Page 52 of Spirit Trials (The Spirit Kingdoms #1)

A hand grabs my wrist, and I spin around.

The hold is tight, and I can’t release myself.

I turn towards my captor and knee him hard.

He sputters and lessens his grip but only for a second before he tightens his grip again.

I wield my knife, but he kicks it out of my hand.

He pulls me to his chest, and I feel the blade of his knife at my throat.

Everything around me slows down, and I go still.

I wait a moment, letting him think he’s got me; and then I explode into action.

I reach up and grab his arm, the one holding the knife at my throat.

And in the move Rysden’s made me practice hundreds of times, I pull it away from my throat and duck under his arm and pin his arm behind his back.

I kick the knife out of his hand and kick his knees forward, driving him to the floor.

Before I can grab the knife, Solace launches at his face.

I whirl around, not wanting to see what happens next.

I race for my knife and snatch it off the ground just as I'm grabbed from behind again. I duck and stab the person in the thigh before they can get ahold of me. Whirling around, I throw my blade up; but it’s no match for the long sword arcing towards my head.

The sword hits my knife with a clang so hard it reverberates up my arm and forces me to take a step back.

Another swing sends my knife flying from my hand.

I take a step back, keeping my eyes on his sword hand and I’m grabbed from behind.

I fight against the hold on my waist. A knife enters the heart of the man in front of me, and he falls to the ground.

Lox appears in front of me, and my captor has to let go of me to defend himself against Lox.

But he never stood a chance; Lox buries a knife in his chest before the man can blink.

More mercenaries come at me. I throw one of my stars and take down one, but there are too many of them.

A guard in crimson steps in front of me and is cut down immediately.

I take a step back and raise my knife, but there are too many of them.

Then the biggest one I’ve seen yet steps forward; he’s got a scar extending down from his eye mask all the way to his neck.

Somebody grabs my arms from behind. I try to free myself, but the hold is too strong.

Panic claws at me. I’ve lost sight of Lox, and there are far too many crimson uniforms on the ground.

The big one with the scar steps towards me.

Suddenly, Captain Corwin is in front of me.

He engages the big man with the scar. I watch in horror as the man in black swings his broadsword and severs the captain’s head from his body in a vicious move.

Captain Corwin never stood a chance. Horror floods my body, and I think I’m going to throw up.

The man steps towards me, and I can’t calm the panic racing through my entire body.

He reaches out and grabs the front of my tunic and yanks me forward.

He takes a step closer, close enough that I can see the darkness in his eyes.

I can’t breathe; my panic threatens to overwhelm me.

I’m suddenly knocked to the side. It takes me a moment to realize what’s happening.

Lox engages with the big man. I search frantically for a knife to be able to help.

I see one on a downed guard a mere foot from me.

I run and grab it and turn back in time to see the big man gut Lox like an animal.

There’s a piercing scream that cuts off when somebody grabs me.

I can’t even fight back. A sob lodges in my throat as I’m dragged away from a bleeding-out Lox.

A barrage of arrows hit the men in masks around me.

Three of them fall, and then it’s just the one with the scar left.

Again . I spin and launch my knife at him.

It lands, and I try to breathe. He looks down at the knife embedded in his chest and stares at it a moment before he reaches up and pulls it out.

I stare in horror as he lifts his eyes and meets mine.

I turn and run. I don’t look where I’m going; I just run.

Something grazes my arm, but I don’t even glance at it.

Then something tangles in my hair, and I’m yanked backward.

A cry is tugged from my lips as I’m dragged across the floor.

I scrape and claw at the floor but can’t get free.

The man with the scar pulls me to my feet.

“That wasn’t nice,” he growls in my face.

Then he lifts his sword, and fear wraps itself around me.

This is it; this is how it ends. I survived the trials, only to be taken out here.

He puts his sword to my heart, and I don’t dare breathe.

His body jerks suddenly, and his surprised eyes meet mine before they drop to where the knife had been embedded in his heart.

He drops to his knees and then to the floor.

There’s a new presence in the room, and I don’t have to look to see who it is.

Rysden. I search for a knife and grab one, turning so I can help him.

What I see takes my breath away. Rysden is a force of nature.

He moves through the room like a hurricane, a lethal deadly one, cutting down anyone standing in his way.

