Page 130 of To Kill a King
Karlee pushed her behind a pallet of hay as she waved one arm in a circle. The air inside the warehouse spun into a mini tornado, blowing dirt and debris into the soldiers’ faces.
Aliya peeked over the hay just as Brooks slammed the pommel of his sword into Jalius’ temple. The old gnome collapsed at his feet.
Several paces away, Kord lay on his side, curled around his stomach as a pool of blood spread beneath him and across the floor.
Aliya ducked down, pressing her back against the hay and pulling her knees to her chest. Her heart thudded against her ribs as invisible bands contracted around her, smothering her lungs until they burned. Her vision went gray.
Karlee’s wind snapped a few strands of hair across Aliya’s face.
“Get out of here, Your Majesty!” Karlee screamed, whipping her tornado into a gale that threatened to rip apart the pallet of hay. “
Aliya shook her head. She couldn’t run away again. Not this time.
Karlee screamed as something flew through the air and slashed her arm. A thin trickle of blood creeped down her bicep. She fell to her knees as the wind sputtered.
Catching Aliya’s eye, she mouthed, “Sorry.”
A red flash seared Aliya’s retinas, leaving an after-image of glowing crimson bonds around Karlee’s arms and chest. They reeked of Brooks’ magic.
Aliya glanced around the room. There was nowhere left to hide, and the soldiers would be on them any minute.
Pulling the last of her water reserves, she changed into a rat and burrowed into the bale of hay. When she was far enough inside to not be seen, she froze.
Brooks’ muffled curse followed two heartbeats later in the sudden silence as Karlee’s magic released the air currents. “Hello again, Your Majesty.”
A scuffle followed by a quick grunt sounded just on the other side of the hay pallet. “What? No! I’m not—” Kaylee said. “Let go of me!”
The soft smack of something hard hitting flesh reached Aliya’s ears, followed by a heavy thump as a body hit the floor.
Aliya winced, biting her lower lip with her rodent teeth. She twitched her tail and swallowed against the pain in the back of her throat.
An unfamiliar voice called from across the room, “Where did the queen go?”
Several footsteps pounded across the floor. Occasional curses reached her ears as they searched. The minutes stretched out, pressing on her shoulders like the bales of hay overhead.
Finally, Brooks said, “She can’t have gone far. Let’s get out of here. Being in the presence of all these mages makes my skin tingle.” He circled the hay once more before retreating.
By the time Aliya counted to a hundred, the warehouse was silent.
She held back a sob. Her last allies were gone, Malkov’s prisoners. And his soldiers had armor that somehow repelled or was immune to magic. She buried her face in her front paws and closed her eyes as the world collapsed around her.
When the hay got so scratchy it irritated her skin with each breath, she worked her way out of the pallet. Shaking the last offending bits of straw from her fur, she glanced around. There was a large puddle of blood where Kord had fallen, with drag marks through the door.
The soldiers hadn’t even bothered to pick him up. Hopefully they hadn’t dragged him all the way through the streets to the palace. He’d been grievously wounded enough as it was.
Perhaps it was a good sign, though. If he’d been dead, he’d be of no use to Malkov and the soldiers would’ve left him.
She swallowed. The only thing she could do was operate on the theory that all three mages still lived, and would continue long enough for her to do something about it if she acted quickly.
If she didn’t move soon, she’d die anyway when the deadline for her Irrevocable Vow expired tonight. But if she confronted Malkov now, he’d probably kill her today, too. Either way, she’d be dead come night fall. The only difference was if she confronted him, she may be able to distract Malkov long enough for the other three mages to escape.
Which meant there was only one option.
She met Sky’s gaze as the falcon flapped its wings in the rafters. Standing on her back paws, she rolled her shoulders. At least when she arrived at the Night Gate, she’d be able to stand proud knowing she’d died for something she believed in.
Malkov leaned over his writing table, glaring at the herald. “I want this announcement read aloud in the market and the square, with posters hung on each corner of the city.” He narrowed his eyes. “As prominently as possible. In two hours, I want everyone in the square. And send for the executioner.” The young man saluted and spun on his heel. Clicking the back of his shoes together, he pranced out of the room, the missive clutched firmly in his hands.
Malkov leaned back in his chair. He reached for where Shadow crouched at the edge of his desk and ran his hand over her fur. “What do you think, Shadow? Will it work?”