Page 89 of Night Meets the Elf Queen (The Elf Queen #4)

KATANA

A tlanta turned and snatched Katana before she could back toward the door and shoved her into a small recess in the wall with a suit of black armor. To make it out the front entrance would mean she’d have to get around Atlanta, and Synick stood on the path of the back exit.

“Calm down, Atlanta. Put the trident away.” Synick held up a palm and grasped the Sword of Truth in the other. “You don’t want to do this. We can still work together.”

“I don’t work with demon cohorts.”

“They tortured me for centuries. Believe me, I am not with the demon princes. But we are trapped here, and Valeen will eventually find her sister. What then? She has Hel, War, and an immortal weapon. We need each other.”

There had to be a way out. She peered around the suit of armor’s leg. There was a window in the wall directly across from her, but she’d have to run between them to get to it. There was a hallway around the corner to her right. Maybe she could slip unnoticed…

Katana.

She jumped, clutching her hands to her breast, startled by the male voice in her mind.

Katana, can you hear me?

Pressing herself against the wall behind the armor, she rubbed her temples. Surely, she was going mad. This wasn’t another one of her panic attacks, was it? Her heart was beating hard, but that was because she was trapped in a house with the two males who’d tormented her.

Katana, I’m sorry I didn’t keep my promise. Where are you? Please tell me. I will find you.

Thane? she thought. It was his voice certainly, she’d recognize it anywhere. He was in her dreams almost every night after all… the one respite between nightmares. The trauma of being taken must have broken her mind again, and of course she would think of him. She loved him.

She heard his sigh of relief. Yes, Katana. Where are you?

Are you truly talking to my mind? Are you real? She’d asked him that once before when he stood right in front of her. She’d felt as silly then as she did now.

I’m real, and I’m coming to get you. Is Synick there? Or just Atlanta?

Glass shattered, thuds and grunts filled the room. She hid further behind the suit of armor and slammed her eyes shut. How are you talking to me? Is it Hel’s magic?

Atlanta started screaming and she pressed her hands over her ears.

There was only silence for a few breaths and then he said, It’s not Hel’s magic. It’s something else.

She smiled and focused on him, picturing his beautiful face. I’m in an abandoned white manor. Everything was overgrown outside. There is a name on the door, Nerinhall. That’s all I know. We must still be in the Valley somewhere.

“I’ll kill her, Atlanta! I swear if you don’t back off, I’ll run her through, and you can watch her die.”

She whimpered. Hurry, Thane. Synick said he will kill me. He’s fighting with Atlanta.

I’m coming. The tone of his voice was different; he was afraid. Can you get outside? Can you hide?

I don’t know. She peeked out from behind the armor. Feathers were scattered everywhere, the two sofas were torn to shreds. The wooden chairs at the table were broken.

Atlanta slammed Synick into the wall a few feet from her, cracking the stone.

A squeak escaped her throat, and she dashed for the entrance door.

“KATANA!” Atlanta bellowed. “Get back here!”

With tears sliding down her face, she threw the door open and leapt down the steps. Something crashed behind her. She pushed harder, driving her legs, pumping her arms. Thane, I’m outside. I’m running!

I’m coming.

There were no other homes close. There were only empty fields, not even woods to hide in. There was no one else here. How far away was Thane? She had only moments before?—

Arms wrapped around her from behind, she screamed, clawing and throwing her head back and slamming it into his jaw. The left hand was gloved… “No!” she shouted. “No!”

Brutally strong arms twisted her around and she came face-to-face with Synick. He pulled her against his chest and leaned down to her ear. “Going somewhere, goddess? The fun is just starting.”

She shoved her burning, glowing palms to his face and dug in her nails. His scream rang in her ears, his skin melting under her touch. “Get off of me!”

Something hard cracked her in the side of the head.

Pain came first, then darkness threatened, she stumbled back and fell down the dirt road.

Blood dripped across her face, and she put one arm in front of the other, dragging herself along the ground.

Get up. Get up. But the ringing in her ears was too loud, everything spun and tilted, she couldn’t tell up from down.

“You didn’t fight last time. This is much more entertaining.” A shadow loomed above her.

She twisted to face him and scooted back. The blade of his sword was bloody. “You killed him,” she whispered. Her vision was coming back into focus. The door to the manor was wide open. Atlanta was nowhere. “You murdered him?”

“He’s not dead. Even if he’s angry at the moment, he’ll come round to my side. We’ve been best friends for too long for him not to. And when I bring you back to him, he’ll see that.” He smiled and took a step closer. She scrambled backward and, rising, she ran again.

“Thane!” she screamed. “Please come…” her voice cracked as she sobbed.

His footsteps thundered behind her. “Thane? So, you are a whore like Atlanta said. Maybe I’ll take my turn too.”

He grabbed the back of her top, tearing the fabric. She twisted, pulling out of it, leaving her in a thin cream camisole and kept running.

Thump, thump, thump, he was right behind her. Her heart was going to beat out of her chest. He caught her hair and dragged her to a halt.

“Let go of me!” He threw her to the ground and was on top of her before she could move. “No! NO!” His rot smell filled her nose, and she gagged.

“Tell me how to dismantle Valeen’s magic wall.” He wrapped a hand around her throat and squeezed.

“I don’t know.”

“You’re lying. What were you doing in the smithy?” She spit in his face, and he slapped her. It merely stung compared to what Atlanta had done. “Tell me how to get out of here.”

“I do not know,” she said through her bared teeth.

“Does it have something to do with that sword you had? She told you to take it to the cliff… but you didn’t. I saw you go into the castle.”