The crimson guards join him, and the men in masks that are still alive retreat and run for the doors.

Rysden doesn’t let a single one make it.

He’s ruthless. Only when there’s not a single masked man standing does he look across the room and meet my gaze.

I swallow at the darkness on his face, the rage.

And yet, it doesn’t stop me. I run for him, and he catches me.

I suck in a half sob, trying to keep what’s left of my heart in my chest. “Lox,” I manage to gasp out.

He grasps both sides of my face, his hold not painful but not gentle either. “Are you injured?” His words are fierce and dangerous.

“N-no, but Lox,” I try to turn to point to Lox, but Rysden turns my face back to him.

“You’re sure?”

"Lox is dead!” I scream at him.

He doesn’t even blink. “I know.”

I stare at him, speechless. Suddenly, everything in my stomach launches upward.

I throw up all over his boots, and then my legs just give out on me.

He holds me up somehow. Lox is gone. I can’t breathe.

“Look at me.” There’s not enough oxygen.

My heart seems to collapse in on itself, and grief overwhelms me.

It’s too much; it’s all too much. “Farrah! Breathe! Come on!” There’s a pressure on my lips, and my air is restricted even more.

It only lasts a moment, and then I suck in a breath.

“There you go. Breathe with me.” I take in another breath and feel the oxygen reach my starved lungs.

And then Rysden’s dark eyes are in front of my own. “Let's get you out of here.”

The next few minutes are a blur. As soon as we step outside, and it no longer smells like blood, I take a deep breath and then promptly throw up again.

Rysden lifts me and places me on top his horse.

“Guard her with your life. If anything happens to her, anything , I will gut you and let Shade feast on your bodies.”

“Wait,” I call out and turn towards the castle. “Solace.”

Rysden turns his dark gaze on me. “She’s with Shade.”

Something about the way he says it catches my attention, and the haziness in my mind fades and clarity snaps into place. “What happened?”

Rysden’s jaw muscle ticks. “They gave him something; he’s still out.”

And just like that, I no longer feel guilt about any of the men I killed. “Is he okay?”

“Healers are tending to him now.” He comes closer to me and puts a hand on my leg. “I have to stay here. Captain Corwin was killed, and it falls on me to take command of the Royal Guard for now.”

Before I realize what I'm doing, I slide off Rysden’s horse and land at his side. “I’m staying to help.”

Rysden shakes his head. “No, you’ve already been through too much. You should never have had to endure—”

I put my hand on his chest, quieting him. “I’m staying. We’ll deal with the aftermath together.”

Rysden runs his hand through his hair again, and I can honestly say I’ve never seen him like this. “I don’t want you to have to see the horror in there.” His words are quiet.

“Newsflash. I’ve already seen it. I’m sorry I sort of checked out for a minute there, but I’m okay now. Come on; we’re wasting time arguing out here.” I don’t wait for him; I head back up the stairs that will take me inside.

I square my shoulders, trying to gain the courage to go back inside. “If it becomes too much, I want you to leave,” Rysden says, coming up behind me and stopping at my side.

“I will.” I look up at him and see the resolve in his eyes.

Without another word to each other, we head back into the war zone.

I stagger for just a moment at the sheer horror of what took place in here before I push all emotion aside and focus on what needs to be done.

I look around the room, trying to find Lox’s body.

I don’t see it and figure it’s already been moved.

Grief threatens to consume me, but I push it away and scan the room.

I see a few people in long crimson robes tending to the guards in matching crimson and know they’re healers.

Rysden has already taken control, issuing orders.

I head over to one of the healers, a woman with long blond hair. “What can I do to help?”

The woman doesn’t miss a beat. “I need this ground to a fine powder,” she says handing me the mortar and pestle she’s currently holding. I take it from her and begin to crush the red leaves. A group of fresh guards show up, and Rysden puts them to work dragging out the bodies of the dead.

When Rysden finds me hours later, I’m dead on my feet; but I brighten when I see Shade and Solace at his side. “Shade.” I bend to get close to him.

Leave him be, Solace snaps, surprising me. He needs to recover fully.

I pull my hands back and look down at Solace. “The guards will finish up,” Rysden says, stepping close and putting a hand on my back. “Everyone that can be helped has been; let’s get home for a few hours and get some sleep.”