Page 65 of The Empty Throne

A sharp, foreign cry drew his attention, andKite turned to face down the soldiers coming at him, clearly cockyabout how this fight would go for them, especially since he wasn'teven fighting with a blade.

More fool them.

He slammed the end of his staff into thevulnerable throat of one, which gave him an opening on the othertwo—one of whom was cut down by the guards with him, and Kite tookdown the remaining before crushing his throat. "Let's move."

They fought their way through the city,cutting down soldiers that were older and wiser, and some who werelittle better than fucking children.FuckFazekas—and Terekfor supporting him in this war. Why couldn't they just leaveCremisio alone!

Eventually they came to a crossroads thatleft him with a difficult choice. Continue on through the smallerstreets, where it was easier to go unnoticed and they'd have fewerfights, or save time by cutting across the Starlight Pavilion,which would lead them to a street that would take them directly tothe palace, a route guaranteed to be a thousand times moredangerous.

"Your Grace," Captain Hargden said grimlyfrom somewhere behind him. "Look at this."

Kite joined him where Hargden was croucheddown amidst several bodies. He hadn't paid them any mind before,past ensuring nobody would be standing up to attack them frombehind, but now that he was really looking…

These kills weren't done by any standardweapon of war, or even an improvised weapon. This was knife work.Expert knife work. Most of these soldiers hadn't known they weredead until too late, if they ever knew at all.

"What in the name of Holy Shatar happenedhere?" asked another of the soldiers, voice filled with horror andbordering on tears. Kite turned sharply and closed the few shortsteps, staring down grimly at the mess splayed on the stones. Thesoldier looked up. "What in the world could do this?"

'This' was a man lying in a pool of blood sothick it splashed when walked in, and shattered where it wasalready freezing. There was far too much blood for simple knifewounds, where the blood would have slowed as soon as the heartstopped beating. No, this man had bled out quickly—explosively,from every hole the body could find for escape.

It was Lysa who said, "Someone with healingmagic who uses it to harm. This person was killed from the insideout, their organs ruptured all at once, drowning him in his ownblood, forcing it out of every orifice.."

"Bittersea isn't usually this…florid…in hiskills. He only does this when it's personal," Kite said. "Whoeverthis soldier was, they did something that sent Bittersea way pastanger and into a blinding rage."

Because there was no one else who would havedone this, and in the middle of a fucking war. But what in Shatar'sname was Bittersea doing here? Not loyalty to cause or country. Washe just killing whoever he wanted? No, that didn't seem likelyeither. Something had compelled him to fight for Cremisio, butwhat? Money? Some other reward? There was no telling with thatslippery snake.

"Then I don't feel sorry for them," Lysa saidflatly, turning away. "Whatever they did, they earned thisfate."

Kite didn't bother to argue, not after allthat had transpired between them at Bittersea's home. It was clearhe and Lysa would never entirely agree on such matters, and itwasn't worth causing strife. And he couldn't wholly say that Lysawas wrong, even if he didn't think torturing somebody was ever theright solution to a problem. "We need to move. I hate the riskinvolved, but we are long past out of time, so we need to cross thepavilion and make for the palace with everything we have left."

Hargden sighed. "I had a feeling that wouldbe your choice. Fine. But you stay between me and the guards I putat the rear. I want no heroics and no theatrics from you, YourGrace. His Majesty needs you, not to hear of your death." He shot alook at Lysa. "The same goes for you. If you die before we caninform your father you are alive and here of your own volition, wewill all be going into the arms of Takar tonight."

"Fine," Kite said tersely. "Let's justmove."

Giving him a peeved look, Hargden ordered hissoldiers into position, drew his sword, and led the way into thepavilion.

They'd barely broken cover when soldiers atboth the west and east ends spotted them.

"Run!" Hargden bellowed, but before theycould, a wall of fire came at them, and only the quick actions oftheir mages, Wishta and Tal, kept them all from being reduced tobones and ash. Hargden gave him a shove, and Kite obediently ran,pausing only to ensure that Lysa was with him, because he would bedamned if he let the boy die now, after all they had gone throughto keep him alive.

They were nearly to the other side of thepavilion, still being pursued, when another crush of soldiersabruptly blocked their way—including more fire mages. "Fuck," Kitehissed, hefting his staff even as he knew this fight would befutile. He left the mages to be dealt with by mages and surgedforward to take down some of the soldiers.

He got three before an all too familiar cryof pain drew him up short—and in that moment of distraction, a blowto the back of his head sent him tumbling into the filthy,blood-soaked ground. Someone yanked off his hood, then fisted ahand in his hair and pulled his head up and back, while someoneelse bound his arms.

"This is the Duke of Havenstrite."

"The current Regent?" another soldier asked."Why the fuck is he out here fighting in the streets?"

"Nevermind that! This is Lord Lysyk—" thesoldier choked, gurgled, and toppled over. The others stared inshock, which Kite commiserated with, because he hadn't seen afucking thing.

As one of them turned the body, the answerbecame obvious: a dagger. Someone had thrown a fucking dagger rightinto the back of the man's throat, severing his spine like butter.He only knew one person capable of that.

More soldiers dropped, and then a familiarfigure, draped in dark colors, snow clinging to his hair, wascutting down still more soldiers. Kite slammed back into the oneholding him, sending them both toppling, then twisted, grabbed, andsnapped. He yanked a dagger out of a nearby corpse and set to workcutting the bonds of his people, before rushing over to Lysa, whothrew arms around him and held tightly. "I thought it was over,after everything we've gone through."

Kite held him tightly, steadfastly ignoringhow much he liked having Lysa in his arms. Now wasn't the time; hecould brood about being a dirty old man later.

"You're getting sloppy, Havenstrite," drawleda cold, derisive voice.

Reluctantly letting go of Lysa, Kite turnedand stared at Bittersea. "Thank you for saving us. That's notsomething I ever would have expected from you."

---