Page 76 of Sword of Desire
One of the doors opened. Through the rain, she couldn’t see into the dark hut. Someone stepped forward. Immediately, she knew it was Lyle. With a long sword in hand, he closed the door behind him and slowly approached.
“He has a dagger in his left hand,” Ackley mumbled. “Be careful he doesn’t throw it at your neck.”
She nodded, unable to see the dagger and wondering when he’d withdrawn it since she just saw him close the door with that hand. She swallowed, scared and excited at the same time. No matter what happened, all of this would end today.
Lyle neared, stopping ten feet away. “Afraid to face me on your own?”
Harley didn’t know which one of them he was speaking to. She didn’t care.
“Look at you holding a sword,” he said, not coming any closer. “You’re not even holding it correctly.” He glanced at Ackley, then focused back on Harley. “I would love to know what you’re thinking.”
“Why? You never cared before.”
“Is that what this is about? Your feelings are hurt I didn’t worship the ground you walked on?” He shook his head. “You’re pathetic.”
“This was never about me,” she said. “It has always been about Melenia.”
He chuckled. “I don’t think so. If you cared about Melenia at all, you would help me, not fight me. The late king stole from his people. They were starving to death.” He moved in closer. “You know it’s true. You saw how people lived in Penlar. The poverty. The desperation. I don’t know how you are okay with any of that.”
“Instead of killing the royal family, you could have worked with the king to try and change things.” If she’d understood all of this before, if she hadn’t been so sheltered, she would have tried to make changes. Harley was confident Owen would be the change needed. He would right the wrongs of his father.
“You don’t think my father tried that?”
It was Harley’s turn to take a step closer to Lyle. She could feel Ackley tense behind her. “Which father are you referring to? The man who raised you or your birth father?” She knew Ackley was probably trying to piece it all together as he silently watched this unfold before him.
“Did Silas finally tell you the truth?” The corners of Lyle’s lips rose slightly.
She realized he didn’t know Ackley had killed Silas. “He did.” She took another step closer, so they now were only a couple of feet apart. “It’s funny how Ackley managed to killbothof your fathers.”
Fury raged in Lyle’s eyes, the only emotion he revealed. His focus never wavered from her. She had no doubt that the second he killed her, he would go after Ackley. Ackley was the one he’d want to take his time with. Not her. She was simply a pebble in his shoe that needed to be dealt with. It was time for her to make her final jab.
“I assume Naia is here.” Then she raised her voice and said to Ackley over her shoulder, “You can deal with her while I take care of Lyle.” She remembered reading Naia’s name in one of the letters Beck had sent Lyle. Naia had been the woman Lyle loved. He’d even been engaged to her before he was forced to end that relationship so he could marry Harley.
That was the last push she needed to force Lyle’s hand. He growled and closed the short space between them, reaching forward and embedding his dagger into her stomach. The force of the hit was more than she’d intended, and her eyes widened in shock. Not wanting him to withdraw the weapon, she staggered back from him, collapsing to her knees. As she did so, she dropped Sword of Desire next to her.
Ackley stepped forward, kicking the sword up with his boot. He caught it in the air and flipped it over, attaching the pommel of her sword to his, forming a double-edged weapon.
Kneeling on the ground in the rain, Harley couldn’t hear what the two men said as they battled one another. The pain was intense, her ribs screaming from the impact. She fell forward, the palms of her hands on the ground. Not wanting to pass out, she forced herself to focus on Ackley. She turned her head in time to see him parry a blow from Lyle. Lyle spun and kicked Ackley, Ackley stumbling backward a step. Lyle tossed his long sword and withdrew two wicked looking knives, coming in close to Ackley.
Ackley ended up using the double edged sword as a bow staff, blocking the lightning-fast strikes Lyle threw at him. The two men took a step away from each other, both panting heavily as they circled one another. Blood dripped from Ackley’s forearm while Lyle had a gash in his thigh.
“I thought you would’ve been more upset when I dealt Harley that killing blow,” Lyle said.
Harley’s head swam, and she felt about ready to pass out.
“I guess she must not mean as much to you as I thought,” Lyle said.
“As you’ve claimed time and time again, Harley is simply a means to an end,” Ackley said.
Harley felt her heart constrict with pain at Ackley’s words. She heard theclankof steel as their weapons struck again.
The rain let up. Harley dug her fingers into the mud, trying to hold on long enough to see the end.
Lyle grunted, then fell to his knees.
Ackley had his sword pointed directly at Lyle’s chest as he said, “Harleymeansthe world to me, and she is the one who will finallyendyou.” He plunged the sword into Lyle, killing him.
Harley fell face forward into the mud, the dagger still in her.
