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CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Ryker

Guards poured inside with swords and battle-axes raised as they charged toward us. I didn’t know if they were stupid or brave, considering we outnumbered them and I had my lightning.

They’re most likely petrified of my father and would rather die now than face him.

And that was a sad fact. I released another wave of lightning that took out two of them while arrows flew from the rebels beside me.

Three arrows struck some guards and knocked them back while others kept coming. More arrows were released, taking out another two guards, before they were on us.

Swords clashed as steel banged against steel. A battle-ax flew past my head; it whistled as it sliced through the air before crashing into the wall.

One of the guards tried to rush past us toward the open portal, but Tucker took out his legs with a sickening crunch of bone. I should close the portal. We couldn’t risk anyone getting through it, but if I did, we’d be stuck here and would have to fight our way out of the castle.

If anyone got too close to it, I’d kill them. Until then, I couldn’t risk trapping us here.

When another guard swung a sword at me, I brought my blade down on his arm, slicing it to the bone. The man bit back a scream and released the weapon.

I freed my sword, and he fisted his good hand to swing at me. I leaned back to avoid the blow that would have sent my mind reeling.

While I was off balance, he charged. I managed to get my sword up between us in time to avoid him crashing into me. The blade sank into the tender flesh of his belly as momentum drove him down to the hilt.

For a second, his mouth opened and closed before I shoved him and the sword away from me. I was more exposed without a weapon, but I didn’t have time to pull the blade free as more rushed at me.

A woman was only a few feet away from me when an arrow struck her in the center of her forehead. Behind her, I threw more lightning at a guard before scrambling to retrieve the battle-ax.

I was almost to the weapon when another of my father’s men brought his sword down toward my head. Grasping the battle-ax, I was on my knees when I pulled it up between us, and his blade caught the handle.

The man bared his teeth as he pressed his full weight down on me. “Traitor,” he spat.

“And proud of it. I fight for the realm; you stand against it.”

With that, I shoved upward and knocked his blade away. The man stumbled back a few steps as I leapt to my feet.

Running at him, I wrapped my arms around his waist. The man grunted when his back hit the ground and the air rushed out of him.

The impact knocked his weapon away, and it skittered across the floor. Anger, frustration, and fear for Ellery propelled me as I delivered one bone-crunching blow after another to his face.

Blood flew as his hands battered at me, but I didn’t stop until the man ceased struggling and went limp beneath me. I released one more blow that caved in the side of his face.

When a hand landed on my shoulder, I spun to destroy whoever dared to touch me. Tucker threw up his hands in a gesture of submission as he edged away.

“They’re dead, Ryker,” he said. “We have to go.”

Blinking away the blood on my face, I surveyed the room. Tucker’s followers were dispatching any surviving guards. The open doors revealed an empty hall, and no footsteps sounded out there.

I pushed myself to my feet and shook out my hand. Blood sprayed from the busted skin of my knuckles as I lifted the battle-ax and rested it against my shoulder.

“Let’s go,” I said.

The rest of Tucker’s followers reclaimed their dropped weapons and rushed through the open portal. Tucker studied me as we walked toward the portal together.

“How are you holding up?” he asked.

“I’m fine. I just want this over.”

And I wanted Ellery. I didn’t have to say that; he already knew it.

“As do we all,” he murmured.

As Tucker walked through, I stood beside the portal with my eye on the open doors. I followed swiftly behind him but didn’t breathe a sigh of relief when I entered the clearing and shut the portal behind me.

We’d succeeded in our mission, but if Ellery wasn’t here, then I still had battles to fight. At most, we’d only been separated for ten minutes; it was most likely only five, but a growing sense of urgency pounded through my veins.

When I turned toward where Ruby had opened a portal, my stomach dropped as I saw it was gone. If Ellery had returned, then she’d be beside me right now.

No, she would have gone through my portal to make sure I was okay. She wouldn’t have waited here for me.

“She closed it a couple of minutes ago,” Luna said.

“That’s already far too long,” I said.

I didn’t have it in me to open another portal; I didn’t have to try to know it wouldn’t happen. “I need you to open a portal to the manor.”

“Okay,” Luna said. “Should we open it by Scarlet’s home?”

“Yes. We’ll go there first and see if we can find them. Everyone, be prepared for something to come through that portal when it opens. We have no idea what’s on the other side.”

And we didn’t have the time to go somewhere else to open a portal. Every second that passed was one more second Ellery was in jeopardy.

Luna weaved her fingers before her until a portal formed. Everyone lifted their weapons as they braced for an attack, but nothing came through.

“I’m coming with you,” Tucker said.

I hadn’t expected anything else.

“It will just be the three of us for now; if we need more help, we’ll return for it,” I told the others. “We’re better off going with lower numbers until we know what’s happening.”

“Let’s go,” Tucker said.

Without looking back, I entered the portal at a run as I raced toward Ellery… or at least, I hoped she was on the other side.