Two warriors appeared behind her. They reached out to grab her arms, but she ducked out of their reach with an impossible speed. They frowned when their hands met with nothing but air. And then she hauled back her fist and punched the nearest warrior in the gut.
She smiled when she made contact, knuckles slamming into leather.
He curled over, groaning. Reyna grabbed the hilt of his sword and yanked it from his sheath, kicking him in the gut as she did. He fell back, eyes wide. She whirled toward the second warrior, sword raised high.
“Reach for me again, and I will shove this blade into your chest.”
A soft clapping sounded from behind her, but she kept her eyes glued to the tall, muscular warrior before her. His long tawny hair blew into his face.
“Once again, I see I have underestimated your…brash impulsiveness,” Sloane called out from behind her. “But there are hundreds of warriors here, Princess Reyna. You cannot fight all of them by yourself.”
“On a normal day, no,” she shouted back, smiling when the warrior before her finally drew his sword. “But in the middle of a blizzard? Oh yes. And, besides, I only see a dozen.”
Reyna relished the snow as the warrior charged. She whipped her sword toward his as he brought it down on her head. The steel rang loud as their blades hit, the impact reverberating throughout her body. But instead of knocking her back, she found strength in the parry. Before he could recover, she pulled back and shoved the tip of her sword into his heart.
The warrior’s eyes went wide, and blood gurgled up from his throat, spilling down his chin. She punched her foot against his body and yanked out the steel, turning to face the former king.
The blizzard had grown thick with snow and wind. Reyna spotted him a short distance away, now surrounded by half a dozen warriors. He glanced wildly from side to side, and a satisfied smile spread across her face. She might be able to see him, but he could not see her.
With a roar, she charged, no longer feeling the pain in her leg. These warriors were loyal to Sloane, so long as he still lived. If she could take him out, they would answer to her.
A warrior jumped into her path. She grabbed his tunic, throwing him onto the ground with a strength she didn’t know she had. He tumbled to the ground with anoomph. She gripped her sword and swung the steel toward his head, but a hand grabbed her arm and yanked her back.
She whirled to face the new arrival. A tall male, almost twice as tall as she. He wore full-plated armor and a helmet that hid his face from view. His bulky form stalked toward her, a massive two-handed sword held high.
Reyna swallowed hard, tightening her grip on the hilt. All of her lessons rushed through her mind, and the words of the Shieldmaidens rose into her mouth. She had never spoken the vows aloud, but she felt them all the same.
And they had never before felt as important as they did now.
I swear I will be the sword that rings true.
I swear I will protect the realm with the ice in my veins.
I will not cower when faced with the darkest enemy.
I will never run from the shadows in the night.
My life for theirs. My soul for theirs. My everything for the realm.
The wind whipped faster around her, blasts of snow stinging her face. The warrior charged. He swung his sword wide, the steel slicing straight at her gut. Reyna ducked low, only just in time to feel thewhooshof the air pass over her head.
She stumbled back several feet and slid to the right as he launched his next attack. The warrior was fast. Far faster than any she’d fought so far. He might even be faster than she.
As he rushed toward her, Reyna jumped to her feet. She held up her blade as he threw his sword toward hers once again. This time, she blocked his blow, but the force of it threw her onto her back.
The air hurtled from her lungs.
He’s not only fast. He’s strong, too.
Reyna would have to fight far better than this if she was going to survive.
From behind her, she heard the unmistakable cackle of Thane’s father. That was everything she needed to get the blood pumping through her veins.
Go on then. Mock me.
With a roar, she rushed toward the warrior, catching him off guard. So far she had only defended and not attacked. She threw her strength behind her sword and swung. He stepped back, and the end of the blade whispered across his chest. It left only a slight tear behind.
Even though she couldn’t see his face, she swore he smiled.
