Page 58 of Kill the Queens

"Right. So you need to draw on your holy fire."

"Which we've already discovered issoeasy for me." Her arms throbbed but she continued to climb, never allowing herself to look down at Rehan or the ground below them. How were the gods so certain that she could even do this? She'd felt much more confident when they'd gone after Queen Sienna. But then she'd had a grimoire and a warlock at her side; she hadn't had to depend on her own skillset.A skillset that did not include climbing or fighting.

Her palm flattened at the top of the wall. She would have sighed except she was breathing quite heavily. Finally, she was able to pull herself up the last bit. Rehan beamed up at her as sheclung to the stones.

"That's my girl."

"Not your girl." She breathed into the barrier, squeezing her eyes shut.

Rehan straddled the wall, looking out into the courtyard. "Not to worry you, but we'll have to hurry down." Ace groaned. "No, we need to hurrynow. We have been spotted."

She lifted her head, her hair falling into her eyes. Even through the strands, she could see guards running from their positions closer to the castle. Several swords were already drawn and Ace caught their shouts at the intrusions on the passing wind.

"I'll go first," Rehan insisted.

Ace held her breath as he lowered himself, feeling carefully for places to hold onto. She lifted a hand just to watch it tremble. She let both legs dangle, the stone biting into her gut.

"That's not good," Rehan said under his breath.

"What did you just say?!"

If Rehan answered, Ace didn't hear him as an arrow zinged by her face and struck the stone between her fingers. She let out a yelp as she yanked her hand away, her whole body pulling off the wall as she jumped in surprise.

Gravity grabbed her, stealing away her voice as she fell. Rehan was a blur, the stone passing at a rapid speed, and Ace's arms were reaching for something…anything but finding nothing except air.

Her vision turned black then dotted with white stars before she registered the pain or realized that the loud cracking noise had been bones breaking. Agony spiked as she struggled to take her next breath.

"Fuuccckkk," she hissed, not daring to move. Blinking her eyes open she saw Rehan—or at least what she assumed to be him since he was really just a fuzzy dark blob—jump the last fewfeet off the wall. He sprinted in her direction but never made it as his hands lit with twin blades that sliced through the nearest guard.

Pressing her palms into the earth, Ace tried to stand. Her elbows buckled as she gritted her teeth, pain echoing through her bones. "I don't have time for broken bones," she said mainly to the gods.

Good thing you heal quickly, Fareesh the goddess of health and healing reminded her.

Though the edges of her vision remained fuzzy, she was able to see clearer. Ace forced herself to sit up. Rehan moved with the skill of a trained warrior. He moved faster than the guards, cutting through the small group that had made its way to us. She blinked as he shoved one blade up through a man’s stomach and then pulled it out, slinging blood as he went. Droplets of crimson rained down on her boots.

Get up. I need to get up, Ace thought, closing her eyes as the horizon tilted one way and then the other.

"No, you do not," Rehan shouted through gritted teeth as he took out another guard.

"Stop listening to my thoughts!" she squeaked as she thrust her eyes open and forced herself to stand. Every breath she took sent pain pulsing through her ribcage and down her spine. She shifted and gasped as she felt a bone snap back into place. Rehan's image turned into three that came apart and then back together.

Power built inside of her, rushing to the surface of her skin. She stretched for that chord of power and the hilt blazed in her palm before stretching out. Ace stumbled, straightening her arm as she fell forcefully into the nearest guard blade first. His back arched as the sword pierced through his chest on the other side. When he crumbled and Ace slid her weapon out of him, Rehan's hands were planted on his hips as he tried to catch hisbreath.

"You're right, I really needed your help with that last one." Sweat sparkled on his skin as he looked around them at the guards who'd fallen.

Ace clung to the holy fire that raced in her veins for fear she wouldn't be able to find the strength to take hold of it again. She stepped over an outstretched arm missing a hand, weaving through the bodies and blood as best she could. Her head was pounding.

He'd killed them all. He hadn’t even needed her help. She blinked trying not to let him see her astonishment.

"That was a wicked fall." Rehan so rudely pointed out as he met Ace's stride. "But you seemed to have stitched yourself back together well enough."

"I'm not exactly qualified for this job that I've been given," she muttered as she staggered out of the mess.

Rehan caught her by the tip of her elbow as she straightened. His eyes were narrowed, the shine of suspicion clear in that bright gaze. "You sure you're good to go in there and fight a queen with magic?"

"I've got you, don't I? Apparently, that's all I need." She shrugged out of his grip. "I've got to get to Shelby."If he’s even still alive.That thought that followed felt like a crack forming inside of her chest that could very well make her heart break. She gripped her sword, sprinting through the courtyard. There were footprints and bent grass but otherwise, there was nothing of note as they ran by.

A door had been left open where the guards had exited the castle after their arrival had been announced. A black singe mark was left across the wood as Ace nudged it open with her sword. Crisp white halls, empty except for a single golden statue.

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