Page 15 of The Gilded Cage

Bracing herself for what was about to happen, Kiva hurried forward with Caldon, but they barely made it halfway to the next room before the rebel group flew into the kitchen with raucous yells, their weapons held high.

Caldon cursed and shoved Kiva back, swinging his two swords to meet their attackers strike for strike. It wasn’t like when she’d watched him practicing with Jaren. That had been almost beautiful, with calculated, nimble steps. This was different; it was messy and chaotic, with an underlying fury coming from the rebels, and a cold calmness emanating from the warrior prince.

The first rebel fell before Kiva had even regained her balance, the second was down before she’d raised her dagger uselessly in the air. She was a healer, her sole mission in life to help people, not hurt them. But she didn’t know how much Zuleeka had told these rebels — whether they knew she was one of them, or if they believed she was the enemy.

Caldon dispatched the third and fourth attackers with ease, his blades blurring as he ducked and parried in quick succession. Five more rebels ran through the doorway, three of whom went straight for the prince, but the last two burly men bypassed the skirmish, their eyes locked on Kiva.

She backed away, clutching her dagger tight enough to make her fingers hurt. The men prowled toward her, licking their lips and sharing meaningful glances, dark anticipation spreading across their faces.

“I think we’ll have some fun with you,” the one in the lead said, his accent marking him as a native of Mirraven. Kiva had heard the rebels were recruiting from outside of Evalon, but seeing the evidence came as a surprise. “Don’t worry, poppet. We’ll show you a good time.”

Bile rose within Kiva at the lecherous look on their faces, at the mirth touching their eyes as they took in her pathetic figure. Her dagger trembled, but she kept it aloft, her knuckles turning white around the pommel.

A quick glance revealed that Caldon still faced two opponents, both more skilled than those littering the moldy floor, demanding his full attention. But that didn’t keep him from peering back toward Kiva and noting the large men stalking her way.

“What are you waiting for?” he yelled, blocking an overhead swipe that would have split his skull in two.“Run!”

The command unfroze her brain, prompting her to turn and flee from the kitchen. She sprinted down the hallway in search of a hiding place, two pairs of heavy footfalls chasing after her. The pain in her head was secondary to the panicked awareness that she was in no condition to fightanyone,let alone her hulking pursuers. She couldn’t reveal who she was with Caldon so close, but she stood no chance if they —

There.An open door, halfway down the hall.

Kiva ran straight through it and into a dark room lit by a sliver of moonlight peeking through a filthy window. Seeing no other exit, she slammed the door shut and slid the bolt into place, praying the lock would hold.

The doorknob rattled, a heavythumpsounding as one of the men shoved his weight against it.

“You really think this will stop us, poppet?” he called, the hinges groaning.

His next shove had enough force to crack a line through the rotten wood. Kiva leapt forward to brace her body against it, her heart hammering and her grip on the dagger tightening as she realized she had mere seconds before the door failed entirely.

The loudestthumpyet echoed in her ears, followed by a muted oath and athudthat had the very walls shuddering, and she knew the time had come. There was no way for her to communicate that she was on their side, nor would they believe her if she tried. She had only one choice: she had to fight.

A solid boot smashed into the door, splintering the wood around the bolt, and another kick thrust it open, sending Kiva flying. Not allowing herself to hesitate, she spun and roared into the face of the figure bearing down on her in the darkness, slashing out blindly with her dagger and feeling a sickening lurch when the blade sank through flesh.

“Dammit, Kiva,what the hell?”

In less than a second she was disarmed and yanked roughly back into the brighter hallway, only to see Caldon glaring furiously at her, a hand pressed to his bleeding shoulder.

“I told you not to stab me,” he said angrily. “You hadone job.”

“Caldon,” she gasped, automatically reaching toward his wound. “I’m so sorry. I —”

She inhaled sharply and snatched her hands away, shoving them behind her back.

No.

No, no, no.

It was just a trick of her eyes, that was all. Just the adrenaline flooding her veins, just the head wound making her see things — making her see the golden light start to glow from her fingers when she’d reached for the prince.

The golden light of healing magic.

Magic no one could know she wielded.

Especiallynot a Vallentis prince.

Kiva fisted her hands so hard that her nails pricked her skin, daring to look up and meet Caldon’s gaze. A relieved breath whooshed out of her when she found him scowling at his wound, offering no indication that he’d seen anything strange.

“Are you all right?” Kiva asked feebly.

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