House of Shadows (Royal Houses 2)

“You are on the wrong side of this fight,” Fordham growled.

“We fight with the king,” he said, holding his amber orb aloft.

Kerrigan shuddered at the sight of it. Was it the same one that Basem had used against her in their final fight? She didn’t want to find out.

“Don’t let him…” she began.

But then he threw the amber orb at Fordham’s feet and spoke the ancient Fae word to activate it, “Carthai.”

“No,” Kerrigan shrieked as the world exploded around them.

She covered her ears as they both dropped to the ground. It was as if she were back in the Dragon Ring, back with Basem’s knife at her throat, back at the riot with the Red Masks tearing down buildings. It always came back to this.

Her eyes watered as she reached for her magic. Her ears were bleeding, and still, she forced herself to pull the damn thing toward her. She got her hands on it, and it all evaporated in an instant. Then, she threw the damn orb into the river, so no one could ever use it again.

The pair of Fae stalked toward them, presumably to finish them off, but they missed Alura dropping in behind them. She swept the legs out from one and thrust her sword into the other, making a full three-sixty to plunge her sword into the gut of the second. She kicked the black orb, which Kerrigan guessed was their escape route, out of reach.

“Are you two insane?” Alura demanded. “We’re not on the first wave of this battle. We’re taking down the boats, not fighting! Call your dragons and get back in formation.”

Kerrigan and Fordham stumbled to their feet. Her ears were ringing, but she was still there enough to see who stepped out of the fortifications to meet them.

“I believe this has been a long time coming, brother,” Wynter said from the head of her acolytes.

59

The Shadows

“Do not engage,” Alura said as she drew her sword up and came between them and Wynter’s dozen zealots. Aisling coming to stand just off of her lover’s right side.

“You can’t stop this one, Alura,” Fordham said. “Take Kerrigan and go.”

Alura snorted. “You must think me insane to leave you here to take on twelve soldiers and your crazy sister alone.”

Two more bodies dropped onto the docks at their backs. Kerrigan whipped around, prepared to engage more fighters, but it was Audria and Roake. Audria sauntered forward, as if she were here for a party. “Can’t let you have all the fun, now can I?”

“I guess we’re all in this together,” Kerrigan said.

Alura assessed the situation in a split second, and then to everyone’s shock, she took a step backward, angling for Fordham to take lead. Alura was the best of them. She was their commander. She’d trained them for the last year, but she’d deferred to Fordham.

Fordham moved into position, as if the change in rank had no effect on him. He was the crowned prince. This was his battle, his sister, his people.

“It doesn’t have to be this way,” Fordham said in answer to his sister.

“Oh, I think it does. I felt your magic on the battlefield. I could feel your whore beside you. The wall is down, and you still want to imprison us,” Wynter said. “We’re not too happy about that.”

“I want freedom for my people, not war and bloodshed.”

“Then, you are not truly one of us any longer.”

Wynter smiled dangerously and then raised her hands, pulling the shadows toward her. Fordham snarled and launched himself at her. The acolytes bellowed, and Kerrigan couldn’t keep her focus on Fordham any longer. She raised her sword, letting the magic pull in close around her as she fought the first of Wynter’s fanatics as Aisling went for Alura.

Kerrigan met sword to sword with the smallest female. Her eyes were rabid and hungry. Kerrigan couldn’t believe her strength as she buffeted Kerrigan back.

“You are not worthy,” she gritted out.

Kerrigan ignored her, pushing her back and then swinging the blade wide as flames raced up the length of it. She shot them toward the girl, who ducked and rolled out of the way. Water crashed into Kerrigan’s side, and she tumbled sideways. Her sword went wide, falling into the river.

Kerrigan caught the edge of the dock before she could go into the racing water with it. Then, Roake was there, pulling rocks from the ground and hurling them at the acolytes, as if he were playing Dragon Eggs. They collided heavily with a pair of acolytes, bowling them over and crashing them into the wall. Kerrigan hoisted herself up and did a somersault to gain more traction as she threw a blast of air. One acolyte got caught in her storm and was whipped around in a cyclone before crashing into the water.

Audria had taken out a handful of their own while Alura clashed with Aisling. Wynter and Fordham kept appearing and disappearing with their dark shadow magic. Kerrigan hoped he had enough energy for that. He’d already pushed it further than he should. Wynter was probably well rested, waiting for this very moment.