Page 78 of Hidden By the Gargoyle

A scream pierced the air, feminine and full of rage. I forced my feet to move faster, even though my head was growing light with blood loss.

I came around a corner and crashed into another warrior, this one wearing grey and white. Without hesitation, I stabbed the broken spear into his throat, twisted it, and yanked it free.

He gurgled as he fell to the floor, clutching his throat. It was a mortal wound, so I didn’t take the time to finish him off. I had to get to them.

I killed two more warriors clad in grey before I burst through the double doors that led to the queen’s chambers.

As I entered, my eyes took in the scene before me in a flash.

The prince lay on the floor in a puddle of blood too large to belong to a child so small. His skin was no longer grey but the pure marble white of death.

I saw the warriors surrounding my queen and howled in rage. Moving faster than I ever had before, I attacked, wanting nothing more than to kill them all.

What kind of warrior killed a defenseless child? There was no honor in what they had done and so I would not give them the honor of a clean death.

I met their attack head on, using my sword and spear to tear them apart. As I slashed and stabbed, my back met the queen’s. We fought side-by-side, but there were too many. They swarmed us.

When the first blade pierced my spine, I screamed. I tried to turn, to fight off my attacker, but another spear skewered my abdomen in the front.

My legs stopped working, folding beneath me.

Another blade sliced through my shoulder, piercing all the way through my body. My sword arm immediately became useless, and the weapon dropped from my grip.

I screamed again, not because of the pain, but at the agony of what was unfolding before me.

My queen fought valiantly, a sword in each hand, but they outnumbered her as they did me. Right before my eyes, they cut her down, their spears piercing her body and pinning her flat to the floor.

I fought with everything I had, my blood splattering on the floor, but I couldn’t get free of the weapons spiking through me.

All I could do was watch as the largest gargoyle separated from the group, a heavy black crown on his head. The Usurper knew he couldn’t win in an honorable battle, so he intended to take the throne by whatever means necessary. The crown he wore was nothing more than a false declaration.

I managed to knock one of my attackers off his feet, but another took his place before I could lunge forward, his spear stabbing me through the thigh.

I screamed again as the Usurper’s sword lifted and fell, my queen’s head rolling across the floor after he cleaved it from her body.

I would make them pay in blood. I would tear them apart for what they had done.

The words flowed from my mouth, vows before the gods themselves, bringing the Usurper’s attention to me.

He smiled, a terrible, ugly smile of triumph, and sauntered in my direction.

“Daxys Tremalsys, how did I know you would find your way here?”

I tried to lunge forward again, and this time I dragged the three warriors pinning me to the ground with me. The Usurper stopped his approach, watching as his minions wrestled me back under control.

“You chose the wrong side, Dax,” he continued once he was assured I wouldn’t free myself.

Even now, he was a coward. I laughed in his face, spitting blood at his feet to demonstrate my loathing.

“You will never hold the throne, Paraxys. A coward like you will fall beneath the sword of another, probably while your back is turned.” I chuckled at the thought. “It is a more merciful end than you deserve.”

“Still your tongue, Daxys, or I’ll remove it from your head before I kill you.”

My left hand still clutched the spear. I was weak from blood loss, but I was willing to sacrifice my life if it meant that I could plunge the weapon into his black heart.

“Go ahead. Cut out my tongue but know that you will always be a coward.”

I prepared myself to move when he took another step forward. My muscles trembled and I fought not to tense my body, not to do anything that would betray my intention.

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