Page 76 of Her Royal Blood

“Clever trick, making us materialize against our will,” Polonius said with a strange mix of love and hatred in his voice. “That can’t be your magic, love. You haven’t the skill.” He was trying to demean her to catch her off guard.

Aria didn’t say anything but blasted him with her magic but it bounced off the magic teeth he wore, a gift from his grandfatherto protect him. The magic blast hit the weapons around the airship but didn’t harm Sire or Polonius.

Sire raised his hand to blast magic against her and Polonius raised his arm to stop him.

“I still don’t want her harmed.” Polonius’s voice was harsh and commanding.

At the mention of Aria and still seeing Polonius’ crazed obsession with her, I lunged forward to stab him through, but Sire blasted me back with his magic. I hit the wall so hard my brain rattled in my head and it took a minute for me to get my bearings. When I did, I saw Halo blasting Sire pushing him back so that he could not wield Magic anymore.

“I’m married,” Aria swung her sword at Polonius and Sire moved her back with his magic, even though he was being attacked by Halo.

“Marriages can be annulled,” Polonius said, not daring to take a step closer as Aria continued to lunge and maneuver at Polonius with her sword.

With each strike Sire barely was able to hold her back while Halo countered all of the magic Sire was using.

“I’m mated,” Aria grit out with anger.

“The bond breaks the minute he dies. You won’t stay mated,” Polonius’ voice was low and confident.

“I love Lex.” Aria jabbed again. “I have always loved him.

“As I said before, marriages aren’t always about love.” Polonius remained calm as he spoke with her.

Since Sire was busy defending himself from Halo and protecting Polonius, I made stealthy moves around the wall, hoping to get behind Polonius to stab him in the back.

“Ours never would have been about love,” Aria snarled at Polonius.

“It would have, eventually, because as I said before, that is what you are, Aria; empathetic and loving.”

“Fierce and strong,” Aria countered with another sword strike.

“Of course. Which is why I should have known I’d bedded a counterfeit, I expected much more fight from you. But, poor me, I thought perhaps, you had surrendered your heart.” Polonius slowly drew his own sword from his back. “I plan to take many wives, but you will always be my favorite. Even without arms.” Just as Polonius sliced the blade down, Aria countered his strike and the clash of their swords threw Polonius backwards.

Aria raced to Polonius while Sire had lost his footing and his magic faltered. Just before Aria plunged her knife into Polonius’s heart, there was an explosion and the Airbus plummeted downwards. All of us lost our footing and were toppled together while we descended at a dizzying rate. Polonius landed on top of Aria who struggled to get her sword out from under her. I landed on top of Polonius but fell off him when the Airbus bounced on a pocket of air sending me to the ground beside Aria and Halo. We were jumbled around like corn popping in a pan.

It didn't matter who was laying on top of whom or whose weapon was where because the minute the airship hit the ground we would all be dead. There was no way to survive a fall from such a great height. Knowing that, I reached for Aria and attempted to bring her closer to me. It was ironic that she was under Polonius, and beside me as if this strange and terrible triad would be immortalized at the fiery end.

Just when I expected the harshness of impact and was about to cry out to Aria to let her know that I loved her, a cannonball blew through the wall of our airship. Was there a chance that we weren't going to crash? Then we floated to the ground and landed without blowing to bits. It took all of us a moment to realize that we had not crashed.

I looked at the wall which has a huge hole in it to see my brother Cheyenne sticking his face inside with a curious expression.

“The cannonball worked,” Cheyenne said, “It slowed them down. Lex, Halo, and Aria are safe.” Cheyenne offered a smile as the door to the air bus blew open.

Sire threw a magical blast at Cheyenne and it blew him away from the hole.

“No,” Aria screamed as Polonius grabbed her by the neck.

As Polonius was in reach, I yanked at his hair to get him off of her, while she groped for her sword with one hand and blasted Sire with the other.

Halo tried to add a blast to help Aria, but she was fatigued to the point of passing out. Derringer, Hawk and Dimitri all entered the airbus with their weapons drawn. Dimitri immediately picked up Halo and brought her out as Hawk got Aria. Sire created a bubble of protection around Polonius and the two of them exited the airbus together. Derringer helped me off of the floor and as soon as I was on two feet again I was able to get my bearings. As I exited the Airbus I saw that Amadeus was protecting Onyx Rah from any more canon blasts.

There were two holes in the walls of the palace. The cannon had been turned around by the Narvarrian military, the Onyx Raw Royal Guard, and Solbrook troops to shoot at the airbus.

“Why did you shoot at us?” I asked Derringer as I stepped through the rubble from the cannon blasts.

“You were coming down fast, it was the only way we could slow you down while Prince Dimitri got into range to grab you with his magic. As soon as he learned you were in there we had to work fast.”

“Glad we’re safe, thank you. Now to find Polonius.”

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