Page 62 of Shadows of Ruin

A sharp sting ran along my spine, knocking me to my knees as I cried out in pain. I turned, seeing a man with shaggy red hair lift his blade to strike me again. So much for my confidence and no death blows. His eyes narrowed on me.

“Friendly with the king?” he asked before bringing his blade down.

“Lana!” Kade’s voice shouted from somewhere to my left, but I ignored him. Raising my own weapon, I blocked the deadly assault.

“Not at all.” I gritted my teeth, rising to my feet.

The man lunged forward, our blades locking. “Too bad. I might have spared you.”

I spun, slicing forward and catching his thigh. He roared, reeling back but not leaving the fight.

Shadows swiftly skittered toward me, but I didn’t need them. “No,” I commanded. They paused, lingering a few feet away.

The anxiety, the fear that so frequently made me hesitate lessened. I’d trained for this. I’d fought. I’d survived multiple battles, and I knew my capabilities.

I may not be the best warrior, but I would survive this day. For now, I believed I was fully capable of handling myself in this fight. I had confidence in myself, for the first time in a long time.

I’d use it, wield it as another weapon in my arsenal.

Our swords clanged, the ferocity of his hit reverberating up my arm, but I countered with my own strength. I noticed awound on the man’s shoulder. He had two hits already. I only needed to land one more.

I smiled, backing up and forcing him to fall forward with his next blow.

He jerked his gaze toward me. “A woman has no chance of defeating me. I’ve trained for this day,” he hissed. “Waited for this moment my entire life.”

“Well, seeing as how you were only now selected for the chance at being a Guardian, I’m going to guess you’re not trained well.”

Fueling his emotions helped me. His movements turned savage. Wild, and out of his control. The man’s swings, though harsher, were easier to anticipate.

I heard Kade call my name again but refused to focus on his voice.

This time when I blocked the man in front of me, clashing my blade to his, I knew I’d won. “Enjoy knowing awomanbested you.”

A pulsing light spread over my hands, and I inhaled, twisting my blade and slicing the man’s other arm. He stumbled back, glaring at me with lethal rage.

I almost lashed out due to his use of magic but hesitated. The light rimmed my hands and then disappeared. That was?—

Impossible.

“I think not,” a voice hissed. I looked up, realizing the man had no honor or intention of leaving this battle despite being down by the rules of engagement.

His rush caught me off guard and I lifted my blade, moving slower than I would have liked.

Before he reached me, a shadowy tendril wrapped around his throat and a blade slammed mercilessly through his gut.

I stumbled back a step.

Kade whipped around, eyes roaming over my body. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head. “Only my back. It’s fine.”

He grabbed my arm, spinning me around and inhaled sharply. “We’ll get you to Cassandra.”

“We’re in the middle of this stupid festival, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“I don’t care,” he said, gripping the hand that didn’t hold my blade.

“Kade, your father?—”

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