Blood of the Guardian (42 page)

Nolan barely had time to put up his mental guard.

Like a burst of sunlight, energy spilled from her upraised hands, plowing through those in its path. Warriors who’d lunged toward her now froze, their spears gripped in motionless hands.

Nolan whipped his head to his friends. Only Emery had escaped petrifaction.

“Are you all right?” asked Nolan.

Emery leaned on his knees, his shoulders rising and falling with heavy breaths. “Go. I’ll free the others.”

As Nolan summoned Speed, time slowed.

The Talasians not affected by her blast of light swarmed toward her. In Nolan’s Speed enhanced vision, they crept toward Jezebelle, their spears raised, tips pointing at the gypsy. Eyes blazing golden with Speed, she laughed as she slashed and stabbed the warriors two at a time. She spun as she killed.

Nolan sprinted toward her, his Speed Shay pulsing, replaying all he’d learned with Kardos. He’d practiced all week: daggers with daggers; daggers with swords. Pulling out his sword, its Guardian light flaring, he lunged. She whipped her hand out to murder another warrior, but Nolan blocked her weapons with a metallic ring.

She blinked, surprised. Apparently she hadn’t expected to see him moving around.

“What are you doing?” Nolan growled. “These are your people!”

“My people? They sent away my ancestors, leaving me as an outcast in this pathetic, worthless kingdom. I have no people!”

She jabbed at Nolan with her dagger.

Nolan dodged and deflected a second swipe.

With a graceful skip, she ducked behind a tattooed Talasian while still slashing at Nolan.

Blocking and jabbing, Nolan focused his Accuracy so he could avoid striking the warrior she used as an obstacle.

With a hair-curling laugh, she stuck her daggers into the man’s side. Horrified, Nolan watched him fall. Nolan could heal him, but not without being vulnerable to Jezebelle’s assault while he did. He pulled his eyes from the dying man and blocked another attack.

She darted between the bronze-skinned warriors, using them as shields. Nolan leapt back, cursing, and exchanged his sword for daggers. The sword was too long; he didn’t want to kill by mistake.

“Well! Look at you!” she squealed with delight. “You’ve got two, just like me!”

Laughter bubbled from her chest as she whirled, braids flying around her like a giant spider. Looking over her shoulder with a wink, she rushed into the army’s ranks.

Nolan stared, watching her dart in and out.
She’s running away?
Then he saw her trail: a path of injured. Sides stabbed. Throats slit. Nolan cursed and ran. He sent a small wave of Healing into each warrior he passed.

Glancing back at his friends, Emery had his hand on Kael, working on freeing him from Jezebelle’s mental hold. Nolan growled in frustration—Emery was moving so nightforsaken slow. This battle seemed to go on forever; in reality, only seconds had passed.

Nolan scanned the crowd and saw Jezebelle duck behind another grouping of warriors. He ran after her, healing more injured. “Jezebelle!”

Her laughter carried over the crowd.

Nolan’s blood pulsed, his eyes darting, searching. The gates of Faylinn groaned open. Hopefully, the Speed Rol’dan would soon burst through the gates and assist him. He couldn’t keep this up all on his own.

Like a synchronized dance, she whirled, snatched a spear from a warrior’s hand, and ran straight toward Nolan’s friends. Nolan sucked in a breath as his heart stopped cold.

Summoning everything he had left, he pushed his Empathy, palms toward his frozen comrades. He plowed a path of light, freeing his friends from her mental hold.

Nolan’s head swam. He staggered, his vision tunneling.

Too much.

Too weak.

An arm caught him, slowing him as he fell.

The sounds of battle rang, steel upon steel. Kael yelled a curse from the crowd. Unfrozen, Kael most likely fought Jezebelle.

“You’ve used too much power, my son,” a voice said.

Nolan looked up, staring into Rikar’s concerned face. Nolan lay in the grass, propped up by Rikar’s arm. Rikar picked up Nolan’s dagger and used it to slash his palm.

