Page 83 of Broken Fate
His reassurance broke the deadlock, and I set the Fate Stone back into its resting spot on the cradle in the center of the room.
“There,” Kiel said. “It’s down. Now, let her parents go.”
Arcadus glowered at Kiel, who only stared back unflinchingly at the Alpha. There was no give in his face or his spine.
“Fine. Let them go.” Arcadus gestured with his one hand, a sharp, sweeping move, though his eyes never wavered, locked in a death stare with Kiel.
The guards removed the blades from my parents, who fell forward onto their knees almost in unison, breathing deeply as the immediate danger passed.
Behind us, more guards clattered into the room from the hallway, blocking our exit. There were only half a dozen, and I had faith we could win against them—but not with both the Alpha and Andracis attacking us from behind. Our position seemed untenable.
“What now?” I whispered to Kiel as the guards slowly pried us away from the stone as they advanced with spears and swords leveled. Doing so let us run for the exit if we chose—but that would leave my parents in the Alpha’s grasp.
“Now, you trust me some more,” Kiel grunted, removing his cloak and flinging it at the new detachment of guards
All eyes in the room followed the flung article of clothing. Even mine. I only saw a blur in my periphery. It was my only clue before something hit Andracis hard center mass, tossing him back through the door the Alpha had entered from.
“Get the stone!” Kiel roared, breaking the spell as he kicked at the guard hovering over my mom, crushing the shifter’s chest with the blow. He used the impact to jump forward, tackling the other shifter and freeing my parents from immediate danger.
From the far hallway, a thunderous roar shook the room as Andracis recovered from the surprise attack.
Time was running out.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Andi’s war cry startled me into action as she went for the guards. So did the other members of our team.
I dove for the stone, but one of the guards hit me with a flying tackle. His shoulder drove deep into my stomach as we smacked into the ground. I gasped and heaved, eyes wide, while my lungs tried to suck in air that wouldn’t come.
“Die, bitch,” the guard hissed as he pulled his sword to cut my throat.
Still gaping, desperate for oxygen to reinflate my lungs, I pulled in my legs and kicked out at the guard. His eyes mirrored mine as I launched him across the room. His leg bounced off the cradle that held the stone, sending him pinwheeling away.
The Fate Stone rolled over the edge, then dropped to the ground. Air rushed into my lungs, time slowing as I watched, waiting. But the stone didn’t break. I didn’t even see a scratch as it rolled away.
Climbing to my feet, I went after it, ears pounding, chest heaving. Metal rang out against metal. Cries of anger mixed with grunts of effort. Someone bellowed in agony. A shriek was abruptly silenced. Blood sprayed, coating body, armor, and floor in random patterns.
A body hurtled through the space in front of me. It was the guardsman who had threatened my father, the one Kiel had tackled. He got up, naked fury twisting his into a sneer as he came at me bare-fisted.
“It’s going to feel so good to kill you,” he spat, leaning into a rushed lunge.
“The feeling is mutual,” I snarled, pulling out a dagger as I dropped a shoulder and charged.
We collided hard, my left shoulder screaming in agony from the impact on his armor. I gasped from the pain, but as he staggered back as well, I whipped my blade up and around in a wild strike.
The tip of the razor-sharp metal bit his cheek, parting skin like butter as it tracked up his face and across his eye before bouncing off his orbital bone. The guard reeled back with a scream that sent shivers down my back.
For a moment, I hesitated, my hand stayed by pity. I didn’twantto kill him. I didn’t want to kill anyone. They were my people, my kin, in many ways. I would prefer to try to save them.
But it wasn’t the time for that. I shoved the rational side of my brain out of the way and slit the guard’s throat, nearly taking his head off. With a swift kick, I toppled him to the ground, his blood staining the floor as it pooled around him.
My path to the Fate Stone was momentarily clear again. Dropping the dagger, I went for it, reaching down to scoop it up, my gloved hands protecting me from the entity within.
“Let’s end this,” I hissed as my left hand touched the cool ovoid object.
Crack!
Agony exploded across my back. I fell forward onto the stone as hot pain drew a line from my ribs over my spine, a scream wrenching from my throat.
