Page 46

The last captor released the bound woman in an attempt to fend off the shackled man charging at him like a bull. She pulled the bag from her head and gag from her mouth. “Sverik!” she yelled as the chained man did his best to dodge the blows aimed for him. I wouldn’t be able to assist him while the attacker continued his offensive moves.

I moved quickly and landed a punch so devastating the man fell to the ground, knocked out cold. The woman rushed over to the felled man and rummaged through his pocket. Her sobs wracked the night, but she raced to Sverik and picked the man’s locks. When the chains fell, rattling as the heavy pile coiled around itself, he faced Ella.

“GET DOWN,” he yelled.

Ella glanced at him for only a moment. While her opponent became confused and pivoted to face the now freed man, his eyes widened, and Ella dropped. Sverik’s hands erupted in flames that burst forth in a tunnel targeting Ella’s opponent.

He barely had time to scream before the fiery blaze consumed him.

“Fire wielder,” I whispered. Within a heartbeat, I was moving, feet pounding against the dirt, propelling me forward. I threw myself over Ella, who had her head hidden beneath her hands as she crouched on the ground.

That wielder could annihilate us all if he chose, but I would make sure she got out of this alive.

I peered over my shoulder to see the man on fire stumbling around in agony. He neared us, dangerous heat licking at my skin, so I lifted my sword and swung. It impaled his flaming neck, not severing completely. I yanked it free, blood spurting over the dirt, and he fell to the ground, still roasting under red flames.

The next second, another tunnel of fire ripped toward the unconscious man who’d held the woman as she clung to the fire wielder from behind. I returned to Ella and urged her to her feet, more than thankful to feel her living body beneath my gloved hands.

The strip was lit like the noonday sun from the flames, a testament to the power this man controlled. He did it with so much strength and precision, it was awe-inspiring to behold.

Once the wielder finished with his recent target, he strode with determination toward the man I’d sliced at the hip that I hadn’t noticed had been crawling toward the docks. A wet trail followed behind as he dragged his gravely injured body.

“Wait.” I attempted to stop the fire wielder, but the look of pure fury on his face told me I wouldn’t be heard. Without revealing my identity, I couldn’t command him. Instead, I placed my hand on Ella’s lower back as we stood and simply watched the wielder incinerate the dead body I’d taken down first, then focus his dwindling power on the one trying to escape.

My gaze pushed past the display to assess the water. As I feared, the flattening waves indicated the ship was leaving the port. And with our only leads currently reducing to ash, I’d lost the opportunity to figure any of this out.

Ella slipped from my touch and went to assess the small woman’s condition. I intensely watched the wielder as he allowed his protruding flames to die down and drop his hands to his sides. On his walk back, I could see the perspiration dripping from his face. By the time he managed up the incline to return to the woman, she had to catch his collapsing body.

“Will you be alright?” I asked.

The man struggled to face me, but drew up his eyes that flickered from the light of the still burning bodies. He nodded.

“Thank you,” the woman said with an uneven voice.

“Did you know those men? What they wanted with you?” I asked, scraping for any leads.

“It happened so suddenly. They broke into our home while we slept. They didn’t say why they wanted us, and we never had the opportunity to ask.” The woman’s lip quivered as she gripped the man I assumed was her husband.

“I’d suggest laying low for a while. If they know where you live, they may make another attempt. If you recall any details, anything at all, please write correspondence to the prince, and sign it from Marco. Do you understand?” I waited to hear their confirmation so I could know that despite their shock, they’d heard me. The least conspicuous correspondence I could receive would be from my cousin, which reduced the risk of unauthorized eyes accessing that information. “Good. Go find a healer to tend to your wounds. I wish you both well.”

As they gathered their strength to leave the scene of their nightmare behind, I searched the lane for Ella.

But she had vanished.

23

Nora

The ground punched my lungs, knocking my breath into view of the gray afternoon sky above.

The bastard tripped me.

I lay still, alternating between gasping and coughing. So embarrassing. Odion gave a hearty chuckle to the sky, a hand over his round, firm belly.

“You leaned all your weight on your right side. I’m much bigger than you. Chances are any opponents you face will also have that advantage. You’ll never be strong as an oak when your ankles are thin as a baby birch. Balance has to be your constant companion.” He extended his hand as a peace offering.

He pulled me to my feet, and I stretched my arms and neck. My body had been sore from the altercation last night, but this was going to destroy me by tomorrow. I wanted to brag that the man from last night never knocked me on my ass, but that would lead to questions. Odion would probably refuse to keep training me after that.

“I didn’t expect you to take me down. I thought you were teaching me defense positions,” I essentially snarled, still bitter about the loss. A gentle breeze blew by, a balm against my heated skin as the faint scent of fire and ash clinging to my hair from last night carried on the wind.