Page 168 of Bloodguard

The space we occupy between rows of stalagmites and piles of bones isn’t large, but it’s enough for us to circle each other. One foot over the other—that’s how we start. “You can’t leave this castle without getting caught,” I say.

I continue to sidestep, my blades at the ready.

“Watch me,” Tut growls. He angles closer, his gnarly toenails digging into the dirt.

“No,” I growl in return. “It’s a mistake to free her now.” Or kill and steal her, as he plans.

“Aurora needs to be freed. The Erth depends on it!” he screeches. “My people depend on it. On me. And I will have her!”

My back is to the golden gate. Not exactly the best place to be. But I have the swords now, and I can certainly run faster than an ogre. I just need to get past him.

“If I die, and I won’t,” I promise, “Soro will know it was you. He’ll come after you and everyone you’ve ever spoken to, knowing you robbed him of the throne.”

“No body, no blame,” he snarls.

He charges.

And I meet him halfway.

He raises his weapon.

I raise both of mine.

Cling, clang, cling.

He swings one way, I the other, blocking him with Grandmother’s sword, whirling and slicing open his gut with Grandfather’s.

I spin away from his next blow and cut a new hole in his face.

Tut raises his axe in both hands and brings it down. I hop back and whirl out of reach, and he…explodes.

Chunky bits of Tut slide across the expanse, battle axe spinning through the air until it hits the golden bars of Aurora’s cage with a massiveclang.

That was unexpected.

As if summoned by the dinner bell, the ground trembles as the great phoenix wakes. And who should saunter toward me, sparks of the lavender magic she used to ignite Tut dancing across her skin, but Aisling.

She points accusingly at me. “You dare plot against Soro…”

A terrible heat builds at my back, crawling its way up my spine.

Aisling’s jaw slackens as her gaze lifts and lifts and lifts. Her finger lowers, flames reflecting in her lavender irises.

Fire builds behind me as Aurora continues to rise, lengthening our shadows across the sweltering terrain.

My body overheats as I race past Aisling and dive over a high section of bones.

Flames of red and gold burst forth as Aurora spreads her wings and flaps, causing a wind so fierce that bones scatter like leaves, and I have to shield my face from the debris. Aisling screams when Aurora’s serpentine tongue snakes out from behind the bars of her cage, lapping at the bloody chunks that once were Tut.

Another heat source builds, this time to my far right. I scramble up and over the next mess of bones as a sphere of lavender fire barrels down the row I just abandoned.

I don’t have to wait for Aisling to build more magic. Her screams of terror and fury manifest more power in record time.

“You took him from me!” she says, somewhere to my left beyond a maze wall. “And now you seek to steal the phoenix from us, too!”

Yes, Aisling, that was my intent all along. All I was thinking about was you.I roll my eyes and hunker down, trying to pinpoint her location as her voice draws closer.

Aisling didn’t know about the phoenix. Soro never shared that little secret. She knows it now, and she’s taking it out on me.

---