Silence fell, and Hugo cursed himself a hundred times over for not having a more impressive magic skill. What good was glass against swords and arrows?
The Wulian soldiers dragged him to the center of the room with Everand, bringing them to the man who still held the young woman. Tears streaked her pale cheeks. Whimpers of fear leaked from her parted lips, and she trembled like a leaf caught in a breeze.
Everand lurched toward Hugo, straining against the pair of men who were holding him. “My treasure! Are you okay?”
Hugo forced a crooked grin. “I’m fine,” he murmured even though his jaw was aching and his head was still throbbing. He could feel a trickle of blood running down the corner of his mouth, but there was nothing he could do about it.
“Enough! What is it you want?” King Hubert demanded. His voice sounded as if he were trying to maintain a forced calm. That low rumble of thunder as the storm edged closer.
Mr. Ringleader smiled at the young woman and removed the knife from her throat. “Forgive me, Miss. I won’t be needing you any longer. I have my prize.”
As he finished speaking, he lifted his hard brown eyes to stare at Everand. These bastards had come for the prince. The soldier with the scar on his cheek released the woman and gave her a shove away from him, sending her stumbling and scrambling into the waiting embrace of the crowd.
“King Victor has magnanimously offered to put past aggressions and old wounds behind him…in exchange for one prince. To close the debt Branem owes Wulia, he will take Prince Everand.”
Hugo was aware of both the queen and king shouting in denial, but Hugo couldn’t say a word. There was only rage and fear. He couldn’t let anyone take Everand away from him. Everand wouldn’t survive. King Victor would kill him. The world needed Everand.
A ferocious snarl ripped from Hugo’s throat as he fought the men holding him, kicking and jerking until he broke free. Helunged forward, gripping Mr. Ringleader’s jacket with his left fist. With his right hand resting on the man’s pounding heart, Hugo summoned enough magic to create a glass needle that pierced his clothes and skin. Hugo smirked when the man’s wide eyes jerked to his face. The knife still in his hand was now pressed to Hugo’s throat.
“Stop!”
“Take me with you,” Hugo growled.
“What?” Both Everand and Mr. Ringleader gasped. Clearly, this was not the demand they’d been expecting.
“You’ve come this far. There’s no way I can convince you to give him up. You must have a plan for getting out of here alive. I can kill you, but not all of your companions. You’ll still take him. So, take me with you,” Hugo repeated, not breaking eye contact with Mr. Ringleader. “Wherever he goes, I go too.”
“Who the hell are you?” Ringleader demanded, even as a bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face.
“I’m…I’m…” Hugo’s mind raced. What was he supposed to say? There was no way this man would believe he was Everand’s bodyguard. A bodyguard would have been armed with something more than glass. A servant wouldn’t be wearing such attire. “I’m his?—”
“Fiancé! Hugo is my fiancé, and I won’t let you hurt him!” Everand interjected.
For the first time since Hugo had struck, the man glanced in the prince’s direction for a heartbeat. Something calculating entered his gaze as he returned his eyes to Hugo. “Okay. Fine. You both go. Now release me.”
Hugo frowned, his hand tightening on the man’s tuxedo jacket. “If you try to separate us, I will find you, but I won’t stab you through the heart. I will fill you with glass. Every vein, every organ, every inch of your body will be filled with glass until it crushes you from the inside.”
The calculating look disappeared, and the man swallowed hard.
At least now he was sure their attacker would take him more seriously. If it helped to keep Everand safe, it was worth it. As long as they were together, he could help protect Everand and get him home.
Hugo released Mr. Ringleader and took a step back, lifting his open hands in front of him, showing he was no longer putting up a fight. The second he did, Wulian attackers grabbed him and jerked him away. He stumbled, trying to get his balance, but the world went black.
A gasp brokefrom his throat, and he drew in a breath to call for Everand when the world came into focus. Except they weren’t in the palace ballroom any longer. They were standing in the middle of a camp, a large fire flickering not too far away. And at least fifty soldiers surrounded them with swords and guns trained on them.
“We’re not in Frostbourne any longer,” Hugo mumbled.
A ragged snort caught his attention, and he stared at a weakly smiling Everand, still held by a pair of guards. “We’re not even in Branem. Welcome to Wulia.”
Twenty-One
The soldiers moved frighteningly fast, swarming Hugo and Everand. At first, they attempted to pull them apart, dragging them in separate directions, but Hugo fought like a crazed toddler in desperate need of a nap. He kicked, bit, and clawed his way to Everand. The prince seemed to catch on and mimicked his behavior, sending the many guards scrambling to get them under control.
Mr. Ringleader groaned, swearing under his breath. “Leave them together! They caused enough problems in the palace. Just tie their hands and shove them in the carriage.”
Hugo winced as the guards wrenched his arms behind his back, and rough rope tightened around his wrists. But all the discomfort was worth it so long as he remained at Everand’s side. He still had no idea how he was going to protect the prince, but that was okay. If they were together, he had a better chance of keeping Everand safe.
The man who led this escapade stomped over to where Hugo and Everand stood together. He leaned in close to Prince Everand. “King Victor stated we were not to harmyou. However, he said nothing about your fiancé. He doesn’t even know about this man. So, his state when or evenifreaches the castle is upto the both of you. Personally, I’d like to slit his throat and leave him in the woods for the wolves to sort out.”
