Page 78 of Stars May Fall

I grunted. “He’s using kryalcomy, and I suspect he will have extra vitality from halfsouls. It will need to be a clean kill, or he will heal. It’s a long way for an exact shot. If you miss, we’ll blow our cover and arrows will be shot in return.” I motioned for the rest of our party to stay against the back wall away from sight and out of range.

She deepened her breaths. “I’ll take the chance. You can block incoming arrows using your kryalcomy, correct? Even yadum tipped ones?”

I couldn’t help a small smile at her self-confidence. “I can.”

I glanced back to make sure Meena was keeping Sophie far from the edge. Nobody could harm her back there.

Jared settled into position with the other crossbow beside Annabelle. “If we shoot at the same time, we’re more likely to make the kill.”

Annabelle nodded, her movements becoming more purposeful. She repositioned in her half crouch and aimed between the gallery rails. “On my count. Three. Two. One. Shoot.”

Both crossbow strings snapped forward at the same time, the bolts sailing downward. I held my breath. A white explosion similar to the one in the king’s office cracked through the room, scattering guards and knocking dozens to their feet. It looked like it didn’t just block my kryalcomy, but normal missiles too.

When the explosion cleared, one crossbow bolt lay shattered, but the second was embedded in Lyrason’s thigh. The whine on my detector from his direction intensified.

Jared quickly reloaded, sitting back from the balcony edge so he could sit straighter as he pulled back the string into the catch. “The normal bolt got destroyed. The yadum tipped one only got deflected. Shoot again. Yadum bolts only. It’s going to be hard to make a clean kill.”

I glanced at him, keeping still in the shadow of the wall, my eyes on Lyrason as the chaos beneath us shifted. Fingers pointed our direction, and crossbows were drawn. Lyrason pulled the bolt out of his own thigh with much less pain than he should have. He pressed his hands down to staunch the blood, but it already seemed to be healing.

“Hold!” he shouted to his guards.

I held up my hand to Annabelle and Jared as Lyrason locked eyes with me. They both aimed but held. My eyes darted back to Sophie. She was safe, but creeping closer to the edge of the gallery to observe what was going on. At her angle close to the far wall, it would be hard for anyone to see her, let alone hit her with an arrow. Still, I angled my body toward her so I could dive if needed.

Lyrason smiled up at the gallery. “You shoot at me again, and I will kill my two guests.” He beckoned and one of the side doors opened. Guards dragged in two men with sacks over their heads, their hands tied behind their backs, though they both kicked out with their legs. One was at least a head taller than the other. Apprehension grew in my stomach, quickly turning to cold realization as I analyzed one prisoner’s bright clothes. Lyrason had moved faster than I’d thought possible.

Lyrason strode up to the men without even limping, a calm expression on his face. He pulled off the sacks to reveal Callum and Second Prince Clarence.

ANNABELLE

The moment the smaller prisoner was pulled through the side door, I knew he was my brother. I knew the fashionable, lazily worn clothes and the gangly legs. I knew the way he walked.

Lyrason must have had his own guards with Clarence, ready to take him prisoner at a moment’s notice. I blew out a breath. At least, he wasn’t dead like Stirling. Yet. Being too young to inherit the throne was likely the only reason he was alive. And the fact that Lyrason wanted to control me. I hoped Venerick was still alive.

As Lyrason pulled the sacks off the two prisoners’ heads, the second prisoner, Callum, spat straight into his face. I was warming to that man. His gait was unsteady, and his hair was matted with blood that was also smeared across his forehead. His clothes were dirty on one side as if he had been dragged here.

Gregane rewarded Callum with a sharp blow to the back of his knees, sending him to the floor. Hard. He grabbed his hair and forced him to keep kneeling. Callum winced. His skin was pale. I wondered how hard they’d had to hit his head in order to take him prisoner.

I stood up, keeping my crossbow trained on Lyrason. His eyes narrowed on me, and he held up his hand as dozens of crossbows angled themselves to my chest and head. “Don’t shoot her.”

He smiled and clasped his hands in front of him as if we were having a normal, polite conversation. “Annabelle, my dear, let’s end the theatrics. It was nice of you to come and save me the bother of finding you.” He drew a knife in his hand and, with two quick strides, grabbed Clarence’s hair to pull his head back. Lyrason held his knife to my brother’s long, pale neck. My heart pounded against my ribs.

Lyrason smiled at me. “You have two options. One, you can stop drawing this out unnecessarily and getting people killed. Come down, and agree to marry me. Such a move will ensure a peaceful transition into our new monarchy. Two, you can shoot that crossbow, which will deflect against my shield, and I will slit your little brother’s throat.”

I swallowed, trying to think clearly. The many soldiers in the room were meant to be on my side, yet they followed Lyrason. Without him, they’d crumble. But he had Clarence. He would only have to move his hand an inch and my brother would be dead.

Kasten’s voice came low and measured from one side. “Keep calm. Don’t let him get to you. Stall for time if you need to.”

I licked my lips. Father had killed so many to keep one son alive. I couldn’t fall into the same trap. If I was to be queen, I had to put the kingdom first. I had to. I couldn’t let Lyrason take the throne or thousands more would die.

My fingers sweated on the lever which formed a squeeze trigger. I aimed between Lyrason’s eyes. Did I have the strength to do this?

And what if the reason the second bolt had got through the kryalcomy shield was not due to the yadum, but due to blows inquick succession? Maybe the shield could only block so much at once.

I spoke while barely moving my lips, keeping my aim steady. “Kasten, I want you to aim an arc of kryalcomy straight at Lyrason. As powerful as you can.”

His head whipped around. “It’s not discriminate. Clarence and Callum will be caught in the blow.”

My heart rate increased, but I stuck to my plan. “Do it on my command. Clarence should be behind Lyrason’s kryalcomy shield. Callum should be behind Gregane’s. They’re so close together. Jared, fire at Lyrason a second after Kasten’s attack. Aim for his chest.”

---