Page 37 of Crown of Ellova: Vol 1

I should run, leave him. It was my plan all along, wasn’t it? But as two riders race towards us, I do not have it in me to abandon him. That constant pull towards Leon tethers me to him, keeping me at his side. Above all, he is my friend and I will not sacrifice him to save myself, no matter how he begs me to. “I’m not leaving you here to fight them off yourself, Leon, so either you fight with me oryourun.”

“Damn it, Izadella!” He says it through gritted teeth. “I’m trying to protect you.”

“And I’ve told you I do notneedprotection,” I hiss back.

We glare at each other before turning back to our unwelcome guests, the riders racing towards us.

The horses come to a slamming halt before us, and the two men dismount, weapons out.

Grayden’s fucking guards, his initial carved deep into the black leather of their clothing. Violence seeps off them with their cruel laughter.

The taller of two speaks first. “Healer, I was wondering how long it was going to take to find you. King Grayden suspected it was you. How pleased he will be that he was right when we drag you before him for your betrayal.”

“The next time I see Grayden will be on his death day,” Leon spits.

“Aye, she looks familiar. Is she from court?” the shorter, blond one asks, eyeing me. “Don’t you make the jewelry for those pompous courtiers?”

The first one sneers at us. “The king is going to be delighted when we bring you both back to the castle. He has a particular plan in store for each of you.” His cruel smile towards me turns my chest to ice.

Leon moves again in front of me and snarls, “You will nottouchher!”

The tall guard only laughs before he charges at Leon with his sword. Leon is faster and blocks the first attack. He slashes at the guard, causing a laceration on his shoulder, but with the next attack the guard’s sword slices through the flesh of Leon’s arm, a line of blood seeping into the cut fabric.

“We need them both alive!” the blond guard shouts. “The king will have our heads if we kill his playthings.”

Before I can scream, the guard launches himself at me, his hand stretched wide to grab my arm. I reach back for my dagger with speed only the fae possess. The dagger and his hand collide in the air, the onyx-eyed fox handle flush against his palm, the blade protruding through the other side. He shrieks as I yank the blade out, the blood spattering the forest floor.

He presses his pierced palm to his chest, drawing his sword as he charges at me. My fox dagger stands no chance against his broadsword, and he wears no metal. I call to my magic, desperate for the dagger to morph into a short spear, but nothing happens.

No, no, no!

The jewelsmith magic refuses my call, the crown’s magic pushing down on it, overwhelming it. I try to manipulate the foreign magic that pulses beneath my skin but I can’t. No call or demand for it produces anything. Desperation builds and builds. I can feel the magic wishes to be free, like a blocked river of power within me.

Farren appears with a flash of fury and black fur. With a fierce little growl, he bites the guard’s ankle. The man attempts to kick Farren away, who jumps back only to latch onto his flesh again. Fear and rage redden my vision, and I do not give him a chance to go after my fox again. I slice and stab at his chest over and over again, my golden dagger flashing like lightning. Every drop of blood is justice for his attempt to hurt Farren.

The guard wails, his good hand trying to press into the wounds. “Stupid bitch!” he screams, tears running down his bloody cheeks while he looks down at his brutalized body and collapses to his knees.

With Farren safe at my side, I take my attention off my attacker and run towards Leon. He still fights the other guard, my father’s sword dripping blood that runs down his elbow. His shoulders shake with exertion. Leon kicks the guard in the groin, momentarily halting his incoming attack. It is no time for amusement but I let out a laugh at the way the pathetic man’s eyes bulge from his skull when he is unable to block Leon’s heel.

“Where is the crown?” the tall guard yells at Leon. The sounds of clashing swords echo off the trees as they continue their fight.

A body from behind collides with mine. I feel the sharp pressure of the blade on my neck, the other guard’s bloodied hand clenched in a fist around my waist, my blouse soaking up the blood.

I meet Leon’s eyes that are wide with fear for me. The guard he was fighting seizes his opportunity to take a cheap shot, punchingLeon in the jaw. He grunts in pain but swings his blade, catching the man in the chest, and crimson washes down the leather, causing it to shine. The guard keeps attacking, both of them leaking gore. Leon knocks him to the ground, raising the emerald sword for the final blow.

“Finish that strike and she’s dead!” The man holding me tightens the blade against my throat. “The king has plenty of other mistresses. We can tell him we only found you trying to escape.”

Leon halts, sword frozen midair.

“Drop the sword and get on your knees, healer.”

Leon does what he is told, his eyes never leaving mine. The panic is bright and overwhelming and I start to tremble. I scream when the guard’s fist slams into Leon’s perfect face. They are going to haul him back to Grayden bloody and bruised, tortured and imprisoned for someone else’s crimes. With Jedrick dead, no one will believe he tried to help the king. It will not take Grayden long to discover the crown is on my head. What will he do when he finds me to be fae?

“Tie him to the horses and have him drag behind us for a while to show him what awaits him when we arrive at Grayden’s castle.”

The other guard moves towards Leon and I scream.

My scream is filled with all the anger, fear, and frustration that has built over the past day, and the blistering rage overwhelms me. The rage that these poor excuses for men have come into my forest and threatened Farren’s life, Leon’s life, my life. Threatening us with the torture at Grayden’s vile hands.

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