Wings of Fire (Godstone Saga 4)

Eno took a breath to tell Rayne to go back to sleep when a crash rose from the first floor. “Protect Caelan,” he barked, lunging for the door in only boxers and a T-shirt. The bed creaked behind Eno as Rayne jumped up.

As he headed down the hallway, the doors to Adrian’s and Caelan’s rooms popped open. “Adrian, with me. Caelan, in your room with Rayne.”

The king might have tried to argue, but Eno was already on the move, his attention locked on Adrian’s whisper-soft footsteps as he followed and the sounds of a struggle coming from the lower level. Mio’s bedroom was there, just past the kitchen.

At the bottom of the stairs, he motioned for Adrian to sweep to the left, which would take him through the front rooms of the house. Eno moved toward the right, cutting through the kitchen. It was small with white and blue tiles that matched the pale-blue counters. Everything was neat and tidy, all things in their place. Except the rear door was standing open.

Eno snagged a large knife from the butcher block as he passed it, heading along the narrow hall. There was a small bathroom and Mio’s bedroom off the hall. He gave the bathroom a cursory glance to see that it was indeed empty prior to continuing to the bedroom.

The door was standing open, but the room remained cloaked in darkness. He could make out two figures struggling, with a significantly smaller one pinned against the wall. Eno charged into the room and grabbed a handful of the larger person’s shirt, jerking them off Mio. The attacker slammed into a heavy wood dresser. Glass items decorating the top fell over and something shattered.

A fist or maybe even a blade swung out and Eno deftly dodged it. A small light flicked on, and Eno blinked, bringing into focus a figure cloaked completely in black. Their face was covered so that he could make out a set of brown, determined eyes. But the most important thing was the knife the person palmed from a sheath at their side.

The bastard was slimmer and incredibly fast, but after a couple of slashes through the air, it was clear he wasn’t better with a blade. Eno could still win even if he were stuck using a carving knife.

“Eno!” Adrian shouted from the doorway.

“Take Mio out of here!” he replied. The figure flinched, jerking as though his attention had been pulled between Adrian, Mio’s imminent escape, and Eno. It was the perfect opening. Eno slammed his fist into the man’s jaw, knocking him off balance before shoving the blade straight into the man’s chest.

A soft gasp escaped the attacker and then he slumped, falling to the floor in a heap. Eno pulled the blade free. Mio and Adrian hurried over to stand next to the body while Eno kneeled. He ripped the mask and head covering away, revealing a man with short dark hair and a clean-shaven face.

“Do you recognize him?” Eno demanded, turning his attention up to Mio.

She shook her head. She’d pulled on a long navy-blue robe. Her fingers were like claws in the silken material, clenching it around her body as if it could protect her. “No, I don’t know him. Don’t know what clan he’s from.”

“Another clan sent him?” Adrian asked.

The woman nodded briskly. “I won’t be the only place that’s hit. We need to check on the others in the area. This has to be another night raid.”

“What?” Adrian moved to look Mio in the eye, disbelief and worry digging lines into his face. The guard had managed to pull on a pair of pants before storming to the first floor with Eno.

“Night raid,” Mio repeated. She sighed and shoved a hand through her messy blond hair. “The various clans send their warriors in training into the Chasm to harass and kill the Phantoms. It’s a mess. Everyone is a target, but my place as well as my friend’s across the street are favorite targets.”

“This is fucking training?” Adrian roared.

She nodded, and Adrian’s eyes widened and the muscles in his jaw flexed as if he were grinding his teeth. Eno wasn’t feeling any calmer, but there were things they needed to take care of first. “This isn’t about the king? He’s not the main target?”

Mio threw up her hands and made a face. “I have no idea. Maybe someone decided to do this and disguise it as a raid while planning to take out your king. Who knows? I need to check on my friend across the street.”

With a snarl, Eno motioned for Adrian and Mio to step aside so he could lead the way out of the room. “I’ll go check on your friend, but my main priority is keeping Caelan safe.”

“What’s going on?” the king shouted in a rush of footsteps down the stairs. When they reached the front of the house, they found Caelan and Rayne waiting for them. So much for keeping the king hidden away and safe. But at least both were partially dressed and armed.