She nods for me to proceed.
Outside, I can peer beyond the walls of Keep Hammergarden, past the Meadowmere Forest and the field of flowers where I’m meant to meet Kel. I can even see the start of the Equinox Passage that cuts through the mountains between Spring and Summer. But right before it are rows and rows of troops. They fly the flag of Spring, but it isn’t only Kairyn’s soldiers or the Queen’s Army camped. There are leagues of goblins, forces of the Below.
Kairyn’s been preparing this for a long time, and based on their direction, he isn’t just planning to overtake Spring.
No.
His next target is the Summer Realm.
103
Rosalina
Kairyn raises the Hammer of Hope just in time to block Ezryn’s sword.
Kel steps in front of me. “Lift your bow, Rose.”
I do as he says, my hands shaky on the grip.
The Sapphire and Bronze Knight immediately charge at Ez, defending their master.
“Get back! He’s mine,” Kairyn screams, pulling his hammer away from Ez’s blade before swinging it down again. Ez jumps back, avoiding the attack, then charges.
The knights stagger backward before setting their sights on Kel and me. Kel holds his hands together; an icy blue light radiates between them. “All right then. You two are mine.”
The knights run. My heart bursts in my chest as I raise the bow. I know what to do. I did it before at the tower. If I can’t do this, they’ll kill my mate.
A glowing arrow appears as I pull back the string. But the knights are too close to Ezryn. He and Kairyn fly across the Hall of Vernalion, moving too fast for me to track. If I miss—
“Now, Rose!” Kel yells.
I close my eyes and cry out, releasing the string. My first thought is how ashamed Dayton would be of me: Always keep your eyes open. The second is I’ve gone too wide. My radiant arrow smashes against the far side of the throne room, stone exploding with the impact. The knights exchange a single glance behind before resuming their charge.
Then they’re upon us. Kel lunges forward, hands moving with such speed, I can barely follow. He has no weapon, but he is a weapon. A line of dagger-sharp icicles shoot up from the ground, snaring the Bronze Knight. Then a spray of ice knives dance toward the Sapphire Knight but his sword smashes through them, and they fall to the floor.
A lance cracks over the icicles, and the Bronze Knight attacks on Kel’s right side. He blocks with a quickly made ice shield, but it shatters instantly. Then he’s dodging the Sword of the Protector, sliding underneath, sending a blustering icy wind to throw the knights off balance. Left, right, left, right, Kel blocks one attack only to dodge another.
I raise the bow again. “Come on, come on, come on.” But everyone’s moving so fast. I’d only just mastered a still target. How am I supposed to get one that’s running and dodging and getting thrown down by a burst of ice?
At the back of the throne room, Ez and Kai move in sync, each blow of the sword or hammer blocked by the other. Every movement of Ezryn’s is fused with rage and agony. They’re locked too close together, I could never hit Kairyn without the radial blast damaging Ez.
Kel needs my help. Even lacking his sword, he’s holding up for now. A blast of freezing air shoots out, staggering the Bronze Knight for a moment. Kel turns his attention to the other one.
Now. I don’t think. I draw up my bow, pull back my string, breathe out. Release.
A radiant arrow flies through the air and lands short, just at the Bronze Knight’s feet. But the arrow creates a blast of light, sending the Bronze Knight flying and slamming against a stone pillar.
I refrain from doing a little jump of joy. But it would have been undeserved, anyway; the knight staggers up, helm thrown off, revealing the sickening, sunken face. His bulging eyes train on me.
Oh, fuck.
Kel’s pressing down against the Sapphire Knight, a crafted ice pike versus the Sword of the Protector. Cracks form in his enchanted weapon. I turn and run, finding cover behind a pillar. Holding my bow tight to my chest, I try to steady my breath.
I peer out from the shelter of the pillar. Huge fissures have formed in the ground from the crack of Kairyn’s massive hammer. Somehow, Ez is able to dodge each blow, his sword fighting to find an opening. I pull back, preparing to look the other way at Kel.
As soon as I move, I’m faced with the hideous visage of the Bronze Knight. His gaping eyes and snapping teeth appear right in front of me. I scream, falling backward. The knight raises his lance above his head, then shoves it down.
I roll. The pointed end digs deep into the stone where I’d been lying. I roll again, able to leap to my feet as he yanks the lance from the ground. With a cry, I smash his chest plate with my bow. The armor crackles and melts, revealing marred skin below. Maybe if I can touch his skin, he’ll explode like the Turquoise Knight did in the monastery—
But there’s no time to contemplate. The knight looks down at his melted chest plate then up at me and grins. I run.
Kel’s walking backward toward the throne, sending up huge blocks of ice between him and the Sapphire Knight. Each time, the Sapphire Knight draws back the Sword of the Protector and smashes the ice to shards. Kel’s ice makes the sword glow a brilliant white-blue. The Sapphire Knight twists the blade in his hand, admiring this. Then he drives the blade through the air. Black ice daggers shoot up from the ground, heading for Kel.
I draw my bow and fire. My arrow slams into the black ice spikes, creating a blast of water and light. I run to Kel, and he pulls me tight against him.
The Bronze and Sapphire Knight look at each other, then walk in unison toward us.
A gurgling noise comes from behind me, Ezryn’s father writhing beside the throne. He’s scratching at his helmet, his neck. Vines have curled up around his hands. His armor has popped off in places, and the skin beneath is speckled with pus-filled blisters. What’s happening to him?
I look up at Kel. “We don’t need to kill these guys. We just have to get Ez and his dad and escape.”
Kel growls lowly, “Getting Ezryn is the hard part.”
Right now, Ezryn’s being pushed back by the huge swings of Kai’s hammer. Kairyn is clad in heavy black armor and wields the Blessing of Spring. Ezryn has nothing. This isn’t a fight we can win.
I suck in a breath. “I have an idea.”
The Bronze and Sapphire Knight are almost upon us. “Let’s hear it, Darling,” Kel says.
“You get those two against the back wall,” I say and dart off. “And I’ll get Ez toward us.”
Without questioning, Kel leaps forward and throws out his hands. A winter’s gale erupts from his palms, a storm with ice shards and winds freezing cold. The knights stumble, then fall, hurtling through the throne room before smacking against the stone. Kel roars, his face a pained grimace from the immense power.