“I’m sticking close to you, then,” Galo said. “If you die, we have to take orders from Jovita.”
This produced a few chuckles from the tense guards, and Cas smiled. “Fair point.” He looked at each of them. “Thank you for this. I know our main priority is to get to the mountains and defend the rest of Lera and Vallos, but I can’t just let the warriors take the castle staff. Especially not after they helped me escape.”
A young man with dark curls—one of the guards with a bow and arrow—took a glance around the circle. “I think I speak for all of us when I say that we’re honored to be with the one who wanted to save the staff, not leave them to die.”
The guards nodded in agreement, and Cas looked at them gratefully. “Thank you.” He pointed north. “Let’s go. Get in position.”
The guards scattered, and Galo grabbed the curly-haired one by the wrist and planted a quick kiss on his lips.
“Don’t die.” He released the guard, who shot Galo a quick smile before he took off.
Cas watched him go, then turned to Galo. “How long has that been going on?”
“A few months.” Galo started walking, drawing his sword. Cas did the same.
“Months! You didn’t say.”
“I don’t think now is the time to talk about my love life, Cas,” Galo said, amused.
“Fine. But you’re telling me later.”
Cas stopped behind a tree. He could see the wagon in the clearing ahead. The women were in the wagon, the men in a line outside, getting ready to be loaded back in. The warriors were in the same positions they’d been in when they’d had him—two in front, one on either side of the wagon, and two in back. The two in back were off their horses, supervising the prisoners.
Cas glanced to his right. He couldn’t see the guard, but he was probably almost in position, getting ready to shoot off an arrow.
“How is—what’s his name?” Cas glanced at Galo.
“Mateo.”
“How is Mateo with that bow?”
“Excellent.”
An arrow whizzed through the air. It landed squarely in the back of a warrior at the side of the wagon. Her body convulsed once before she toppled off her horse.
A second arrow flew through the air, but the other warriors were already off their horses, swords drawn.
“In the wagon!” one of the warriors yelled to the prisoners. The men froze, ignoring the order.
Cas broke into a sprint, Galo at his side. Two more arrows flew through the air. A warrior screamed as one lodged in his arm. A few of the male staff members jumped on top of him.
A warrior immediately planted himself in front of the door to the wagon, and Cas swung his sword as he approached. The warrior blocked the attack, his feet kicking up dust as their swords met.
Galo crept around behind the warrior, grabbing him by the throat. The warrior’s eyes widened, his sword jerking sideways. Cas lunged, sinking his sword into the man’s chest Galo dropped him, his body making a thud as it hit the ground.
Cas jumped forward, releasing the latch on the wagon and swinging open the door. Gasps echoed through the group as they recognized him.
He gestured for them to get out, quickly whirling around to survey the damage. He spotted one Lera guard dead on the ground, but the staff had swarmed the warrior.
Two warriors were fending off an attack from four guards, and clearly losing. A guard sliced his blade into the chest of one of the warriors as Cas watched.
In a matter of minutes, five of the six warriors were dead, and Mateo was engaged in a heated battle with the last one. The guard was clearly not as good with a sword as he was with a bow and arrow.
Cas ran for them, slamming his body against the warrior’s. They both tumbled to the dirt, the warrior keeping a grip on his sword as he went down. Cas barely ducked his head as the man swung at his neck.
The warrior scrambled to get up, but a few of the women from the wagon had him pinned.
Cas quickly rolled away from the warrior, and Mateo put both hands on his sword, driving it into the warrior’s chest. He smiled at Cas as he withdrew the blade.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Cas nodded as he got to his feet. The clearing was almost silent, the warriors’ dead bodies littering the ground. Only the one guard had died, but Cas found himself unable to look in that direction. The death felt heavy in his chest.
He looked back at the wagon to see Daniela, the older woman he’d met earlier in the wagon, climbing out. She teetered to him and threw her arms around his neck.
He gave her a gentle squeeze before releasing her. He regarded the dirty, exhausted faces around him. “Is everyone all right?”
Heads nodded in unison.
“Did they feed you?”
“A little dried meat yesterday,” one man said.
“It’s not far to Fort Victorra,” he said. “Feel free to get back in the wagon if you’re too weak to walk.” He gestured for a couple of guards to take over the wagon.