Page 45 of Of Glass and of Gold

Before I could reveal my position from the shadows, she proved my prayers went unanswered. Shit.

I raced on her heels, essentially joining her side at the same moment we intercepted their path. “Ella,” I whispered, sword drawn. She jolted, nearly swinging a dagger in my direction before registering who I was.

I offered a reassuring nod as the group approached. I’d be damned if I let anything happen to her, despite being outnumbered. All my years of personal training were about to be put to the test.

“Who the fuck are you?!” One of the men holding the small woman cursed before wrenching her backward.

From this close, I could see they’d bound both the woman and man in chains, though the man more so.

“Let them go,” Ella commanded from behind her mask.

Two of the men chuckled, no doubt because they underestimated the skill this woman possessed.

That could work greatly to our advantage, but I couldn’t help that my blood heated. “I’d listen to the lady, or you may wind up with her dagger embedded in your skull.” Lethal warning dripped from my deepened tone as I edged closer to Ella.

The bald man’s head glistened, as did his long-handled axe when he withdrew it upon approach. “You take the girl. I’ve got him,” he said over his shoulder, delight in his voice that indicated he welcomed the fight. One of the kidnappers with tousled locks holding the chained man let go and stepped forward, withdrawing a scimitar from his belt as he advanced toward Ella with equal enthusiasm.

“Please don’t die,” I begged in a whisper to the woman at my side before running full speed at the axe-wielding assailant. Gods how this night had taken a turn.

Quickly gauging the distance between the two attackers, I swung my sword, clashing with my opponent. In a daring maneuver, I kicked him in the gut, forcing him back several feet before lunging for the scimitar-wielder. He was almost caught off guard, but threw up his steel in the nick of time.

“What are you doing?!” Ella shouted as I entangled myself with both attackers.

Confused, I spared her a glance. She couldn’t be itching for a fight that badly that she was disappointed I took her opponent?

Her baffled glare was directed at me as her hands flailed outward in question. Yep, she was indeed talking to me.

Before I could respond, I had to rear back from the slash of steel attempting to split me in two. Ella ran past as I fought with the man meant for her. I could only surmise she was targeting those still holding the prisoners, but I had no time to help as the axe swung from behind.

I rolled out of the way. In a fight against time, I cut a quick glance across the dark alley. Ella hadn’t wasted a second. She engaged the lone assailant holding the chained man, forcing him to release his hostage.

As much as I wanted her removed from the danger, she’d made a fucking smart move. Now only one kidnapper remained holding the bound woman. I prayed he’d consider his hostage more valuable than teaming up against Ella.

Before he’d probably even had time to consider his options, the bound man robbed him of the opportunity. He whipped the blinding sack from his head, spit out his gag, and with chains binding his ankles and wrists, he bent at the waist and sprinted headfirst with a warrior’s roar toward the woman’s captor.

We’d divided their forces in under a minute. What they’d naively assumed to be a standard abduction operation had been thrown off the rails entirely. I rose to my feet, accepting the two-on-one challenge before me.

“Stop her! Restrain him!” the axe-man snarled to his companion, gesturing toward Ella who’d clearly sabotaged the most critical part of their mission.

Over my dead body.

I rushed the scimitar-wielder before he made it two feet in her direction, tackling him to the ground. These men had prepared themselves for bloodshed—welcomed it. The increasing tension in the air confirmed there would be no opportunity for civil discourse, no alternatives for either party other than success. Even if it was to the death.

While this escalation wouldn’t have been my first choice, the scales of fate would only tip in one direction: them, or us.

I plunged my sword into his throat. I didn’t have time to react to the sensation of his skin giving way to my blade before it sliced through bone with an audible snap, severing his spine. I’d never fatally wounded a man before, but with Ella as their target, I had no other option.

Knowing this man would never get up again, I yanked the sword free, putting his gurgling body behind me to blunt the axe’s blow just in time. The wild eyes staring back at me were filled with feral rage, and I knew there would only be one way to stop him. Forcing my crimson coated steel to control his weapon, I fed it toward the ground, redirecting his attack. He released a wrath-fueled scream as he stumbled.

I sliced my steel across his wooden handle, throwing off his balance, and spun. My blade lodged into the man’s side, and his howling scream echoed in the quiet market. By the time I drew back my weapon, I turned to see Ella toe-to-toe with her opponent.

“Ella!” I raced toward her.

“Get him unchained!” she demanded through gritted teeth as she braced for another sword swing.

I slammed to a halt, hesitancy constricting me like a python. Something deep in my gut called me to rush to her aid, but this woman was no damsel. She’d presented our terms clearly that night—she didn’t need me, she could handle herself. So I battled the screaming part of me that wanted to intervene.

But damn if she wasn’t thinking clearly. Freeing that man would give us a final advantage before we could bring this scene to an end.

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