Page 148 of Somber Prince

“Dawn.”

She scrambled from under the cushion and grabbed my hand.

“Together,” she croaked. “We stay together, Rha.”

The woman leaped on her from behind with a scowl. She grabbed Dawn’s shoulders, yanking her backwards. I tossed the knife. It imbedded into the woman’s eye socket. She dropped into the sand, dark blood soaking into the black sand.

“Come here.” I yanked Dawn to her feet. But she reached for the knife, pulling it out of the woman’s head.

“We need this.” She tipped her chin behind me.

Holding her to me, I turned around.

The desert dwellers surrounded us. Dressed in rags, their teeth bared in menace, they looked like a pack of hyenas ready to attack. Their sorry state stirred no compassion in me. All I felt was regret that I hadn’t ended them all when I had a chance. I should’ve combed the desert and exterminated them all like the roaches that they were.

“Stand back!” Dawn’s voice rang loud and clear.

Raising the bloodied knife in her hand, she brought it to her own neck.

Terror struck me.

“No!” I tried to grab her arm, but she twisted away from my reach, then squeezed my wrist with the hand that was not holding the knife.

“It’s me you’re after, aren’t you?” she yelled at the mob. “Well, you’re not going to get me. Take a step closer, and I’ll slit my own throat.”

“Dawn. Don’t…” Horror squeezed my chest so tightly, I didn’t think I could take another breath.

A woman sneered. “Do it, sweetie. I’ll be fine with clawing the prince’s eyes out as a consolation prize.”

Dawn tugged me closer and stepped in front of me. My sweet, gentle treasure was shielding me from the wild mob.

Growling and undulating, the crowd shifted closer in a barely perceptible way. Dawn’s threat wouldn’t hold them for long. I kept an eye on the thug to my left. His sword was the closest to me and it happened to be of my preferred size. If I could get hold of it?—

An arrow pierced the thug’s neck. He lurched forward, and I lunged toward him, grabbing the sword from his hand.

More arrows swished through the crowd, like a shower of death. Bodies dropped to the ground. Men and women crawled in the sand, scrambling to face this new threat. Arrows came from everywhere, quiet but lethal.

With my left arm around Dawn, I slashed the neck of the thug closest to me with the sword. His head rolled to the ground, spraying the sand with blood. I stabbed another one in the back, kicking him out of the way as I dragged Dawn toward the fallen camel.

“What’s happening now?” she panted.

I had no answer to give her. But as long as our enemies were the ones getting slaughtered, we had hope.

A dark shadow appeared in front of us, solidifying into a person. I thrust the sword toward them.

“Easy, Your Highness!” Oskura raised both hands in a calming gesture. “I’m ready to fight and die for you, but not by your own hand, my prince. That’d be sad.”

“Oskura.” I dropped my arm with the sword. “Talk about making an entrance.”

Relief flooded me. Dawn sagged at my side, too, tension draining from her body.

“Thank God.” She tossed the bloodied knife she held aside. “I’m so happy to see you, General.”

Oskura tilted her head.

“Looks like we don’t need to attack Kalmena after all.” The impossible woman had the audacity to sound disappointed at the lost chance of starting a war against the ruling queen.

“No need,” I said. “Queen Abeille and I have reached a sort of understanding.”

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