Page 60 of The Throne Seeker
Whether it was the way her nails dug into his forearm or the sheer panic in her voice, Roman acted without hesitation, springing into action just as the phoenix’s last note dissipated into the air.
If she had blinked, she would’ve missed what happened next entirely.
Roman pushed Rose behind him before propelling himself in front of Tristan, shoving him down, raising his shield. The black-tipped arrow flew with such speed that it blasted right through Roman’s shield, leaving a deep scratch on his forearm before it stopped, narrowly missing his face.
A scream pierced the air, alerting the crowd. Chaos ensued as everyone scattered, seeking shelter from the anonymous attacker.
Tristan jumped to his feet, eyes widening. Roman had saved his life.
“Stay low,” Roman instructed, yanking out the arrow that had pierced his shield. “There may be more.”
Her eyes raced back to the trees, but there was nothing but branches swaying in the wind.
A hand landed on her arm, making her jump. “Zareb!” she gasped in relief.
“Get her out of here,” Tristan ordered, whipping out his sword and shield.
Zareb didn’t need to be told twice. He dragged her away from the platform and charged for the castle.
“Zareb, my mother,” she said as she ran with him.
“She’s waiting for us,” Zareb assured. He led her to the camp’s perimeter, where her mother and two horses waited for them.
“Rose! Thank the gods!” her mother cried, hugging her.
“Come on,” Zareb urged, grabbing Rose’s waist without permission and hoisting her up on the horse.
“I’ll ride with your mother,” Zareb said. “Stay close and avoid riding in a straight line in case there are more.” He sent her steed off with a smack.
CHAPTER 27
Rose, her mother, and Zareb were directed to their rooms, just as the rest of the court had been. They remained together in her room, waiting for the all-clear. Even as the night progressed without a word, they waited. It must have been near midnight when her mother began to crack.
“How did this happen?!” her mother exclaimed to no one in particular. “There were guards all over those woods.”
“The woods were secure. We made sure of it,” Zareb said with confidence.
Her mother was not reassured. “Well, thank our lucky stars that Roman was there, or else Tristan would have gotten that arrow for certain.” She snatched a fan off Rose’s vanity and fanned herself in quick flutters.
“It was lucky,” Zareb agreed, throwing a glance at Rose. “Incredibly lucky.”
She averted her gaze. She still hadn’t figured out how she’d managed to spot him. Maybe it was a strange intuition—a sort of sixth sense. All she knew was that if she hadn’t warned Roman, and he hadn’t acted as quickly as he did, the arrow would’ve struck Tristan. A direct hit like that—she shivered to think of it.
“Perhaps we should leave? Go find shelter somewhere else?” Her mother threw the idea to Zareb.
“We wait,” he said.
Her mother let out an irritated sigh. “I hate waiting. We should’ve heard something by now. What if something bad has happened, and we’re just sitting here like ducks?”
In perfect timing, a familiar sequenced knock at the door.
Zareb’s eyes met hers.
“Open it. It’s Tristan,” she said.
Warily, Zareb opened the door with one hand on the hilt of his sword, though the precaution was unnecessary. Tristan’s exhausted, dirty figure stepped through the door.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner,” he apologized, his expression grim.
