Page 55 of Witchcraft and Fury (Chronicles of the Divided Isle #1)

The soldiers advanced on the wizard. Quick as a flash he raised his staff.

The wood rippled and changed to metal. Before the guards could so much as draw their swords he had slain them both, their bodies falling limp to the ground.

He had turned his ash combat staff into iron, Solar realised with horror. It had become a killing staff.

Storrbury took up a defensive stance in front of the king, whilst the three axemen below advanced on Loveday at a lumbering run. In their heavy armour they were no match for the speed or skill of Loveday, and when his blows found the bare skin of their throats they too fell, lifeless.

Loveday now advanced towards the dais, his normally composed face transformed into a hideous snarl. ‘If I can’t take the throne with subterfuge then by the gods, Algar, I will take it by force!’ he bellowed.

Storrbury raised his staff in a two-handed grip, but before he had the chance to use it Loveday spun around to meet a new threat: Solar had drawn Fury and charged at his exposed back with Cal close behind.

Loveday turned just in time to parry Fury and Cal’s ash staff.

Solar and Cal fell back to circle Loveday warily, knowing that one touch from the wizard’s weapon would mean their deaths.

‘Run away, girl, whilst you still can,’ Loveday urged. ‘You don’t stand a chance against me. It’s not like I chose you for any talent you might possess. I chose you because you were stupid enough to believe you were special.’

‘I have no words for you, sorcerer! Only my blade!’ yelled Solar.

She struck at Loveday’s left, her sword humming through the air.

She felt a savage satisfaction to be on the offensive, to be striking back after all his months of scheming.

He deflected the attack and, before Solar could bring Fury back into a defensive position, the butt of his staff came tearing towards her head.

Cal’s staff intercepted it, and Solar used the moment’s respite to withdraw a step and compose herself.

Then she and Cal attacked as one, raining blow after blow at Loveday’s body.

She knew that neither Cal nor Loveday would dare try to perform a spell whilst fighting, for a single slip in pronunciation would have unpredictable consequences.

The iron staff was a blur as it countered and parried, and the three of them were soon panting heavily.

Onlookers scurried out of their way whenever the duellers came close to them.

Others ran from the hall, calling for more guards to come to the defence of their king.

One bystander darted out of Solar’s path a little too slowly, and his foot collided with her own. She stumbled, and Loveday took the opportunity to send her sprawling with a kick .

Cal cried out when he saw Solar fall, and in his moment of distraction Loveday dealt Cal’s ash a tremendous blow that sent it tumbling from his grasp.

Loveday raised his weapon, aiming for Cal’s exposed chest. He brought it down with a triumphant cry.

A new blade darted forth, intercepting the blow, and then Binns was amongst them, his eyes boring into Loveday. Solar saw a flicker of fear cross Loveday’s face as he sized up the master-at-arms. Then it vanished as his expression hardened and he began a deadly dance with his new adversary.

‘Don’t be a fool, Dirk!’ he said through gritted teeth.

‘Oh, it seems I’ve been a fool ever since I first called you friend. This is the first sensible thing I’ve done in years.’

Solar and Cal picked up their weapons and made to join Binns, but the man snapped an order at them: ‘No, out of the way! I fight better alone. Protect the king!’

The two thrust and parried, retreated and advanced, sidestepped and lunged.

Binns was having the better of it, his sword moving more gracefully than should have been possible for a weapon whose purpose was death.

As he backed Loveday against a wall, doors behind the throne opened and guards clad in mail and helmets flooded in.

A thrust of Binns’ blade drew blood above Loveday’s right elbow. The wizard staggered backwards against the wall, and it seemed as if the master-at-arms had finally won. Vivid scarlet blood gushed from the wound.

Binns thrust his sword at Loveday’s unprotected heart.

It ricocheted off an invisible force field that emanated from Loveday’s staff. Binns lost his balance and stumbled. In an instant Loveday was on the attack, striking out with the staff in his left hand. It struck Binns on the jaw. He crumpled to the floor with a choked cry .

Loveday sprinted for the great oak doors at the end of the hall. The newly arrived guards did not pursue at first, forming instead a ring around the dais and the king, assessing whether or not there were more threats to fend off.

Solar and Cal ran to Binns and fell to their knees. His eyes, black coals that Solar had once found so terrifying, looked up at the ceiling, unseeing.

‘Sir Dirk! Wake up! Wake up!’ Solar shouted, shaking him.

‘Solar,’ Cal said softly. ‘Leave him be. He is gone.’

Solar collapsed onto Binns’ chest, tears pouring down her cheeks. ‘I didn’t mean for this to happen,’ she sobbed. ‘I didn’t mean for this to happen.’