Page 72

Riven appeared at my side. He charged at a large man standing by the fire. Riven growled as he ran, giving up our position, but it didn’t matter. I’d already taken my third kill. If they were traffickers, they weren’t very good ones. Most weren’t even properly armed.

How had they captured Syrra? Nikolai was understandable, but the Elvish warrior must have been incapacitated or worse. I looked to where Nikolai and Syrra were tied. He was conscious, trying to shout through his gag, but Syrra’s limp body slumped against him. I spotted a red dart sticking out of her neck and relief flooded my body.

Sleeping draught.

These traffickers were better equipped than they seemed.

“About time,” I shouted when the burly man fell with a hole in his belly. He and Riven had traded several blows before Riven had gotten an opening.

“Wouldn’t want to outshine you,” Riven called back. He was circling two men wielding double axes against his sword.

I smirked, holstering my blades along my back. A short man with weathered skin charged at me. I leaped, somersaulting over his head.

I threw blades into the throats of two riders still mounted on their steeds. They fell before I landed on the ground.

I swiped my leg at the man who charged me. He tripped. I grabbed my dagger, plunging it into his heart before he hit the dirt. Blood spurted from his throat as he gave one final cough.

Nine more left.

I ran toward the four men standing over Nikolai and Syrra. They stood, holding rusted swords, waiting for me to make a move. One was shaking so badly, his blade looked like it was made of linen rather than steel.

“Scared?” I taunted, holstering my dagger, and pulling out my own sword. The blade glinted in the sunlight.

Each man ran toward me at once. I dodged the first one, grabbing the hood of his cloak. I slammed him into the man that followed. They fell on top of each other, and I struck my blade through both men in one blow.

Nikolai was lying there, gagged and motionless. His eyes stared behind me.

I grinned as I turned my blade and buried it into the chest of the man behind my back. I didn’t even turn around. A little reminder for Nikolai as to what I could really do. His wide eyes met mine and I gave him a quick wink.

The fourth man had stopped, holding his blade behind his head. He launched it at me, the hilt rolling over the blade in the air.

If Syrra and Nikolai weren’t tied behind me, I would have merely dodged it, but I needed to make sure it landed away from them.

I dropped my weapon and jumped. I soared over the blade’s path and tracked it from above, grabbing the hilt when it rose to meet my hand.

With a double-handed grip, I landed in a crouch and shot his blade back at him. It hit his chest with enough force that he was pinned against the carriage, six feet from where he’d stood.

I caught a flash of movement to my left. Riven had taken out both of his opponents and only one man was left standing. He held a blade in his hand, but it rested at his side. He held up a hand to Riven in peace.

Nikolai grunted through his gag, swinging his legs back and forth across the earth. Riven ran to him and pulled the gag from his mouth.

I reached for my dagger as I watched the last man, making sure he didn’t move. He dropped his sword.

He raised his arms above his head. “I don’t want to kill anyone.”

“It’s true, Keera,” Nikolai said as Riven untied his hands and legs. “He argued with the tall one over there.” Nikolai gestured to the burly man Riven had taken down. “He just wanted our money. Fought with the others when they attacked.”

“I wish you no harm,” the man added. “I’m just hungry.” His blue eyes were pleading, but then they dropped to my neck. To the silver sword that marked me as the Blade. Understanding registered over the man’s face, his arms dropping slightly.

I looked at Nikolai and Syrra. Both their faces had been uncovered when they were tied. I turned to Riven, his hood had been knocked down in the fight. The man had seen us all.

My blood cooled. My body stiffened. I took a deep breath and tried to focus on the mission. On the lives we would save.

It didn’t change the fact that he was another life I would have to take.

“What is your name?” I asked the man, walking toward him.

Relief washed over his face, and he lowered his arms. He put out a hand for me to shake.