, his bare hands his only weapons. Darmik had managed to procure a sword and was slicing through one opponent after another. She’d seen her father fight before, but that had been for practice or sport. This was something else entirely. He swung with lethal grace and efficiency, showing no mercy to any of his adversaries. While Odar also used a sword, he quite frequently used his fist as well. His movements were fast and unyielding.
“That sword is almost as big as you are,” the soldier said as he advanced toward her. He swung his sword, and she raised hers to deflect the blow. Her arms shook from the impact.
He kicked her stomach and she flew backward, landing hard on the ground, the sword thrown from her hands. Stars exploded in her vision. Blasted. When she tried to get up, pain rippled through her torso, making her stomach muscles spasm. She couldn’t breathe.
The soldier walked over to her, his boots next to her head. Sucking in a painful breath, she refused to go down like this. She fumbled for her dagger, took hold of it, and steeled her resolve. Hard and quick, she told herself. You can do it. When the soldier raised his sword above her, she rolled and slid the dagger across the back of his heel, severing the tendon. The man let out a ragged scream, falling to the ground. Allyssa jumped out of his way, facing another soldier as he advanced. Her stomach screamed in protest, but she ignored the pain. She had to stay alive.
She glanced over at Odar wearing a soldier down with his sword, her father with bodies piled on the ground around him, and Kerdan covered in a sheen of sweat as he dispatched soldier after soldier. Kerdan peered at her, his eyebrows lifting as he smiled. Then he quickly looked away, focusing on his next attacker, the smile still there.
Allyssa fingered her last dagger. This soldier had some sort of leather armor covering his chest and stomach along with gauntlets. The only place she could feasibly throw the dagger with any hope of injuring him was at the man’s neck. It would be the same kill her father had made.
“You know we’re just playing with you,” the soldier said. “If we could kill you, you’d be dead already.”
Ignoring him, she took a deep breath, attempting to steady her nerves. If her hands shook, she’d never be able to strike the target. For that was all his neck was to her. A target. One in which she intended to hit.
“What are you waiting for?” he taunted.
Exhaling, she narrowed in on exactly where the blade needed to land. She counted to three, and then the man suddenly fell forward, a sword protruding from his back. Odar stood a few feet away, heaving deep breaths. “You’re welcome,” he said. Then he stepped on the soldier’s back, withdrew his sword, and resumed fighting.
How could Odar have done that? The situation was under control. She had been about to throw her dagger at the man’s neck. However, Odar thought her weak, or incapable, so he stepped in. She wanted to strangle him. That man was supposed to be her kill. Hers. Not Odar’s. Why did he think she needed saving? Hadn’t she proven time and time again that she could take care of herself? Blasted Fren and their backward ways.
The dagger was plucked from her fingers. A calloused hand slid over her mouth as a hairy arm encircled her stomach, yanking her against a man’s chest. She’d been so distracted by Odar interfering when he shouldn’t have that she’d let her guard down. And now she was in the hands of a Russek soldier. She slammed her foot on his, but the man didn’t even flinch.
“Stop,” he bellowed. The room went silent. The man removed his hand from her mouth, sliding it to her neck. A blade pierced her side, and she grunted. “The three of you will put your weapons down or I will snap her neck.” He kept Allyssa’s body in front of his, trying to protect himself.
Darmik dropped his sword, raising his hands in the air. Odar followed suit.
Kerdan, heaving deep breaths, wiped the blood from his mouth with his arm. “What’s your plan, Tredek?” he asked.
“No plan. The queen told me to neutralize the situation. That is what I’m doing.”
Allyssa kept her eyes trained on Kerdan, searching for any hint of what to do to gain the upper hand. Since he knew this man, he must know his weaknesses.
“Stand down,” Darmik said to Kerdan.
Kerdan nodded, his hands falling limp at his sides.
“I want the three of you over there so the queen doesn’t have to come near this bloodbath,” Tredek said.
Kerdan, Darmik, and Odar stepped over the bodies—some dead, some injured—and stood before Jana in the center of the room.
“On your knees,” she demanded. Red blotches covered her face. Tredek shoved Allyssa forward, around the fallen bodies and closer to Jana. The queen wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I suppose you had to take everything,” she said to Darmik. “My father, my home, my kingdom, my children, and now the man I love.” Her hands shook.
Allyssa surveyed the room. While they had managed to incapacitate a substantial number of soldiers, they were still outnumbered and without weapons. They shouldn’t have stopped fighting on her account. Darmik should have let Tredek kill her. Then he could have gone after Jana. Sacrificed his daughter for the good of the kingdom. That was what she would have done. Her life was a small price to pay for Emperion’s safety.
