Page 17 of Kingdom of Ashes & Bone
“Hey! You!”
A Fireguard rounded the corner and saw me, and as if things couldn’t get any worse, another one was only steps behind him. And a third. And a fourth.
“Is that the dragon girl?”
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” I spat.
I had no choice but to drop the rope and flee back into the tunnel, their surprise at seeing me the only reason I was able to dart behind the rocks and into the darkness of the secret path.
“Where’d she go?”
The Fireguards blindly lunged toward the large rocks, and I knew it was only a matter of time before they found the open crevice between the rocks, and came after me. Had the iron gate been shut behind me? I didn’t want to lead them inside!
I patted myself down wildly, but I already knew I had no weapon. Zephyr’s long knife had been knocked away. Reaching down to the ground, I determinedly wrapped my fingers around a large rock.
My lip quivered, but I didn’t have a choice. If the Fireguards discovered this tunnel, then they’d discover the Nobles and the women and children. If these four didn’t die, countless more would.
Probably for the best.
I lurked in the darkness behind a rock, trying to even my breaths and form a plan. I’d have to strike the first one hard enough to knock him unconscious and immediately hit the second. With two down, my chances were better, but still not great against trained guards.
My eyes closed and a breeze lifted the stray hairs around my head. I raised the rock over my head and waited. Footsteps drew closer and closer … now!
A blade flashed and I stumbled backwards, taken off guard as Zephyr lunged from the shadows opposite of me, stabbing the first guard in the chest with his dagger. The man fell and he moved to the next, slitting his throat, then spinning under the large sword of the third man. As he came up, he sliced into the Fireguard’s private parts, and I gasped at the savagery. The last man dropped his sword in fear, the clang as the blade hit the rock ringing loudly in my ears.
He turned and ran.
Zephyr laughed and gave chase, leaving me alone with the three dying Fireguards. Adrenaline flooded my body and I shook. I’d seen death before, but not this close, and not this savage.
In no time at all, the bastard prince returned.
“Move.”
Zephyr gave me no warning as he pushed the last Fireguard back into the tunnel. The man tripped and fell over his fellow guards, blood pouring from his chest.
“What are you doing?” I demanded, not recognizing the high pitch of my voice. “Just end it already!”
Zariah laughed. “I’ve some experiments to try. I like experiments. I didn’t tell you that. Didn’t want to offend your sensibilities or lose your trust. Not that I need it. Run along now. I won’t even be mad at you. Shava should return soon.” Without sparing a glance at me, he took the long knife and plunged it straight into the last man’s chest, dragging it across him like he was cutting him open alive. The man’s screams echoed horrifically, and the other dying Fireguards moaned.
Cold terror leached into my veins.
“Zephyr! Stop—”
That odd, crawling sensation spread across my skin, just like the one from the old mine. White light flickered around Zephyr’s skin, his eyes glowing in the darkness. Or was I simply imagining it?
He cut another line in the man’s chest, uncaring of the torment he was causing. What the fuck was he doing?
“ZEPHYR!” I took a step toward him to stop this insane torture.
A dragon roared overhead, close enough to see the glow from its flames. Zephyr scowled, the odd light around him snuffed out like a candle. He growled in frustration and sliced the man’s throat, grabbing him under his armpits and dragging him into the tunnel.
“Are you going to help? Or am I cleaning up your mess alone?”
Indignation welled in my veins. “Yourmess,” I muttered to myself, still in shock. Automatically, I moved to grab the next dead Fireguard, following Zephyr back to the tunnel with the water and watching as he callously kicked the bodies into the raging river with his boot.
Zephyr hesitated over the other two bodies, a manic glint in his eyes. One of the dragons (it was impossible to tell if it was Zariah or Zion) screeched again, even closer than before. Zephyr growled, but picked up the second dead guard from under the man’s armpits and gestured with his head that I should take the feet.
Relief shot through my body. Zephyr was too nervous about the dragons to … do whatever it was he had wanted to do and whatever he wanted to do certainly didn’t feel good. We carried the second man over to the rushing rapids, and with a manic grin, Zephyr swung the body into the water.
