Edric watched as Ezekiel drew a sigil on the doorframe of the back door to the inn with an enchanted potion. With the information he got from Malcolm, it wouldn’t be long before there was another attack. And much sooner than later. He knew they didn’t have a week, despite what Winston may have told the guards. Winston would have known some of the guards remained loyal to Edric and would relay any information or orders given to the castle guards. Winston was much more cunning than that. He figured Winston had also sent for the sorcerer the moment things went sideways.

Ezekiel marked the other side of the door and hoped Andreas had talked some reason into Sophia. She was likely packing and preparing to head to the mountain on her own. He knew she was extremely stubborn and blamed herself for the problems they now faced, no matter how many times he and the others had told her he would go to the ends of the world for her. She hadn’t made him do anything. He wasn’t forced into helping her fight the headmistress and the Nameless Master. He fought because he believed in the prophecy the oracles spoke of, and he believed in her.

Edric had been tempted to dash up the stairs to find Sophia, for his own peace of mind, but he trusted Andreas had done what was necessary. So far, the wraith hadn’t run back to tell them she had disappeared. Besides, Ezekiel needed his help, even if the sorcerer was too proud to ask.

Ezekiel turned to face him. He dusted his hands off. White and black powder covered his clothes. “That’s it. I’ve reconstructed several traps in all the rooms. If guards get in this time, they won’t ever get out.”

Edric nodded. “Good.” He went to slap Ezekiel on the shoulder just as the entire inn rumbled. The ground beneath their feet shook, nearly knocking Edric off balance. “What was that?”

“Fuck.” Ezekiel glowered. “Looks like they got their sorcerer sooner than expected.”

Every window in the house imploded, sending thousands of shards of glass flying. Edric took two steps and grabbed Ezekiel, taking him to the ground just as a large piece of glass sliced through the air, a mere inch from impaling the sorcerer through the head.

Another crack resounded throughout the inn like thunder, and every doorframe snapped like twigs from a tree during a storm. The wood splintered, rendering the wards useless.

Ezekiel jumped to his feet. “Follow me.”

“What about Sophia?” Edric asked.

“She’s with Andreas. He’ll protect her.”

Edric followed Zeke to a storage room. Booted feet rushed in and traps were triggered. Screams echoed through the air and mini explosions rocked the inn again. Fire popped and crackled followed by the smell of smoke and burning wood and flesh. They crouched low behind the door while the remaining traps on the bottom floor went off. There would be nothing left of the inn after everything was said and done.

Edric reached for the handle of the door and cracked it open enough to peek into the hallway. The guards frantically flapped at themselves, trying to douse the flames that grew and consumed more of them with each futile movement.

Edric closed the door and shook his head. So much death to his comrades for blindly following such a corrupt idiot as Winston Kent.

“The fire will consume them,” Ezekiel said.

Edric nodded. “I saw as much. Remind me to never piss you off, Zeke. You can be very scary and ruthless.”

He shrugged. “It’s us or them. We have to survive to help Sophia find the heirs and clear our names. Unfortunately, your comrades are casualties of an unnecessary war.”

Edric wanted to punch the floor, the wall—anything—to release his anger that grew with Winston’s incessant need to get to him and his team. He sucked in a deep breath to try and ease his growing need for wringing that bastard’s little neck.

Once the last of the traps were set and the screams had lessened, Ezekiel stood and stepped into the hall. Edric followed with a sigh. He followed the sorcerer to the stairs, eyeing the burnt corpses of his fallen comrades as they made their way through the maze of charred wood and other debris.

An eerie blue glow emanated from Ezekiel’s hands as he moved further along. His shoulders became rigid as his back straightened and his steps grew heavier.

A loud command echoed to Edric, and he reached for Ezekiel to stop him as more guards flooded through the smoking embers of the inn. They stopped at the center of the room, where Ezekiel had laid an invisible trapping circle. Watching the guards with confused expressions constantly try to step out of the circle and then bouncing back as they hit the invisible walls made Edric force himself to stifle a chuckle. It truly was a sight to see. One guard took a running start a few feet back and ran toward the other side. He slammed hard into the barrier, squishing his face and nose as if his face had hit glass. The loud thump brought a grin to Edric’s face.

When everything was said and done, this whole mess behind them, he would confront the soldier and never let him live it down.