“I didn’t take those things from you,” Darmik said. “Your father is responsible for your situation. If he hadn’t sent an assassin after Rema, she never would have come to Emperion to reclaim what is rightfully hers.”
“Lies,” Jana screamed. “You know nothing.” Her disheveled hair hung loose around her face, blood covering her hands and dress. Zerek’s body lay by her feet, blood pooling on the rug.
“I’m afraid it is you who does not know a great many things. Including how to rule a kingdom. You have no business sitting on the Russek throne.”
While her father argued with Jana, Allyssa considered her options. There had to be a way out of this. A way to outsmart Jana. Allyssa hadn’t endured all she had just to end up here—at this sadistic woman’s mercy. She had to think.
“You have us where you want us,” Darmik continued. “What do you intend to do? Make us suffer so we can feel pain like you’re experiencing right now?”
Jana backhanded Darmik across the face. “Do not speak to me in such a manner.”
“I’ll speak to you however I damn well please,” he sneered. “You have not earned and do not deserve my respect.”
She leaned down toward him and whispered, “You are on your knees before me. Your daughter is in the hands of one of my most skilled soldiers. If I were you, I’d be very careful how you speak to me right now. One little move from Tredek, and your daughter will be dead—just like mine.”
“I killed your daughter,” Odar said. “She had to die. She had your blood and could not be trusted. It was a necessary casualty.” His body radiated tension.
“Casualty?” Jana screeched. “You call my daughter, my beautiful child, a casualty?”
“Yes,” he replied simply.
“How dare you?” She ran her hands through her hair, leaving bloody streaks. “Remove Prince Odar’s shirt. He will receive ten lashings.”
“What about me?” Kerdan interjected. “I killed Eliza, your mother. What will you do to me as punishment? Order one of your soldiers to strike me? Do you think these games will ease your pain?”
Was Kerdan trying to divert the attention away from Odar in hope the lashings would be forgotten? Or was he attempting to rile Jana up in order to throw her off balance so he could attack?
“Ease my pain?” Jana said. “Nothing can ease my pain. However, watching the four of you being tortured will definitely improve my mood.” She paced before the three men still kneeling before her. The thick smell of blood filled the room, making Allyssa nauseous. Jana squatted before Darmik so they were eye level. “What if I hurt every single person you love while you are forced to watch, helpless, unable to stop me?”
Darmik didn’t answer.
“I need you to suffer that pain. To understand what I have been forced to endure.”
“Your hatred for me is unwarranted,” Darmik said. “We could have lived in harmony. We had the same father—even if he was a little crazy. Now I realize you are more like him than I am.”
Jana’s eyes flashed with undiluted fury, her nostrils flaring and her hands balling into fists.
“I hate you,” Kerdan spit, garnering the queen’s attention. “You came to Russek when we had done nothing to you. You killed my mother.” The words rang out in the room, loud enough for every single soldier still alive to hear. “Then you lured my father into marrying you so you could gain power. Once you had what you wanted, you convinced him to attack Emperion. Because you wanted the kingdom for yourself. You destroyed my life, hurt my people, and yet you are the one who feels unjustly injured? Explain to me how your actions here are warranted?”
Jana slowly stood and came before Kerdan. “You have been a thorn in my side since I first laid eyes on you.”
“Trust me, the feeling is mutual,” he snarled.
“I should have killed you long ago when I had the chance.”
Fear erupted inside Allyssa. The sight of Kerdan on his knees before Jana and the hatred in the queen’s eyes made her scared for his life. One word, and he’d be dead.
“You are a traitor to my people and deserve to die,” Kerdan said, his voice shaking with anger and sadness.
Jana started laughing, the sound echoing in the room. “I deserve to die?” She spun around, her arms out wide. “Everyone here does my bidding, not yours.”
“Well then,” he said. “Order my death and get it over with.”
“Not a chance,” she replied. “You will suffer first. Once I’ve seen you in pain, seen you cry tears of blood, I will allow you to die. But not before then.”
“You forget I am a soldier. It will take a lot to break me.”
A cruel smile twisted across her lips. “Oh, I know,” she purred.
A chill slid over Allyssa. She had a feeling things were about to get a lot worse. Jana turned her attention to her. “I suspect you three men care unnecessarily for this pathetic excuse of a woman.” Jana strolled over to her, looking her up and down. “All three of you love her in some capacity. As a friend, lover, or daughter. And all three of you will watch me hurt her. Then we’ll see how you feel after experiencing that.”
“What would you like me to do with her?” Tredek asked, readjusting his firm grip around Allyssa’s neck.
“Lay her on the table. We’ll start by cutting off her hands and feet.”