Page 68 of The Empty Throne

Shooting him a brief look, Kite put hisattention back on the fighting, ignoring the agony tearing throughhis body. He needed rest, even just food, water. But those wereluxuries that would have to wait. He glanced back at the dais,where soldiers were protecting Sobeki, an entire wall of themdriving back anyone who got too close.

In the middle of the room, Oskia was tearingthrough the honor guard protecting Fazekas—who, from the looks ofit, was trying to retreat. No, that wasn't fucking happening. Helooked at Lysa again. "Get to safety! This ends now." Not waitingfor a reply, Kite pushed onward, cutting through his latestopponents, he then started fighting his way to the front, signalingevery soldier he saw to follow him, so that when they finallyreached it, they were able to block it.

A straggling fire mage came at them in a wallof flame, but Kite met him head on, ignoring the searing burns thatadded to his other wounds, and drove his stolen sword into thewoman's gut, wrenching it hard to slice her open. The flames diedas the woman choked on her own blood and collapsed in her ownentrails.

Sweating, dizzy and hot and hurting, Kitelimped his way to Fazekas, pausing along the way only to swap hissword for a glaive he spied, always happier with his pole weapons.From around the room the other three joined him, boxing Fazekas in.What few Terekian soldiers remained alive had the sense to quit,even when Fazekas snarled for them to help him.

"Surrender," Oskia said coldly, standingright in front of Fazekas, her back to the throne, the point of hercutlass at his throat.

"Never," Fazekas said. "You think I'll be—"He broke off, throat sliced open by Oskia, and collapsed.

"How very anticlimactic," Bittersea said,sheathing his knives. He looked each of them over, coldlydismissing Oskia and Lindquist before settling on Kite. "You fightlike a tired child, accruing so many wounds."

"Get fucked, Bittersea."

"That is my hope, now we are hopefully donewith all these stupid heroics you people insist on," Bitterseadrawled, before grabbing his left arm and pouring so much healingmagic into him so quickly that Kite screamed and nearly passed out,saved from falling to the filthy floor by Cohea catching him.

Kite glared at Bittersea and then Cohea."Tell your Bonded he doesn't actually have to be a complete assabout every little thing he does."

"I'd have more luck telling ice not to becold," Cohea said, glancing at Bittersea with a truly nauseatingamount of fondness.

Kite pushed away with a stiff thanks to themboth and strode to the throne, embracing Sobeki tightly. "I'm gladyou're all right."

"I'm glad we're all alive," Sobeki said. "Nowlet me go. It's time for me to do my part."

Reaching them, Oskia drew herself up andsaid, "I'm coming with you."

"No, you need to rest—"

"Am I the future queen or not?"

Kite's jaw dropped. "Sobeki said you wantedto kill him, not finally marry him!"

Sobeki shot him a venomous look, but Oskiaonly laughed before taking Sobeki's arm and dragging him awaythrough the hidden door behind the throne, signaling for theremaining guards to follow.

Kite forced himself to focus, ensure all wastended to before he gave his full attention to a reckless littlebrat who needed to learn to stay where he was told, stay where hewassafe.

Predictably, Bittersea was wandering aroundthe room ensuring that every enemy soldier was dead, and,unpredictably, healing any of their own. Kite was never going toget used to seeing Bittersea use his powers the way they wereintended, instead of as yet another way to kill.

Cohea and the few soldiers left on their feetwere rounding up the remaining enemies to throw in prison untilSobeki had the time and inclination to deal with them.

Sobeki would be assigning people to thevarious duties that needed attending in the aftermath of this uglyfight, so Kite wouldn't be needed for any of that. He'd need to getcleaned up first, anyway. Nobody was going to feel terriblyreassured by anything said by a man wearing singed clothes andcovered in more blood than was probably inside him.

All immediate problems dealt with, he finallyturned his full attention to Lysa. "You! When I tell you to staysomewhere, you fucking stay there! You're not a combatant! I toldyou—"

"Shut up, Kite," Lysa said, throwing his armsaround Kite's neck and cutting off his scathing retort with akiss.

It wasn't a very good one, they were both toofilthy from battle for that, but it was everything Kite had beentrying to pretend he didn't want. Lysa was entirely too young forhim, and only just freed from the control of his abusive father,and those were just the most immediate reasons this was a badidea.

Drawing back slightly, licking his own lipsin a way that didn't help anything, Lysa said, "Stop thinking sohard. I can already hear every single one of your stupid protests.I'm old enough to know my own mind, and I'm hardly going to be shutaway in a tower by you, and—"

"You're an absolute brat," Kite cut in with asigh.

"I prefer 'pretty scholar.'"

"Well, I prefer you not do stupid, recklessshit like run into the midst of a battle with no training, noweapon, nosensein that supposed brain of yours—" Hegrunted as he was cut off with another kiss. "You can't do thatevery time you don't like what I'm saying."

"Is that a challenge?"

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