Beloved (35 page)

Nigel tried to push up to sit. He grabbed one of the tent ropes to steady himself as he leaned against the canvas wall. The tent sagged from his weight. His long black hair draped over his pale face. Blood dripped from his lips as he tried to speak.

“Kira.” He coughed again, spitting blood into his hand.

“Nigel, please let me heal you. I can do it without touching your blood and—”

He grabbed her by the shoulder. “No. I want to go . . .” His arm dropped to his side, his strength depleted. “My spirit. My wife.”

A lump formed in Kira’s throat as tears filled her eyes. “I don’t want to lose you. You’re my guardian. You can’t die. You promised to protect me, to never leave my side. I’m holding you to that.” She reached for him, intent on using her healing powers, regardless of the cost.

“Kira, no!” Altaria shoved Kira away, knocking her on her side. “You cannot heal a Darkord. You will die.”

Kira righted herself and sat back on her heels. “I don’t care. He’s saved my life more than once.”

Nigel tried to take in a deep breath, but blood spewed from his wound and he succumbed to another coughing fit. Altaria dropped to her knees by Kira’s side, tore the sleeve from her shirt and handed it to him. He put it up to his mouth and wiped away the blood. She tore the other sleeve away, soaked it with water from the leather canteen that hung from her side and handed it to Kira.

“Get that blood off your arm. Both his and yours.”

Kira did as she said and tossed the rag away. She knew by the threads of gold in Altaria’s crystal blue eyes, that the blood from the battle was affecting her, especially being close to the blood left from Kira’s earlier wound.

With tears streaming down her cheeks, Kira turned to face Altaria. “I can’t lose him.”

Altaria placed a hand on Kira’s shoulder. “You do not have a choice. His life here is over. Lor will welcome him with open arms and his joy there will be beyond anything you can imagine. Let him go.”

Kira swallowed the lump in her throat and found Nigel’s weary eyes. “Is that what you want?”

He nodded, the corners of his mouth twitching into a slight smile. “My spirit will be free.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes, his shallow breaths gurgling in his chest. He opened his eyes again, the life in them fading quickly. “Promise,” he whispered.

“Of course. Anything.” She wiped her eyes, took his hand and tried to keep her chin from quivering.

“The-a.”

“Thea. The inn keeper’s daughter?”

He shook his head. “No. Mine.”

She leaned closer. “Nigel, I don’t understand. You never told me who your daughter is.”

He squeezed her hand, his grip as weak as a child’s. “Thea . . . is mine. Keep her safe . . . for me.”

A whole new batch of tears sprang from Kira’s eyes as she thought about the little girl with the scar on her face. Of course she was his; why else would he stop there and eat that vile mush and risk being seen. It also explained why he offered them all his coin.

“I’ll make sure she’s safe. They won’t want for anything. I promise.”

Nigel’s eyes fluttered closed, his grip relaxed and his breathing stopped. She brushed his ebony hair away from his face and kissed his forehead. “Goodbye, friend.” Gut wrenching sobs tore through her, but she didn’t bother holding them back. She’d suppressed so much emotion over the last few weeks; it was time for her to purge them from her spirit—a thorough cleansing of her soul.

A few moments passed before Altaria stood. “I am sorry, Kira, but we need to get out of here. Octavion and Luka are practically fighting the battle on their own. Blayde took your friends to the trees along with many others while Cade and I tried to help the villagers safely to their homes. They will rejoin the fight once those people are safe. There are still commoners from neighboring kingdoms stuck in the middle. The Royals will not be able to fight our attackers much longer—the blood will be too much for them to handle. Father has ordered me to the castle. There’s nothing else we can do.”

Kira wiped her eyes and slowly stood. Her heart was broken and her whole body felt numb, but Altaria’s words cut through it all and ignited a fire deep in her belly. This was her world now—her people—she wasn’t about to sit back and let them die without fighting back, especially since she was the one Kazedon was after.

She took one last look at Nigel’s lifeless body. She’d been a fool to put the people of Lairdor in danger. She’d known the risk—that swearing their allegiance to Xantara and vowing to protect her in exchange could cost them their lives.

Kira plucked her bow from the ground and turned to face Altaria. “I’m not going back with you.”

“Kira, you—”

“No. This battle started because there’s a price on my head. I’m not going to let people die while I hide away in the castle like a little
mouse
. And to be honest, the Altaria I used to know wouldn’t either. We’re not children anymore, Al. I know your father is also your king, so I get that you feel a need to honor his wishes, but isn’t it time you proved to him that you can take care of yourself? When your spirit was inside me, all you wanted to do was control my body and kick some butt. Now’s your chance to fight—by my side.”

Altaria’s eyes flickered from icy blue to green and back again. Lydia was obviously trying to get out or express her opinion. “One problem—the blood affects me as well. I could just as easily hurt someone as save them.”

“You won’t. You know your limits. If you get into trouble, leave. Besides, what I really need is someone to watch my back. You could do that—tell me when I’m in danger or someone is coming up behind me. If the blood gets to be too much, let Lydia take over. It doesn’t bother her and she’s more than capable of keeping me informed.”

Kira took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “We can do this.”

Altaria smiled. “Yes, we can. You are right, except I will not stand by and watch while you fight. We do this together.”