Her heart fluttered, but she didn’t deny it. If she did, he might sense her lie.

“I can hear your heart beating oddly. That sword has something to do with it.” His burnt skin was already healing.

The dagger. Thane had given her the weapon for a moment just like this. With one hand she pushed his face away, and with the other she pulled her dagger, angled it against his back where Thane had shown her, and shoved it in.

He reared back, wailing. “You bitch.”

Wiggling free, she got up again. Her magic coiled through her, and her palms emanated a fiery heat. The sun beat down on her, warming her skin, intensifying her power.

He stood, frost curling around his palms. The skeleton creatures conjured out of nothing, five on each side of him. “You know what you fight fire with, don’t you? You might have had a chance against me if you trained how to use that power of yours in combat, but you never did.”

Angry tears burned. Her mind went to Thane, and how she wished she could see him one more time. Thane. If I don’t see you again ? —

I’m almost there.

I just wanted to say ? —

Tell me when you see me.

Atlanta appeared in a cyclone of water, taking a stance between them. Whatever injuries he had were gone. “Enough, Synick.” He held up his hands to both of them. “We have a bigger problem.”

Distant hooves pounded in quick succession. Synick’s smug expression fell away as he looked over her shoulder. “So, we do. How did they find us?”

She whirled to a black horse careening down the hillside, his rider with a glinting sword in hand… Thane .

Just behind him was another rider on a winged horse.

Shadows rolled in waves all around her like a black thundercloud.

Beside her Hel flew on white wings. She choked on a sob and ran for them.

Before she could get five steps, Atlanta had her.

He twisted her arm behind her back until she was sure it would break and gripped her around the neck. “You’re hurting me,” she whimpered.

“I know the little whore inside you wants to run to him, but you belong to me.”

Phantom reared up as Thane pulled back on the reins and he leapt off, sword pointed at Atlanta. “Release her.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Atlanta boomed in the same condescending tone he used when he spoke to the servants. “What you’ll do is allow me and Katana a way through the barrier keeping us trapped here.”

“And me,” Synick added.

Full of fury, Valeen stepped up beside him, weapon in hand. “I swear I will tear off your limbs before I take off your head if you don’t let her go.” Hel landed on her other side and tucked his wings away. He didn’t look angry but there was something frightening about his smirk.

“Katana for passage through the wall,” Thane said.

“No.” Atlanta tightened his grip.

“Take the deal,” Synick said quietly. “They are immortal again. This is not a fight we will win right now. I know my nephews and I know her.”

“I will not give her up.”

“Fool, live to fight another day,” Synick muttered.

“I’d rather see her dead than with him.”

Katana gulped. She believed him.

“You’re on your own then, Atlanta.” He and his skeletons backed away slowly. By the sounds of their footsteps, they started running.

“He can’t get out,” Thane said. “We’ll get him later.” Then he glared at Atlanta. “Let her go.”

Thane, Synick knows the Lightbringer sword has something to do with the magical barrier.

He didn’t move, didn’t tell the others to go after Synick. He stayed focused on her.

Atlanta’s grip tightened around her throat, and she gasped. This couldn’t happen. She wouldn’t let him kill her in front of Thane and Valeen. It would haunt them forever.

With her hands burning, she reached back and shoved them into his eyes. He roared, slapping his hands over them. Then she was running. If she could make it into Thane’s arms, she’d be safe. He caught her around the waist and held her for only a moment then pushed her behind him. “The sword.”

Without hesitation, Valeen gave him a golden sword with a beautiful hilt and ancient script. Soulender.

Katana’s heart lurched into her throat. As much as she hated Atlanta, she wasn’t sure she could watch him die. Even if he would have killed her. “Wait,” she breathed.

“Kill him,” Hel said. “Kill him now while he’s blind.”

Screaming with rage, Atlanta started swinging his trident wildly.

Valeen grabbed Katana and turned her away. “This needs to happen.”

“We can just lock him out.” Her breaths came faster. “He has a territory. He’s the father to my children. What happens to them if he dies?”

“If we just locked him out then you would be a prisoner to the valley and if the wall ever falls, he will be back for you. This must end.”

Thane’s jaw muscles feathered, and he said, “Don’t hate me for what I’m about to do.”

Valeen kept hold of Katana’s head, covering her ears, not letting her turn. “Just keep looking at me.”

Metal clashed, grunts and shouts made the hairs on her arms rise.

The fight didn’t last long. She slammed her eyes shut.

The plop of something hitting the ground made her go very still.

After a few breaths she pulled Valeen’s hands down from her ears and turned.

Atlanta was dead. His head lay beside his body.

As horrified as she was, she was also relieved. She ran to Thane and buried her face in his chest. It was his warm arms around her that stopped her from trembling. She couldn’t be angry with him for what he’d done. He was her protector, as he’d promised. “Thank you for doing what I could not.”

“I’m so sorry. I’m sorry,” he muttered into her hair over and over. “I shouldn’t have left you.”

Her body shook with sobs. The rush of the fight slipped away, leaving her body weak, and her legs gave out. Thane caught her in his arms and held her to his chest. “Atlanta will never hurt you again.”

She sniffled and lifted her chin. “I thought I might die again, and you were the last person I thought of.” A tear fell from his brilliant green eyes. “I love you. You’re everything I ever wanted and needed. I’m so happy you’re mine.”

Tears freely flowing now, he took her face in his hands. “I love you too, Katana. And you could hear me because you are my soulmate.” He pushed aside his hair and on the back of his neck was a sun tattoo matching hers. “You are forever with me.”

Her eyes widened at the sight of the mark, then she grinned and laughed. So, it was true after all. “My mate,” she whispered.