The two men ran across the room, avoiding the circle trap. The captured guards shouted as they did.

“Get them!” one guard yelled from inside the invisible trap. He pulled his sword, but the hilt butted up against the invisible wall and he couldn’t fully unsheathe the weapon. Not that it would do him any good. He looked to his buddies, frustration marred his expression.

Two guards who’d just run into the room came at Edric and Ezekiel. Edric moved in front of the sorcerer, with his sword raised. He made short work of them both. Their bodies dropped to the ground, blood gushing from gaping gut wounds.

They quickly made their way toward the stairs. Before he and Ezekiel were halfway there, a flash of bright light filled the room, counteracting Ezekiel’s spells and traps. The trapped guards were released and faced both Edric and Ezekiel with their hands on their swords. This time, each of them were able to unsheathe their weapons and held them at the ready.

A tall, reedy man with a pointed bald head, long white beard, vivid blue eyes, and hands glowing with magic stepped through the destroyed doorway of the inn. This had to be Tryce Klatrix, the great sorcerer, hired to destroy them. Beside him stood three more guards and Marlow, who had been Edric’s second in command. Malcolm had been right, the man looked pleased at the opportunity to take Edric’s place. Anger boiled in his gut. To think, men he trusted with his life took the first opportunity to turn on him. He shook his head and pulled on his own weapon.

Marlow sneered. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time, Axton.”

The guards rushed forward, surrounding them. Edric took up a defensive stance, and Ezekiel did too, his hands sparking with power. A dark form swept into the room. Andreas, in all his dark and brutal wraith embodiment, jumped between him and Ezekiel.

Mouth open, the blood-red glow pouring out with a shriek, Andreas enveloped one guard and lifted him into the air, tossing him against the wall. Edric heard his bones snap. The guard’s body fell to the floor, broken.

Two arrows whizzed through the room from the stairs, taking down two more soldiers before they could reach Edric and Ezekiel. Edric glanced to his left to see Sophia, armed with her bow, bursting out from the shadows. His heart pounded at the sight of her. He hadn’t realized how worried he’d been.

Tryce lifted his hands and fired bolts of white magic toward Edric. Both Ezekiel and Sophia reached for Edric with their magic, constructing a protection shield in front of him. The white bolts bounced off and fizzled to the ground.

With no time to thank them, Edric was thrust into a melee, Marlow at the head, swinging his sword. Edric blocked his blade, and then countered, bringing his sword around to Marlow’s flank. The tip of Edric’s blade only brushed against the man’s metal breastplate, creating sparks. Another guard joined Marlow’s side, eyes narrowed with deadly intent.

Edric risked a glance to Ezekiel, who had his hands full with Tryce. White and blue beams of magic bounced off walls and the floor, zipping by Edric and leaving scorch marks everywhere, singeing the hairs on Edric’s bare arms. He had to dance out of the way of one errant ray that would have burned a hole through his leg had he not moved.

Marlow charged Edric again with another wide swing of his broad sword. Edric ducked to the left and brought his sword up from an upward swing, slicing the man across the leg between pieces of leather armor. Marlow grunted and stepped back to examine the new cut that would leave an awfully nasty scar. His eyes lifted to Edric and narrowed. He thrust his sword toward Edric’s gut. Edric swung his body to the right, twisted to the left, and brought his blade around. It met Marlow’s steel. The clang echoed. The hard blow jarred Edric’s hands and arms with a painful shock. Edric clenched his teeth, pressing his lips tight, and shuffled back a few steps to attack again. The tight quarters made every move twice as difficult.

Movement in his periphery caught his attention and he shifted his gaze to Sophia. She fought with her sword now. Two guards advanced on her. They had her pinned against the staircase with nowhere to retreat. But he knew she would fight her way out. She had more skill than most of the men in his unit.

Marlow shouted, “Kill the bitch!”

Several guards charged toward Sophia. Edric ran after them. He cut one down by chopping at his legs, but two more seemed to appear out of nowhere to take his place. There were too many, swarming from all directions and all at once.

Before he could take out another guard, Winston rushed into the inn with several more guards on his tail. They carried something between them. Winston ran toward Edric and the guards and Sophia.