A few seconds later, Altaria and Kira appeared on the stage platform behind the king’s throne. From there they had a view of the entire arena, but could still remain hidden. It didn’t take long to figure out who the enemy was; they all wore the same red tunic with a black sash around their waist—the colors of Kazadon’s royal crest, according to Altaria. Several were on horseback, with many on foot. With a quick glance, she guessed twenty or so were still fighting. Twice that lay dead or dying among the wounded from Xantara and neighboring kingdoms. Women and children wailed at the sides of many, either morning the dead or begging for help for those struggling to stay alive.

Kira’s heart ached for them. She could heal them, but not until the danger was gone. She searched the area again, spotting Octavion and Luka on the far side. Luka grabbed a man from behind and disappeared. A few seconds later Octavion did the same.

“What are they doing?”

“It is the best they can do with all the blood. They are taking them to another location to fight them. It takes longer to eliminate them, but they can’t risk transforming at this point. Neither can I.” Altaria tore a section of fabric from the hem of her shirt and wrapped it around her nose and mouth. She darted to crouch behind the other throne and pulled her sword.

Kira notched an arrow and took aim. She’d take out as many as she could from this position, but she knew at some point her location would be compromised and she’d be forced into the thick of battle, fighting with her bare hands if necessary.

Ready?
Altaria asked.

Let’s do this!

Her first arrow hit its mark, taking a man off his black steed. The second shot saved Blayde from a strike from behind. If she hadn’t just killed a man, she might have laughed at her friend’s shocked expression. He searched the direction the arrow had come from, smiling wide when their eyes met. He nodded, then continued toward his next opponent.

Kira spent four more arrows before she felt an unfamiliar spirit surround her. A split second later a man in a red shirt appeared behind her, but she was ready. Letting Octavion’s blood boil within her, she focused all her energy on the tips of her fingers and sent the man into a fit of spasms as he fell to the ground in a heap. Altaria stepped up and drove her sword through his heart.

Kira! Get out of there!
Octavion’s voice filled her head.
Stay with Nigel
.

Nigel’s dead. And I’m staying.
She used a rope that hung from the tarp covering the stage to swing down the ground. Altaria was already a few feet away, taking on a man that had rushed the platform. Kira ran in the opposite direction to put some distance between them. Her location was surely known now and they’d be after her. The further she was from her friends the better.

A partially transformed Royal in red appeared in front of her, swinging his sword from one side to the other. “Dead or alive? You choose.”

“Dead.”

The man took a swing at Kira’s head. She ducked, then sprang forward, using her weight to take him to the ground. His sword flew to the side as she grabbed his neck and disabled him with a jolt of power. He gasped and seized, giving her time to pull out her knife and slit his throat. She wiped her knife on his black sash, returned it to its sheath and tried not to think about what she’d just done.

She surveyed the field. Only a few enemies remained. Blayde and Luka were gone, but Cade had pulled a man off his horse and seemed to have his opponent under control. Octavion, however, was surrounded by five men, four with swords. One wielded an evil-looking contraption with two long bars with chains attached to what looked like a large dog collar. Kira notched an arrow and hit one man in the leg. Not good. With all the commotion, she’d forgotten to take into consideration the distance and arc of the arrow.

She notched another arrow, this time hitting a different man in the chest. The first lay on the ground swearing and yelling at the others to kill Octavion. Before Kira could get another arrow in the air, Luka appeared next to Octavion and the whole group of them disappeared—Luka, Octavion and three Kazedonians.

The hair on the back of Kira’s neck pricked alive and her heart felt as if it were made of lead. It was the look on Octavion’s face that made her insides twist into a knot. A look she’d never seen before—pure, unbridled fear. Sure she’d seem him worry for her and Lydia’s safety, but even when they were in her world and he first thought she’d been captured by Zerek and Nigel, his fear was no comparison to what she’d just witnessed.

“Kira! Look out!” Cade’s voice resounded above the chaos.

Kira spun around right before a man plowed into her, knocking them both to the ground. Her bow skidded across the grass, too far away for her to reach before her attacker snatched it up and broke it in two. He tossed the splintered pieces aside and reached for her as a ferocious scream rang out. A flash of black and white fur filled her vision, along with a snarling display of feline teeth.

“Mahli!” Kira yelled. “No!”

But the protective cub did not obey. She knocked the man into a nearby tent, which collapse under his weight. With one swish of her razor sharp claws, she sliced his gut wide open. Blood gushed from the wound and onto the white canvas. The man swore, took a couple labored breaths, then fell silent.

“Mahli, come!” Kira slapped her thigh. The cat roared one last time at his conquest, then went to Kira, lowering herself at Kira’s side. Kira buried her hand in Mahli’s fur. “Good girl. But next time you mind me. I don’t want you getting killed.”

An eerie silence fell over the land, even the screams stopped and the crying lessened. Kira stood to get a better look at why the commotion had stopped. She couldn’t believe it. The enemy was gone. Even their cohort’s bodies had been removed. It didn’t make sense. Why would they give up if she hadn’t been captured or killed?

An image flashed through her mind of Toran in the barn, a collar of blades around his throat. He pulled against the chains and his image faded, Octavion taking its place, his eyes gray and hollow. She grabbed the pendent around her neck.
Octavion? Are you all right?

A few seconds passed before he answered.
I am. Go to castle . . . not safe
.

It’s okay. They’ve all gone. The fighting is over. Where are you?

Go, Kira! Please.

Though his thoughts seemed strained, she had to assume he was telling the truth about being all right. He and Luka could handle themselves, she was sure of that.