Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 119158 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 596(@200wpm)___ 477(@250wpm)___ 397(@300wpm)
Their screams rang out across the square, and their swords clanged on the stone street. I dropped to my knees and slid under the cloud while covering my eyes with my arm. As I popped up to my feet, I chanced a quick glance over my shoulder to find the two guards had blood pouring from their blinded eyes while a third guard was backpedaling away, fiercely wiping at his face as if he were afraid that he might have gotten hit with it as well.
That was some very nasty stuff Adeline had given me. I couldn’t say that I felt a single ounce of remorse, though. They stood with a killer and paid a price for that decision.
And if anything happened to Nylian, blinding seemed like a very small price.
For now, three attackers were taken out of the equation. Only two left for Nylian. I could live with those odds for now.
Chapter 31
Disaster
I ran to the front gate of the palace, where guards had their spears pointed at me. I stuffed my hand into my pouch, pulled out the letter Nylian had given me from his uncle, and held it over my head. “By order of Duke Thallan Elrich, let me in to see the king!” I shouted.
That gave the guards pause. They looked at each other in different degrees of shock and disbelief, but at least one of them—the guy in the most impressive armor—stepped forward and held out his hand for the letter.
His eyes skimmed it as I handed it over, and his face turned pale. “Let him through! Let him through!”
The elf who was the head of the guard not only got me through the first barrier, but he continued to run with me through level after level of protection put between me and the king. I panted, a painful stitch growing in my side with every step I took, but I pressed on, thankful that one of the gods had some pity on me and granted me an escort. Getting through the palace alone with just a letter would have been near impossible. Not to mention, I would have gotten lost more times than I could have counted.
With each level, the surroundings grew more ostentatious, but I barely noticed. I glanced around enough to reassure myself that I was getting closer to wherever the king was lurking.
As we reached yet another round of stairs, my legs gave out and I collapsed at the foot, gasping for air. I needed a second. One second to catch my breath, and I could run any distance for Nylian.
“What’s going on here?” snapped a tired and irritable voice.
“Your Majesty!” the guard beside me gasped and dropped to his knees as well.
My head snapped up, and I found an older elf standing at the top of the stairs dressed in elegant white and gold robes. His hair was golden blond like Nylian’s, but a touch paler. His eyes were harsh with dark shadows under them, as if it had been a long time since he’d last had a good night of sleep.
Sucking in as much air as I could manage, I thrust the hand holding the letter above my head and shouted, “Your Majesty, Prince Xeran and Duke Thallan sent me. I have the antidote. Please, I beg of you…let me pass. I need to get to Orian before it’s too late.”
“You have it?” King Dorwynn whispered, those three words choked with hope.
I nodded, trying to save my breath.
“Give it here!”
“No!”
“What?” It was like the entire room had frozen over and every guard that surrounded me had become a statue. No one dared to tell the king no.
“Xeran trusts me to save his brother. I will not break that trust.” I narrowed my eyes on the king, whose cheeks had flushed with anger. “You want to do something useful with your guards? Send them out to capture the real would-be killer. Xeran is fighting him right now in front of the palace. He risked his life to protect me so I could save his brother.”
Silence stretched for a moment, and I was already gathering my strength to jump to my feet and rush past the king. Orian had to be somewhere in this wing. It had to be the safest place. I would search every inch until I found him.
But the king saved me from my desperate flight.
He turned to the guard at his right with the fanciest armor of all. “Take Prince Victor to Orian as quickly as possible.” He then focused his attention on the guard still kneeling beside me. “Take your men and find Prince Xeran. Bring him to me unharmed. And if there’s anyone trying to hurt him, I want them brought as well.”
The king had barely finished speaking when the guard assigned to me rushed forward with his hand extended and a reassuring smile. I prayed this meant that he was a fan of Nylian, Orian, or both of the twins. I took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. With a little more air in my lungs and riding a second wind of hope, I ran faster through the palace, down secluded hallways and through doorways with even more guards. We were in the very inner sanctum of the royal family, the halls and rooms that most of the world would never see.