Page 59 of Enamored
Chapter
21
Maxim
“This way!” Ishouted to Sir Ansgar and the other Knights of Brethren. The path through the battlefield was riddled with fire and fiends. But with each step and turn, I’d steered the knights clear of immediate threat, and now the edge of the mayhem was in sight.
If only we’d been able to go faster. But even with the archers working frantically to keep the draco at bay, the king’s injuries hampered our escape, forcing us to proceed with caution lest we harm him further.
From the fewer flaming arrows rising into the sky, I guessed we had mere minutes, perhaps only sixty seconds, before the archers reached the limit of what they could do. After that, anyone lingering on the battlefield would be at the mercy of the draco and his fiery breath.
“Make haste!” I quickened my pace into a jog, hoping the knights would do likewise behind me. Only eight of the ten knights remained. Four carried the king and four surrounded the entourage for protection. Sir Ansgar, however, had enough courage and strength to make up for the two we’d left behind, the two who’d colluded with Rasmus to murder the king.
Of course, I had no proof they’d taken bribes from Rasmus for the dirty deed. Rasmus was too wise to leave any trail of evidence that would point back to him. Even so, I’d known from the moment I arrived and witnessed the king wounded and down upon his knees that he’d been betrayed. And that I was too late.
In the midst of fighting off a horde of Canute’s fiercest warriors, the other knights hadn’t witnessed the king fall, had assumed he’d been injured by the enemy.
I’d leveled my accusations against the two newest knights to prevent them from further harming the king, knowing they would need to be restrained. But the Swainians had chosen that moment to send their draco against us.
If not for the knights forming a barrier above us with their shields, we would have perished under the attack. As it was, while crouched, one of the treasonous knights attempted to finish killing the king.
The final wound was only superficial, but at the inflicting of it, Ansgar and several others had eliminated the traitors in their midst.
Thankfully, Ansgar had taken my word more seriously after that. He’d followed my orders for the shooting of the fiery arrows to hold the draco at bay, and he’d accepted my help in leading the group toward the river.
As we broke out into the open, the draco screeched again. While it was still gliding in a perfect circle out of the range of arrows, it had dropped its head, searching for its prey. I had no doubt it had been commanded to seek out King Ulrik. And I had no doubt King Canute was working with the Ice Men to weaponize the draco.
The patterns of its checkered markings on its underbelly proved it to be the same draco from the hunting party. I’d assumed the creature had sought after Elinor then, but perhaps it had been gaining recognition of the king so that it could kill him now with certainty.
I paused but a moment to take in the scene that met us, the soldiers fleeing toward the river’s edge. Those straggling behind were trying to save the wounded, some dragging bodies on canvas and pairs carrying the disabled on the canvas between them.
At the sight of a maiden on horseback galloping away from the camp, her long blond hair streaming in the wind, my pulse crashed to a painful halt. I’d expected Elinor to be at the river by now. Why hadn’t Halvard taken her there?
A young boy rode on the saddle behind her, clutching her and casting fearful glances at the draco. Clearly, Elinor was aware the arrows had diminished and that she needed to get away. But why hadn’t she left sooner?
As much as I wanted to rush to her and keep her safe, sheltering her body with mine, I needed to save the king. If the draco caught sight of him, it would pour out its deadly breath. The knights might be able to provide a defense of the king another time or two, but erelong the fire would crack their shields and leave them completely exposed.
A dozen ideas pinged through my mind. Only one settled there. “Cover the king with my cloak,” I shouted to Ansgar.
With a flick of the clasp, I released my cloak and tossed it toward the knights. Without slowing their pace, they threw the garment over the king, shielding his body and face from the draco. It would only buy us another minute. But we needed each second we could get.
With every passing moment, my admiration for the Knights of Brethren grew. The task of hauling the king in his armor and under such duress would be taxing to even the fittest of men. But they moved forward as one unit, undeterred by the betrayal of two they’d counted as brothers.
Sir Ansgar had indeed proven himself worthy of his title as Grand Marshal. If I’d ever regarded him as too young or untested, I no longer did.
“How much time before the draco attacks again?” he called to me from the forefront of the group, holding the king’s head as steadily as he could even as he charged forward, his armor clanking with each step.
I took in the angle of the draco’s head and its line of vision. It was still searching for the king and hadn’t yet discovered we’d concealed him in my black cloak. “Forty-five seconds.”
With the visor of his helm raised, Sir Ansgar’s face was speckled with blood and lined with sweat. But he set his face toward the river with determination and picked up his pace.
Was there anything more I could do? Or was I helpless to stand by and watch the king die after all?
Elinor
Among the soldiers fleeing toward the river, my sights had narrowed upon the Knights of Brethren and the figure of the king they were carrying. He was injured.
They were less than a hundred paces from the river. I wanted to give way to my relief at seeing Maxim sprinting alongside them. But I couldn’t. Not when King Ulrik was in such danger. With the draco drawing nearer, it was clear the creature had had its eyes on the king and had every intention of destroying him.
