chapter Seventeen
Hired for Vengeance
Alittle wine had a profound effect on the four men’s ability to wield a sword. They staggered into their assaults clumsily, one even taking another swig before lifting his weapon. Kieran and Arnan danced around them, dodging every swing with ease. Eramus clambered to his feet and held out his hands, ready to attack.
"No, Eramus!" Kieran shouted as he ducked under one man's arm, the maneuver sending the man fumbling to the ground. "Go find Evree! We'll handle them."
Eramus hesitated. Kieran and Arnan seemed to hold their own without his help, but the commotion would draw more attention. They couldn’t fight off the entire camp without assistance.
"Stop wasting time!" said Arnan, shoving his shoulder as he ran past. "Go get Evree so we can get out of here!"
Though he hated to abandon them, he knew they were right. Eramus raced towards the tent where Evree was being held hostage, leaving behind muffled groans and clanking metal. He threw back the cloth and stormed inside. Several wooden tables framed the edges, some holding weapons and others rolls of parchment. Sacks of plundered items rested in one corner, so full a few had fallen over, spilling their contents onto the ground.
Shadows blanketed the back of the tent, but Eramus could just make out the shape of a body, huddled in the dirt and unmoving. He inched forward, whispering, "Evree?"
The figure moved, repositioning themselves but remaining silent.
"Evree, is that you?"
"Eramus?" Her soft voice sent shivers through his body. Eramus rushed towards her and crouched down. Flattening his hand, he repeated the incantation for theillustris, creating a blue light orb that hovered over his palm.
His spell illuminated the entire tent. Evree peered up at him with watery eyes and a quivering lip. Rope bound her hands, but she lunged forward and threw them around his neck, sobbing. Eramus wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight against him.
"It's all right. I've got you."
He pressed his lips against her hair as she cried into his shoulder, offering her a moment of comfort. Eramus pulled her arms back over his head and untied the rope binding her wrists. "Did they hurt you?" he asked, his trembling fingers fumbling over the tight knot.
Her answer came as a gasp. Eramus looked up just in time to see a fist smack into his jaw. He fell to the floor, and his light orb disintegrated, welcoming in the darkness. Evree's scream rang in his ears.
"Well, now. What do we have here?" A deep voice filled the space of the tent as Eramus moved to his knees. "Come to save your little lady, have you? Can't let you do that." There was a long pause, and Eramus stared up at the shadowed figure towering over him. "Say, where'd your lantern go? Had this whole tent lit up a moment ago."
Eramus rubbed his jaw. This man was in way over his head and hadn't the slightest clue what he had gotten himself into. Perhaps if he had known about the existence of magic, or that he had just punched one of the few people capable of wielding it, fear might have resonated in his voice. But his ignorance would prove useful.
Eramus sat up and held out his hands, his blue aura encompassing them both and chasing away the shadows. Color drained from the man's face and his eyes went wide. "What the blazes?"
A smirk stole over Eramus's face as he launched a wave of energy towards him. The spell collided with his chest and knocked him to the ground with a hard thud. Eramus shot to Evree's side and finished removing the rope.
"We have to get out of here," he said, pulling it away from her. "Your fa—"
An arm wrapped around his throat, cutting off his air. He gagged and clawed at the thick muscles dragging him away from Evree.
"Let him go!" she shouted, but her pleas did nothing to convince the assailant of relinquishing his hold.
Eramus flailed his arms, hoping to scratch the man's face, but the mercenary's grip only tightened around his throat. Eramus's vision blurred, and Evree's lavender dress faded to black. In one last effort, he aimed his palm at the man's thigh and released a small pulse of magic.
The man groaned and released his hold before they both crumpled to the ground. Eramus gasped and turned to face him to fire one more blow so he and Evree could escape, but he wasn't quick enough. A cloud of dirt crashed into his face and stung his eyes. He rubbed them, but the motion only made the pain worse.
Blinded, he didn't see the kick coming until too late, and the man's foot drove into his stomach. Eramus collapsed back to the ground, gasping as a sharp pain swept through his ribs. Another hard kick stole his breath.
Evree screamed, but this time it was not one of fear. Somewhere above him, the mercenary gargled a groan. Eramus blinked until the stinging in his eyes faded. Evree's arms wrapped around the man's neck, and she held tight as he struggled to pry her away from him. He flung her to the ground, her body crashing against the sacks of plundered items with a loud bang.
"Evree!"
His aura consumed the darkness, and the energy he fired was unrestrained. The impact hurtled the man to the back of the tent, where he collided with one of the wooden tables, scattering rolls of parchment across the ground. He lay against the capsized furniture, motionless. Eramus raced to Evree's side and helped her stand.
"Are you all right?" he asked with panted breath.
She nodded, but her body trembled against his. A moan sounded from the other side of the tent, and Eramus could see the mercenary's shadowed figure moving in the darkness.