“No!” Winston yelled. “Do not kill her!” He swung at one of his own men in front of him with his sword and cut open his belly.

Edric saw an opportunity to take the traitor out and charged forward. Before he could reach the lying bastard, he took a heavy blow to the flank. He faltered to the side, and the wind was knocked from his lungs. He turned just as Marlow hit him again with a flail. Thankfully, the swinging metal ball didn’t have spikes. Although, the weapon had enough force to knock Edric to the ground. He took in a deep breath and winced as sharp pain stabbed through his chest. Some of his ribs were broken with the impact.

Winston stood over him with the pointed tip of his sword pressed into Edric’s neck. “If you know what’s good for you, and her,” he nodded toward Sophia, “You will stay down.”

Sophia let out an angry war cry and fought her way out of the corner she’d been pressed into, slicing down man after man. Edric realized she was trying to make her way to him. He didn’t have the heart to tell her to stop. Not that she would listen anyway. She was stubborn and standing up for what she felt was right—which meant she would never stand down.

“Capture the wraith,” Winston commanded to the guards that accompanied him.

Edric watched as they nodded and moved to where Andreas fought off guards from his corner of the small room. He had busied himself with slicing and clawing at faces and body parts. He didn’t see them coming. As the four men moved, spreading out from each other, Edric recognized they held a net in their hands, spreading it out as they moved closer. Each end held a weighted ball made of steel.

“Zeke!” Edric yelled. “Help Andreas.”

Winston shoved the pointed sword into Edric’s throat, piercing his skin with a burning sensation. “Not another word, or I’ll run you through,” he said.

Ezekiel still heard and turned his attention toward the men moving in on the wraith. He formed a ball of blue light in this hand and prepared to throw it at the guards with the net, but he was too late. They rushed to close the gap, tossing the net over Andreas. Although his wraith form was made of dark swirling smoke, Andreas still had physical form. The net brought him down hard to the floor, the weighted, steel balls held him firm. All he could do was wiggle and writhe under the weight of the net. He shifted back to his human from. The guards that captured him held their swords pointed at him in case he tried to escape.

“I’m going to kill you!” Sophia shrieked as she cut through another two men to advance on Winston.

Watching her rage tore at Edric’s heart. She fought a fruitless battle. Ezekiel dropped to his knees, his hand going to his throat. The other sorcerer clenched his fist, brilliant, white light exploding from it.

They were defeated.

Sophia screamed, “No!”

“Surrender, Sophia,” Winston said. “It’s over.” He held firm, lips pressed into a grim line and nodded at her. To prove his point further, he added pressure to his sword, forcing the tip a little more into Edric’s neck. He winced and tried to pull away from the blade, but the wall wouldn’t give.

The expression on her face as she realized there was no way out for them tore at Edric’s heart. The feeling was like someone had punched through his chest and clenched his heart to keep it from beating. He’d failed to keep her safe. To keep them all safe. He had to make it right somehow. But their situation was dire and there didn’t seem to be any other way out of this. He couldn’t even reassure her that this was not her fault, though he knew even his words would do little in the way of comforting her.

She lowered her sword, resignation in her expression. Two guards quickly moved in and grabbed her arms. They dragged her toward him and Winston. Winston sheathed his sword and waved a hand toward Tryce. Edric rubbed at the spot on his neck, pulling back blood-tinged fingers. It wasn’t a deep cut, but definitely enough to make Edric want to kill Winston all the more.

“Don’t kill the sorcerer,” he said.

Tryce dropped his fist, and Ezekiel slumped forward onto his hands and took in several deep breaths. He coughed and rubbed at his neck to soothe the ache that must have been there.

Winston smiled, gloating at his victory. “Planning this entire dance wasn’t easy, you know. There were quite a few men who didn’t want to play along.”

Edric knew he spoke about the men who remained loyal to him. Men like Malcolm.

“But they changed their minds after a few hours of…” He smiled again. “Let’s say, rigorous conditioning.”

Torture. That’s what the asshole meant.

Edric stared coldly at Winston and said, “You’re a sniveling coward, Kent. Without all these men behind you, you would be absolutely nothing, and I would have my knife through your throat.”

“Yes, but I still won, and you’re going to be dead soon enough.” He nodded toward Marlow.

Edric received a hard blow to the side of his head, and everything went black.