We crested a hill, and the road ahead curved through a thick stand of pines, their branches creating a tunnel of green-filtered sunlight. They were beautiful, in a wild sort of way, the kind of place artists sketched and poets wrote about.
Also, I realized with creeping dread, it was the perfect place for an ambush.
“Giichi,” I called, urging my horse forward. “Maybe we should—”
Wsht.
His horse screamed.
An arrow sprouted from its neck, and the animal went down hard, throwing Giichi sideways. The old monk hit the ground rolling, his hand already reaching for the staff strapped to his saddle.
“Shields!” one of the other monks shouted.
Wsht.
Time slowed, the way it always did when my gift activated without conscious thought. I saw the second arrow arcing through the air toward Giichi’s head, saw the monk too far away to intercept, saw exactly where I needed to be.
I was there before my mind caught up, my hand closing around the arrow mid-flight. The shaft vibrated in my grip, the force of it nearly breaking my fingers.
Wsht. Wsht. Wsht.
“Get down!” I yanked Giichi behind my horse as more arrows whistled from the trees.
Chaos exploded around us.
The Samurai formed a defensive circle, but we were in the open, exposed, and our attackers held the high ground in the forest on both sides.
“How many?” Esumi appeared at my side, hiskatanaalready drawn, eyes scanning the tree line with cold calculation.
“I can’t tell. At least six on each side, maybe more.”
Wsht.
An arrow took one of the Samurai in the shoulder. He grunted but held his position, shoving his shield higher.
“They’re trying to pin us,” Kaneko said, suddenly beside us, his face calm in a way that confirmed my suspicions about his hidden training. “Keep us bunched up for—”
A black-clad figure dropped from the trees.
Then another.
Then six more, landing in a circle around us with lethal grace.
Ninja.
“Bloody hell,” Esumi said, falling into a fighting stance. “I take back what I said about the gods being generous.”
“Noted.” I reached for the sword at my belt, but Giichi caught my arm.
“Prince Haru-sama, you must flee. If you die here—”
“I’mnotleaving anyone behind.”
“Your life is worth more than ours—”
The nearestninjaattacked, cutting off the monk’s protest.
Everything happened at once.
