Page 87 of Caress of Fire
“Let her go, Silva.” Fedryc stopped fifteen feet from where Silva had Marielle, his voice smooth and even, betraying nothing of his feelings. “You have lost your fight.”
“I might have lost this battle, traitor,” Silva said quietly. “But I haven’t lost my fight.”
“Lord Anion is dead. The Knat-Kanassis army has been decimated. The guards loyal to you are dead by my hands, or soon to be.” Fedryc turned his head slightly, looking down at Isobel, still crying. “But I will allow you to keep your life if you surrender now.”
Silva pulled harder on Marielle’s hair, forcing her to arch her spine at a painful angle.
“If I have lost everything,” Silva whispered the words almost lovingly, “then at least I will have the satisfaction of taking everything from you before I go.”
Then, Marielle knew she was going to die.
Fedryc shouted, his sword raised high as Silva moved imperceptibly at her back. Then a tall, shaky figure moved from where she had been standing off to the side. Isobel threw herself between Fedryc and Silva and Marielle.
“Please.” Isobel faced Fedryc, clearly showing everyone who she thought presented the biggest threat. “Don’t hurt my daughter.”
“Mother!” Silva moved, inching to one side to get a clear view of Fedryc. “Don’t get involved. I can win this.”
“No, you can’t.” Isobel turned her head sideways but didn’t take her eyes off Fedryc. “My poor, poor fatherless girl. You have lost this fight and you don’t even know it.”
“No!” Silva protested, moving even farther to the side. The blade left Marielle’s skin, lowering to her shoulder, then her breast.
Marielle knew this chance wouldn’t come back. She brought both hands up, grabbing the hand that held the short blade, then she pulled. Marielle pulled down with all her strength, distancing the blade even further from her body. As soon as she had done so, Marielle twisted, bringing herself lower, pushing her back into Silva’s chest, then she turned inward, toward Silva’s body and under her arm.
She was free of the blade, but not for long. Silva turned away from Fedryc, her mouth open in a wide O, a banshee’s screech coming out of her mouth.
Silva swung the blade wildly at Marielle, slashing through the air as she advanced, her face a picture of madness and hatred like only monsters in disguise could be.
Fedryc shouted from somewhere behind Silva but all Marielle could see was the blade and Silva’s terrible face, and she stepped back. Then her feet caught in something soft and heavy.
Marielle fell, and Silva’s eyes widened in triumph.
A male roar of anger and despair rang from behind Silva, and Marielle’s eyes latched onto a blur of motion as Fedryc lunged, his sword held high for an expert attack. But it wouldn’t matter. Fedryc was too far away.
Then a slim body threw itself between Fedryc and Silva. Fedryc’s sword pierced Isobel’s chest, protruding out of the middle of her back covered in shocking, bright red blood.
Silva paused, then turned her head to see Fedryc laying Isobel on the floor, his face full of shock. Isobel gripped Fedryc’s shoulder as her mouth opened and more blood gushed from her open lips.
“No!” Silva moved away from Marielle, her eyes on Isobel, the blade hanging loose from her hands, then clattering to the floor.
Fedryc deposited Isobel on the floor, then turned to face Silva.
A second passed, then the girl took off running.
Fedryc looked at Silva for a second, doubt on his features, then he looked down at where Marielle lay, holding her stomach as blood poured out between her fingers.
“Marielle!”
Then he was at her side, his strong arms around her shoulders. As his warmth entered her body, Marielle’s vision became blurry, blackness encroaching on the edges like an insidious fog.
Somewhere far above her head, someone yelled for a doctor. Exhaustion washed over Marielle as Fedryc’s scent filled her nostrils. The pain faded to a remote, unimportant place, and Marielle looked up at Fedryc.
How perfect he was, looking down on her with worry on his face, his silver eyes gleaming like moons in the sky.
Fedryc spoke to her, but she wasn’t hearing his words. All Marielle cared about was his hand on her face as her eyes closed.
Then darkness fell, and all she knew was that Fedryc was alive.
Epilogue