“Hold still,” Rikar said and gave him a weak smile. He held his hand in front of Nolan’s mouth, and Guardian light flowed from the wound.

Nolan’s back arched as light leaked into him, pulling from Rikar’s injured palm and drifting up his nose, into his mouth, clearing his mind. Nolan tried to speak.

“Do not talk. Listen,” Rikar said. “I searched for the gypsy’s mother but was unable to find anything of her past. I let the stones call to me and guide me to Jezebelle, so I could confront her directly.

“When I found her, I came upon a conflict between her and the Guardians. She was locking them in Alcandor’s cage. She used humans as bait to force them into confinement; she threatened to slice their throats unless they obeyed.

“She took the cage to a cave near Caldalk, where they are still, as far as I know. I believe she intends to use them to resurrect her disgusting sideshow again. I tried to free them, but could not without the key.”

Nolan nodded, unable to speak as Rikar’s light continued to pour into him. No wonder the Guardians hadn’t returned. They were imprisoned.

Rikar swayed, then righted himself. “The gypsy carries the key, as well as the stones.”

Nolan pulled his eyes from Rikar and scanned the battle. Jezebelle sliced another pair of warriors before diving back to block Kael and Alec. They were working together against the gypsy. Even though she held all the powers, she struggled against the two best swordsmen in Adamah. He hadn’t noticed earlier, but a leather pouch—Nolan’s pouch—hung from her shoulder.

The light around Rikar dimmed, his cheeks hollow. Guardian light pulsed into Nolan in rhythm with the beating of Rikar’s heart. The Guardian’s light faded. He was giving too much, too quickly. Nolan tried to pull away, but the transference of the power immobilized him.

“I am so sorry for everything. For your mother,” Rikar said. “So sorry for what I have done.” He looked down at Nolan, dark, metallic hair spilling on either side of his face.

The sounds of battle still swelled, but it drifted in Nolan’s background. After all this time, he finally had a father who cared for him, who was there for him. Rikar had saved him so many times now that Nolan had lost count. He’d made mistakes, yes. But didn’t everyone? His human father had never sacrificed himself like this Guardian had. Rikar was ten times the father Belen was.

The corner of Rikar’s mouth quirked into a smile, then it abruptly contorted in pain.

Jezebelle yanked daggers from Rikar’s sides. She crossed the blades in front of the Guardian. In one quick yank, she sliced open his throat.

“No!” Nolan yelled.

Silver blood and light poured from the deep gouge, the light floating in the air like a cloud. Nolan’s body froze as the light met him, and the Guardian power rushed into him like water filling a vase. Rikar met Nolan’s eyes, then the light in his eyes faded to black. He crumpled to the ground.

Nolan quivered; he’d never taken on so much power so quickly. His fatigue and weakness fell from him, and he jumped up, glaring at Jezebelle.

She blinked, also taking in the Guardian’s power. For a long second, they stared at each other, astonished.

“You killed our father!” Nolan spat between clenched teeth.

She stared at him, confused. Then disgust dripped over her emotions. “He was
not
my father.”

Nolan screamed as he dove toward her, grabbing his sword from the ground. The Guardian steel in the blade flashed to light like the sun.

Jezebelle and Nolan both flinched, blinded. Nolan flared some Healing, blinking away the spots before his vision. Alec and Kael had been coming toward them, but they’d stopped, flinging their arms protectively over their faces.

Nolan lunged toward Jezebelle, his light-filled sword raised. With a dagger in each hand, she dove in past his blade.

They sliced and jabbed, then healed their wounds and attacked again.

Nolan cut across her chest, through the strap of his bag. It fell before she realized what he’d done. He snatched it mid-fall and flung up his arm to protect his throat. Pain erupted, but he healed it closed.

“No!” Jezebelle screamed, and her slashing became more intense.

Nolan shoved the bag under his arm. He wouldn’t let her have the stones again.

Alec and Kael, who’d been impaired by the bright light, staggered toward them to join the battle.

