Teddy held up his hands in surrender.
“Wise move, Your Grace,” the rebel taunted. “You should tell your siblings to do the same.”
Teddy rolled his eyes as his bickering siblings filed out of the pantry.
If a look could raze a building, Olney Castle would have crumbled under the glare Alexandra leveled at the rebels. Jalen and Juliana looked around the room, taking inventory of the opposition.
Stella just needed a diversion to squirm away from this man.
“Weapons down, Saveros,” someone called from just outside the room.
Stella knew the voice. Fionn Silver.
The mercenary stepped into the kitchen doorway, dagger in hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to let everyone know how it was Stella McKay who laid the groundwork for my rebellion,” Fionn said. “Lovely of you to prop open the kingdom doors for me. A regular old McKay family welcome.”
She noted with a frisson of pleasure that he was walking with a limp as he closed the distance between them.
“Don’t look so smug, princess. Everyone gets a lucky shot in every once in a while,” Fionn said.
“Should have aimed more to the left,” she grumbled.
“If you had, you would have disappointed many women in the two kingdoms.”
Alexandra made a gagging noise.
Fionn’s gaze snapped to her. “There she is. The Savero I thought I’d be facing off with in the tournament. Fed you the idea and everything. What happened?”
Stella happened. It was frightening how long he’d been working on this plan.
Alexandra didn’t take the bait, though Stella could see that she was furious.
“Lucky for you, I was unwillingly diverted,” Alexandra said.
Fionn grinned wickedly. “Should we have a showdown now? A little entertainment for my men. I know you’re the type to want to prove a woman’s worth. I can’t think of a better place for you to do it than in a kitchen.”
Rage flared in Alexandra’s eyes and energy crackled through the air. She stepped toward Fionn.
A loud battle cry sounded in the hallway and Nathan Aiger came running into the room, slicing through the two men closest to the door with brutal efficiency.
Stella took the distraction to wrench the blade away from her neck and smash her head back into her captor’s face.
The whole room erupted into chaos, the Saveros and Nathan each taking on several rebels. It wasn’t until Nathan stepped asidethat Stella realized someone had charged in on his heels, and that someone was her brother.
Leo sprinted toward her, running his blade through the chest of the man who’d been holding her. Then, he dashed past her into the fray.
Stella stepped up beside Nathan and helped him hold off a new group of rebels who were trying to get into the room to help. She glanced over her shoulder at the fighting. Teddy, Jalen, and Juliana were fighting on one side of the room. On the other, Alexandra was engaged with Fionn, the two of them exchanging vicious blows with matching looks of murderous delight on their faces.
Nathan settled back-to-back with Stella.
“So, Stella,” he said between fending off sword swipes. “I have been trying to get to know Rosie and I would love your blessing to?—”
“Nathan Aiger, I swear to the gods, do not even think about going near my sister,” Stella said, sending a fireball at a man charging toward her. He stopped and dropped to the ground and Nathan spun to drive his sword through the back of the man’s neck.
“Come on, Stella. I’m serious this time. I just want to get to know her. Take a minute to think about it.” He looked so sincere. He turned to fight off another guard, then pivoted and looked at her expectantly.
“This is hardly the time,” Stella said. “Did you ask Leo about it?”
Nathan’s handsome face paled. “No. I’m going most terrifying to least terrifying sibling.”
