Chapter 43

 

Spotting a clear path, I pushed him in that direction so I could get both of us to someplace safe to assess his injury. Before we could reach safety, another maniac came at us with a saber, almost as long as I was tall, with crazy shining from his glowing eyes. At home my raptor was a serious weapon, if I planned on fighting here I think I needed to upgrade to something much larger.

Tim deflected the first swing from the new opponent and then dropped to one knee. I had to hustle around the downed guard to block the next swing with the tonfa. Thankful this wand was made of metal and not a wooden practice one, or the saber may have sliced right through it and my arm. There was no time for reflection on what he was going to do next, no time to get either my dagger or raptor ready as I danced in front of Tim trying to keep both of us in one piece.

I felt the sting of the blade in my thigh from a lucky upswing from the man wielding his blade like a scythe but I didn’t look down to see how much flesh was missing. Tim managed to get back into a crouch and bought me the seconds I needed to get my dagger in hand. When the blade came towards me again I ducked down to roll but the slice out of my thigh muscle prevented me from completing it. I felt heat go through my side as the gleaming metal cut through me. Pain screamed from my nerves and I stumbled, trying to keep the attacker in sight as I collapsed onto the ground.

Dropping the dagger, I slapped my hand over the pulsing wound and raised my arm, hoping the metal wand would be enough to deflect any further strikes. I could see the crazed one hovering over me, the victory in his eyes pained me more than the bleeding flesh on my body. He had the advantage and I knew it as the blade came down, almost in slow motion I could see it. Just when I thought I’d be in more pieces than I wanted, another blade intercepted the swing and Chase stepped over me, backing the attacker off with the skill of his actions.

I wanted to get up and help, but my body wasn’t responding. A war cry sounded from someone and I turned to see Victor grasp the man from behind, his hand swiftly running a razor thin kukri blade across his throat. “The judgment is death for injury to the Huntress,” Victor hissed. The saber fell from the man’s hand and his body slid to the ground leaving a trail of red on the dirt.

Dropping his weapons, Chase fell to his knees on the ground beside me.

“Is Tim alright?” I panted and tried to push up to see the guard lying a few feet away from me.

Chase didn’t even turn to look. “He’ll live.” Lifting my hand from my side, I watched the concern on his face turn to fear.

“Don’t be mad at him…” I gasped trying to stay focused through the dizziness that suddenly hit me.

Victor appeared behind Chase and looked down at me. The same look of fear slid over his face. “Get her back. We’ll clean up the mess here.”

Chase nodded, without looking away from me.

I watched with blurred vision as he stood up and put his blades back into the straps on his back, then he looked around. “Find Leone and get him here now.” There was ice in his tone.

All at once all my strength was gone and I dropped onto my back, squinting up at the King towering over me. I watched as he knelt and felt even dizzier as he gathered me up into his arms.

“You’re going to need help.” Victor’s voice came from somewhere, he sounded far away.

“Get Troy to my rooms as quickly as possible. I’ll transport us there as soon as we reach the tree line.” Chase’s voice echoed in my ears.

I wondered for a second if I’d taken a blow to the head, everyone sounded so strange. Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on how my body was feeling, nothing came back to me. The pain throbbed through me but it was like the rest of me wasn’t there.

“Keep those eyes open, kitten, no napping right now.” Chase’s voice softly came to me in my dream.

Looking up, I could see his face, but it wasn’t very clear. The motion of his walking felt like we were going up stairs. Through the fog that kept moving over me the first inkling of worry managed to grab me. I was really hurt this time. Steri-strips and some tape weren’t going to do the trick this time out. I tried to lift my head and look around, had someone helped Tim or did they leave him lying in the dirt? I wanted to ask about him, but my tongue and brain couldn’t coordinate to say it out loud.

Leaning into the warm body holding me, I closed my eyes again for a second as a wave of nausea threatened to take me. Breathing through I opened my eyes again slowly and then blinked, I was seeing a bedroom.