Jezebelle cursed, swinging to keep all three of them away. Finally, with a scream of frustration, she raced toward the woods.

Alec dove after her, but Kael caught his arm. “Wait! She’ll use the woods to her advantage. She can hide and stab you in the back.”

Alec tensed, stubborn determination flaring from his emotions. He relaxed, staggering as he did. The circles under Alec’s eyes seemed darker than before and his body trembled.

Nolan reached into the bag, feeling the pulse of Speed. He pulled out the stone and placed it in Alec’s palm.

Alec inhaled sharply and breathed a long sigh as his tension and fatigue ebbed away. The dark rings were gone, and color returned to his face. “Thanks”

Nolan nodded and then flared Perception, focusing on the woods. His vision and hearing heightened, but he couldn’t detect any sign of Jezebelle. Where had she gone?

“Formation,” Kael ordered in his typical general flair.

Back to back, the three formed into a triangle, watching, waiting for Jezebelle’s return.

“Where’s Emery?” Nolan asked.

Their bodies tensed in response. Nolan held his breath, waiting for a reply.

After a tense silence, Kael spoke. “The wench killed him again.”

Nolan’s defensive stance fell. He spun around, scanning the field to the gates, where Emery had last stood. On the ground lay a body, a spear sticking up in the air. She killed Emery
twice
in one day?

“Nolan, wait!” Kael snapped. “She could come back.”

Nolan’s vision tunneled. Like a moth to a campfire, he went to Emery. He hardly realized his feet were cutting the distance across the field. Around him, the sound of dying Talasians filled his ears. He couldn’t even think about them right now.

When he reached Emery, he dropped to one knee. Jezebelle had impaled him under his chin and through his skull.

Rol’dan finally poured from the open gates. Healers, archers, and Speed Rol’dan with their swords raised. Nolan hoped she’d come back. He squeezed his sword, and the light intensified in the blade.

He wouldn’t have to wait too long. Cries rang out from inside the walls of Faylinn.

Chapter Forty-One

MEGAN GRIPPED KAT’S HAND so hard her fingers had gone numb. They stared out the window, mesmerized by the horrible sight before them.

Together, they had climbed high in the castle to find a room to overlook the stone walls. From the window, they gawked as they watched the battle unfold.

They’d seen Rayen whisked back into Faylinn, and the doors close to protect her.

Then they’d watched in morbid fascination as the war commander transformed. Almost as soon as Jezebelle had completed her change, she’d thrown light from her hands, freezing everyone in its path.

After that, Megan didn’t know what was happening. She was incapable of seeing Jezebelle and Nolan battle with Speed. Megan held her breath, waiting for Kat to give her updates. But her friend only stared, her eyes glowing with golden light, and her shoulders tense in anticipation.

All the while, Emery, her love, worked to free Alec and Kael.

The whole encounter lasted only breaths, long enough for Megan to feel weak with tension. Then, with Emery’s help, Alec and Kael jumped into the fight.

Once again, Megan could see nothing.

Faint blurs.

Talasian warriors fell dead or thrashed on the ground.

What was happening? Brim’s light, she could hardly watch the slaughter!

As soon as she considered turning away, the gypsy appeared and rammed a spear through Emery’s head.

Megan screamed and dove toward the window; hands dragged her back into the room.

Kat pulled her into her arms, holding her, squeezing her. Megan thrashed, her body fighting Kat without her own effort.

Kat gasped as blinding light flashed through the window.

“W-what was that?” Megan asked, her voice hoarse from screaming.

“Oh, my … Oh no,” Kat moaned. “She just killed a Guardian.”

A Guardian? Who? Greer? Sanawen?
Megan cried more, her body relaxing as grief took over. It couldn’t be true.
Not Emery. Not again!

Kat released her and staggered back to the window, her face blank with shock and her fingers gripping the frame. “Crows, she’s gone.”

“Gone?” Megan whispered. “They killed her?”

“No.” Kat shook her head. “She’s just gone.”