He quickly found his balance, spun around, and slammed his fist into Luther’s jaw. Luther roared in pain, lunging for him, but Davin quickly sidestepped, pivoting out of his reach.
“Kill them now!” Luther bellowed, quickly regaining his composure and ripping his sword from its scabbard. Tristan pulled his long blade from his back and tossed it to Davin. He swiftly snatched the handle out of the air and parried Luther’s first blow with ease, forcing him to take a defensive position.
Luther seemed surprised by Davin’s skill. His exacting efficiency and speed were top-notch. Davin lunged forward in one fluid motion, his footwork light and precise. His blade cut into Luther’s arm before he danced away again, causing Luther to explode with rage.
The guards who had been waiting for Luther’s command charged, streaming from the tunnel behind him, steel flashing in the dim lighting of the antechamber. The Thorns exploded into motion from the left tunnel, a blur of deadly grace. A guard charged Davin, forcing him to move to the middle of the room. He dispatched the guard quickly, spinning to see Tristan heading for Luther, twin blades in his hands.
Alex caught sight of Davin, and he jerked his head for her to move. She could handle her own, but she had her arms full with Kaela. Nodding back to Davin, she began to move quickly towards the back of the room, shielding the baby from the fight.
Keeping herself small, she grabbed Althea by the elbow and pulled her alongside. Althea dropped down to a crouch, following Alex, both of them staying low to not draw attention.When they reached the back exit, Alex handed Kaela to Althea, pushing her into the darkness of the tunnel behind them. Althea, realizing that Alex intended to join the fight, grabbed hold of the back of her shirt.
“What are you doing?” Alex hissed.
“Stopping you from getting yourself killed. You just promised your queen to keep Kaela safe. You can’t do that if you’re dead!” Althea snapped back.
With no warning, a guard broke past Davin and barrelled straight for them. A shadow solidified from beside them, lunging at the guard. The guard swung his sword at the leather-clad Thorn, but she ducked, her dagger flashing upward in a brutal slash across his throat.
Another guard charged, only to be met with a spinning kick that sent him sprawling. A second Thorn landed on him, a curved blade punching through his chest, so close to them that his blood decorated Althea’s face.
A massive guard with a broadsword stepped forward, swinging his blade, but the two Thorns pivoted, working in tandem, catching the blade on one of their twin daggers, twisting it aside before the other buried a third dagger into the guard's exposed side. His scream echoed as he fell.
Across the room, Tristan moved with purpose, slicing through the guards, his rage-filled eyes locked on Luther. He dispatched two guards in quick succession, one with a knife to the ribs, the other knocked unconscious with a hilt to the temple. Luther backed away, and Alex could see his realization dawning.
“You’re a traitor. Protecting this trash! You should be taking what is yours! You could rule the entire realm, you fool!”
Tristan drew nearer, Ellis stepping up to his left side, splattered with blood. They shared a quick glance with each other, both taking stock of each other's injuries. Ellis seemed to onlyhave a few scratches on him. Tristan turned his attention back to Luther and continued his singular pursuit, but somehow Ellis reached Luther first.
“You think you will be able to get to me, my dear prince?” Luther’s lip curled, baring his teeth.
A guard stepped in front of Tristan, blade pointed at Ellis’ chest.
“You won’t touch me. You’re no match for my men. He will be dead before you can reach me,” Luther said, dipping his head in Ellis’ direction.
No sooner than the words were out of Luther’s mouth, the guard attacked. Ellis evaded, but Alex could see that he wouldn’t be able to move in time. Seconds ticked in slow motion, and all Alex could focus on was the blade’s trajectory and the utter despair, knowing she could do nothing to prevent the outcome.
“NO!” Tristan roared, twisting to shove Ellis out of the way.
Ellis crashed to the floor. Tristan swiped up with the hilt of his sword and slammed it into the guard’s chin, his arm lifting high as he followed through with the blow, knocking the guard backwards. Turning, the prince’s eyes locked with Ellis’, a groan of pain slipping from him.
Tristan had taken the guard's blade in place of Ellis. He reached down and pulled the blade free with a wet squelching noise, letting it fall from his hand. Tristan crumpled, grasping his side, blood leaking through his fingers. Ellis just stood there in dismay, staring at him. Alex couldn’t believe what she was seeing. It didn’t logically make sense. Why would Tristan sacrifice himself in that way, putting his own life in danger to save Ellis?
The guard, seeing his chance to end this, scrambled for the discarded blade. A woman with a black dagger ran forward, herweapon ready. She pivoted, kicking the guard’s blade away before spinning, with the grace of a dancer, cutting through muscle and bone. The guard’s head hit the floor with a splat, followed closely behind by his body. The Thorn was already moving again, this time heading straight for Luther.
Luther’s fists clenched around the pommel of his sword, but he could see that this battle would not be won. He sneered and then vanished into the tunnel from which he came.
“Fall back!” Luther commanded over his shoulder. The remaining guards ran after their sniveling captain, the Thorns right on their tail. The Thorns felled a few more guards before they could reach the tunnel entrance, and more screams echoed off the walls. Blood and death hung heavy in the air.
A dark shape materialized beside Alex, a hand gripping her arm, another covering her mouth. “Come with me,” a deep voice said from the blackness.
Alex recognized the voice and spun to face it. The Black Thorn stood there, just inside the tunnel, a strange light in his eyes. Alex gawked for a moment before turning to Althea, who was looking on glassy-eyed, clutching Kaela to her chest.
“We need to go. Now. We can trust him.” Alex spoke with reassurance, laying her hand on Althea’s arm.
Shaking her head slightly, as if to clear it, Althea asked firmly, “Why? Why trust him?”
“Because. He’s my father.”
Chapter Forty-Seven
