I didn’t want to risk lifting the lid, so I just shook my head, mentally begging the peppers to cook faster.
Her face reddened, and with a final crack, the door broke, and several men in green uniforms stampeded over Friar.
There was no time to think, and I reacted automatically, pulling the pot from over the flame, removing the lid, and tossing it at the men who’d invaded the room.
I only knew my plan was successful when they screamed, and most collapsed to the floor, clawing at their cheeks.
I didn’t pause, diving for the last place I had seen Friar, my hand by my cheek using my wind power to keep my own face clear of pepper gas. I might not have the most wind power in the world, but at least I was learning how to use it.
There was a pale arm wriggling from beneath the two pieces of wood that had once comprised the door. I pushed on the first one I stumbled across, Friar moving the second one to stand next to me, dusting herself off.
I grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the door, the sound of yells following us down the hallway. “Did you get any in your face?”
“I don’t think so.” She breathed. “The door blocked almost everything.”
There wasn’t time for any more discussion as we rounded thecorner to find the fighting in full force. I patted my sides, only to realize I was still in a shift, and had no weapons on me.
“Here.” Friar was kneeling over a downed soldier, holding a knife out my way. He was in a blue uniform, which made me gulp, but there would be time to find out who had fallen, and if I had known him, later. One glance told me it was too small to be Askel, and the hair wasn’t Otho’s. Friar pulled his sword then stood.
She didn’t hesitate to dive at two soldiers nearest to us, inserting herself into the fray of combat and helping the blue-clad soldier to win immediately. I looked down at the knife in my palm, then back at the room, trying to figure out what I could leverage to help turn the tide of the conflict devolving before my eyes.
“Just stab a green back!” Friar shouted as she and the soldier she had helped moved to help another soldier locked in combat.
Maybe it was the adrenaline, or maybe it was because I was following a direct command, but suddenly I was thrusting my knife into the green uniform that faced me, cringing at the sound of it going into muscle. I’d been preparing for this type of training with Askel, but it was still different to actually do it.
The man I’d stabbed fought to reach for the knife while also maintaining the combat, but that was all the soldier in blue needed to gain the upper hand, and suddenly his head was rolling across the floor.
Luckily my stomach was empty as I turned and heaved against a wall. I couldn’t help it; I had never seen something so gory.
“Don’t worry, that’s normal for a first battle.” The voice was vaguely familiar and I turned to find Askel, his hand stretched toward me. “Come on.”
Again, I didn’t question it as he pulled me to my feet and led me through the room, pressing my bloodied knife back in my hand. When he’d had the chance to pull it out of the dead man’s shoulder was beyond me.
Apparently, Friar joining the fight had been all that was needed to turn the tides, as we stepped over dark-green-clad body after dark-green-clad body.
“Is there any way to stop the . . . death?” I don’t know where the words came from, but I knew that it hurt my chest to see the loss of so much life, especially as I passed a downed soldier who appeared vaguely familiar.
“We need to cut the head from the snake.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“Hansen, come on.” He motioned toward the hall.
Though I had once lived within these walls, I barely recognized them covered in blood. I was so focused on watching where I stepped, and stressing over the state of the palace, I didn’t realize where we were headed until it was right in front of me.
The sight of the dais, and the pile of books next to it caused my breathing to stop. It was where I had once been forced to read, then beaten within an inch of my life.
Seeing those floors, the ones which had left indents of the stone pattern in my knees caused something in me to snap, even as I spotted Otho battling Hansen, while Leif was locked in combat with Adis on the other side of the room.
Askel jumped right in to help, and I knew that Hansen would be dead in a matter of moments. Thus, I turned my attention to Leif and Adis, everything Otho had said to me the past season circling in my mind.
This nightmare would never end as long as Adis lived.
He would never be satisfied until he owned all of Heimland.
He would never let the Seid be free.
He would do whatever it took to obtain magic.
