Rounding the corner before the halls closest to my room, a scream caused my heart to stutter.
Kalliah ran toward the fight on the stairs. Leif looked up, noticing her, and the sight of her charged his movements. He slammed his blade into the dark one's neck, pushing him forward and tossing his body down the stairs. He didn’t even look behind him to see where the enemy landed, choosing instead to sprint toward Kalliah.
Leif dropped his sword, grabbed her by the face, and kissed her deeply. She jumped, wrapping her legs around his waist and kissing him back, scolding him and confessing her feelings all at once. It was almost like the two of them forgot they were in the middle of a battle.
“Save it for later, you two,” I yelled, as five more dark ones descended the stairs. “We’re not done here yet.”
Kade rolled his eyes as he sent torrents of shadows up the stairs and ended the lives of the first three. Corbin and Storm, who had come running after the dark ones down the stairs, quickly disposed of the other two.
“Finally decided to show up, then,” Ian said to Storm.
Storm snorted. “Just needed to take a nice little stroll through the gardens first. It was getting a bit boring waiting for you lot.”
Kalliah and Leif returned to my side, holding hands and grinning.
“Ian thinks they’re holed up in the throne room. We go there next,” I insisted.
We moved as a unit down the corridors, carefully making our way closer to our destination. Corbin, Leif, and Ian had been working together for years. I had some time with all of them too, but the way we were able to move together, watching each other’s backs and eliminating anyone coming into our path with ease and precision astounded me.
For as much as I’d cursed the Fates growing up, I couldn’t help but wonder if they’d created every moment of my past to lead me to these people. To guide me to right now.
Moments before we reached the entrance to the throne room, the doors slammed open and Casimir appeared with a group of dark ones, ready to fight.
The evil expression on his face sent chills down my spine, his cackling laugh filling the air. Gems glittered on gloves adorning his hands, and he began siphoning magic from a dark one next to him. “Get them,” he yelled to the others as the dark one he’d drained slumped to the floor.
“Not today, Casimir,” I shouted back.
These dark ones were unreasonably strong. Their magic clearly amplified in some way. As one approached me, I noticed a gem of his own sewed onto his shirt. Casimir was siphoningmagic from those who had fallen into all the living dark ones, creating a more powerful army. I shuddered at what that kind of power might accomplish. Just another reason for this to end now.
Ian and Storm fought back-to-back battling three dark ones, while Kade and his shadows took on two more.
Kalliah and Leif engaged with a dark one behind me. My sole focus, however, was on Casimir. He would die by my hand for everything he did to Ian and for his role in perpetuating the darkness and evil growing in our lands.
Casimir sneered, a hint of fear flickering on his features as if he realized how outnumbered he was and that his dark ones were being overpowered. His face turned ashen. The others were so engrossed in their battles, they didn’t realize he was going to try to run.
Turning away from us, he sprinted down the hall, and I alerted the others, “He’s going to escape!”
Corbin, who stood closest to me, took off after Casimir while I followed in pursuit.
“Come back here and fight me, Casimir,” I shouted down the hall.
Casimir glanced back at us, but instead of fear, his resolve returned, and a smile spread over his face. A second later, pounding feet joined the chase, and more dark ones appeared from a staff door hidden in the wall behind him.
“Attack,” he laughed.
“Go,” Kade shouted from behind me, his shadows lashing out toward the new attackers, buying Corbin and me time to get around them.
We couldn’t let him get away, but Casimir skirted down another hallway. I’d never been so annoyed at how big our palace was until now. Corbin ran faster than me, speeding aheadto round the corner. I was out of breath but remained focused on my target. I couldn’t stop until we caught Casimir.
A dark one lunged at my side, as I dodged his attack, barely rounding the corner without careening into the wall.
An anguished cry filled the air. I regained my footing before stopping short, staring in horror as my weary muscles tensed.
Casimir stood in front of a fresh wave of dark ones.
He looked me in the eye with a wickedly triumphant smile as he yanked his sword from where it gleamed straight through Corbin’s chest.
Chapter 23
