Page 7 of Blooms of Darkness

I tripped sideways, caught off guard and startled at the force of the blow.

Although Ian’s weapon had stopped this surprise second assailant, it hadn’t been enough to prevent the attack completely.

With a sharp inhale, I flipped my dagger, prepared to fight, just like we had trained.

Ian battled another Fae possessing the same erratic movements, as though there were too many things he wanted to destroy, and not enough time.

The wind whipped through the clearing inside the forest again, and this time, the warning didn’t arrive in advance of the threat.

No, this time, the wind carried three more wild-looking Fae out from the trees.

Each of them hummed with the same strange dark magic. The static in the air around us made it seem as if nature itself recoiled, shaken at their presence.

Surveying the additional Fae creeping toward us, I stared. Except there weren’t only three. There weremorestrange sets of eyes appearing in the darkness beyond. Additional Fae approached, and Ian still fought, battling the man who had tried to attack me.

I gripped the steel in my hand. Because suddenly, it wasn’t four on three. Instead, we were utterly outnumbered.

Chapter 2

“Ahhh,” a terrifyingly deep, blood-curdling scream swept through the dark woods as nearly ten assailants rushed forward.

Ian’s focus remained undeterred, even as the strangers charged. The clang of weapons snapped me into action. For the first time, I fought for my life, no longer in the safety of the training pits.

Ian brought his sword down, atop the man who had attacked me, finally defeating him. But two more men wielded their swords as they challenged him. I gripped my own weapon hard, preparing to strike at the first opportunity. The attackers were nearly animalistic. They dodged Ian’s blows with ease. It was so rare for a civilian to be able to fight with such stamina.

As Captain of the Royal Guard, Ian didn’t surprise anyone by being the best fighter in the kingdom. Even without his Fae magic, his skill set made him an intimidating opponent for anyone to take on. Add in the abilities he had as a shapeshifter Fae, and he proved to be deadly. He maintained a keen sense of awareness and the ability to predict where someone might movenext. These attributes, combined with his brute strength, made him a formidable adversary.

Yet, his skills weren’t enough to quickly stop our current attackers.

As the two Fae engaged Ian, Storm and his companion raced past us, directly into the onslaught of their newest targets.

My shoulder connected with Storm’s friend as he ran by, and a jolt burst through my entire body. The same warmth I’d felt earlier, as we hid in the brush, seemed to magnify tenfold at the short contact. To refrain from falling, I had to quickly catch myself, thankful my legs were in a ready stance.

The stranger’s hood flung back at our touch, and I caught a quick glimpse of his sharp jawline and the black strands of hair hanging slightly around his eyes. Before I could observe anymore of him, he sprinted so far ahead of me, I wondered if his magic gave him multiple abilities, another rare trait.

“Hidden Henchman, now would be a good time to help,” Ian quipped.

The sparring I’d done in the training ring never seemed this bloodthirsty. I knew if I didn’t move and join this fight, Ian would be hurt. Frozen only a second longer, I steeled my nerves.

Ian spent years training me. Now I would put that training to the test. I refused to be a powerless princess sitting idly on a throne as her kingdom suffered.

As Ian held the man’s attention and swung, landing blow after blow, I knew I’d have the element of surprise the moment I joined the fray.

Ian moved with the precision of a warrior, executing blocks and blows against the crazed men time and time again. The attackers were unable to gain a foothold, despite their attempts to put Ian into a defensive position.

In the foray, Ian’s next two sword maneuvers would have one of the men leaning away from me and should trap his sword against Ian’s, long enough for me to launch my own attack.

I leapt as Ian swung his sword over his head and brought it crashing down. A move he had me practice repeatedly in the past year. In a breath, the man became distracted and unable to lift his sword from beneath Ian’s, exactly as planned. I lunged toward him, refusing to hesitate as I plunged my dagger into the side of his throat.

Ian grunted in my ear as his blade slid from beneath the bizarre Fae and blocked a strike from the other assailant. Although Ian barely had time to breathe, I froze.

My hand shook, trembling at the blood staining my skin, but I didn’t let go.

I shivered as I yanked the dagger from the side of the man’s neck, his eyes wide in his final moments before he sank to the ground.

I had killed a man.

A hissing to my right alerted me to danger as the hilt of a sword hit me across the face.

---