Page 30 of The King's Sword
Evander stepped farther into the house, kicking the door shut. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“Grab the dagger.”
Knowing time was of the essence, she did as he said and rushed over to the dead body, pulling the weapon free and wiping the bloody blade on the man’s pants. Clutching the dagger, she stood and followed Evander deeper into the house. “How are we going to get out of here?” she asked.
Instead of answering, he entered a bedroom, glanced about, then exited.
“If everyone in town is looking for me, we’re never going to make it out of here alive.” Panic took hold, and her body started shaking.
He peered at her. “Have you so little faith in me?”
She had no idea how he could joke at a time like this. Lifting her arm, she wiped the sweat from her forehead, her stomach queasy.
In the next room, he went over to the window and opened it. “Perfect,” he whispered. He climbed out. “Let’s go.”
Sabine hoisted herself up and through the open window. Evander reached forward, grabbing her waist and setting her on the ground. They were in a narrow alleyway between two houses. He put his finger to his lips, and she nodded. He waved for her to follow him as he headed toward the back of the house.
Clutching the dagger, Sabine stayed close to Evander, constantly glancing over her shoulder to see if someone was coming after them. So far, no one else had entered the alleyway. At the corner of the house, Evander peered around the side of it. Satisfied with whatever he saw, he reached back, taking hold of Sabine’s hand. He squeezed it and led her onto the walkway that wound between the houses.
It felt as if they were going away from the canal instead of toward it. Evander kept turning, taking different walkways, making it difficult to know where they’d been and where they were going. They went over bridges, along various pathways, and between houses and stores. She was so turned around, she had no idea where they were.
Just when Sabine was about to ask if Evander knew what he was doing, they rounded a building and the walkway abruptly ended. A forest of thick trees stretched before them. Without hesitating, he pulled her along, into the forest, ducking under a low-hanging branch.
“Is this a good idea?” she whispered. The trees were so close together that the foliage blocked most of the daylight, making the area not only dark, but cold and eerie. This felt like a place where one went to die, not hide.
Instead of answering, he pulled her along, his warm hand holding hers. After about twenty feet, he stopped and cocked his head to the side, his brows furrowing.
A twig snapped and Evander released her, slowly turning to face the way they’d come from. He reached down and pulled a knife out of his boot. With a weapon in each hand, he widened his stance.
Shock rolled through Sabine. She couldn’t believe Evander was willing to fight for her. The easiest solution would be for him to kill her, bury her body here in this forest, and no one would ever know what happened to her. Instead, he stood before her, ready to kill.
Sabine’s heart pounded so hard she swore she could hear it in the quiet forest. And then she noticed the birds had stopped singing—just as Evander said would happen when a threat neared. Which meant they weren’t alone. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she realized they were about to be attacked.
Clutching the dagger in her hand, she remained behind Evander, his back to her. She held her breath, too afraid to make a sound.
Movement to the right caught her attention. She glanced that way and spotted a man dressed in solid black creeping toward them with a small sword in hand.
Evander’s head turned the other direction.
Sabine couldn’t help it, she had to know. “How many are there?”
“Five,” he responded. “Can you climb?”
“Climb?”
“I want you up in a tree, out of the way.”
The tree beside her had branches low enough that she could grab hold of one and hoist herself up. However, if she was up there, then she couldn’t help Evander down here. While she didn’t think these men would kill him since he was their prince, she couldn’t be certain. Regardless, he couldn’t take on five men and keep her safe, even if she was up in a tree. Eventually, these men would tie Evander up or knock him out. Then they’d take her to the assassin. Evander wouldn’t bother coming after her because it would be too late by the time he managed to find her.
“If you can climb, get up there now,” Evander said, his words harsh and snapping her into action.
She did as he said and took hold of a lower branch, pulling her body up. She held onto the trunk while she carefully stood. Then she grabbed the limb above her and climbed higher, hoping no one would be able to strike her from this high up.
Once she was safely perched on one of the larger branches, she glanced down and spotted five men nearing Evander.
“You good?” he called up to her, not once looking her way.
