Page 44 of Destiny Redeemed
Red barely had time to turn before Anderic’s fist connected with his jaw, sending him staggering backward. In an instant, the cell erupted into chaos.
Lennox appeared at Anderic’s side, his sword flashing as he engaged two of Red’s thugs. The clash of steel rang out, punctuated by grunts of exertion and cries of pain. I scrambled back against the wall, desperate to avoid the melee.
I can let go now. I’m safe.
Through the tangle of limbs and flashing blades, I caught glimpses of Anderic. He moved with a fluid grace that belied his fury, each strike precise and devastating. This wasn’t thepolished, charming prince I knew - this was a warrior, raw and elemental.
A familiar voice cut through the din. “Ilyana!”
I turned to see Rosalind rushing towards me, a sword gripped in her hand. She looked every inch the warrior princess, her chestnut hair wild and her eyes fierce. She dropped to her knees beside me, her free hand gently cupping my face.
“Are you alright?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.
I managed a weak nod, still struggling to process the surreal turn of events. I wanted to ask her what she was doing here, but instead, all that came out was a rough, “I’ve been better.”
Rosalind’s eyes flashed with anger as she took in my battered state. “I’ll kill them,” she growled, rising to her feet. For a moment, I saw the war in her—she wanted to fight, to make them pay. But then her gaze flicked back to me, and something in her shifted. With a sharp breath, she forced herself to stay.
She glanced around, assessing the grimy cell before kneeling beside me. A moment later, she pressed a small container of water into my hands. I had no idea where she had gotten it, and I didn’t care. I drank greedily, the cool liquid burning down my throat after days without it.
I could feel one of my eyes swelling shut, the pain throbbing in time with my heartbeat, but Rosalind didn’t flinch at the sight of me. Instead, she tore a strip of fabric from the hem of her tunic and began tending to my wounds with surprising gentleness.
It was only then that I found my voice. “What are you doing here?” I rasped.
She didn’t look up as she secured the makeshift bandage. “When Laurel came to the palace, desperate to find Prince Anderic, the guards wouldn’t let her in.” Her lips curled slightly as if the memory annoyed her. “I was there. I helped her. And I followed.”
I stared at her, stunned. “Why?”
Finally, Rosalind met my eyes. “Because we’re friends.” She said it like it was the simplest thing in the world. “And that’s what friends do.”
As I watched, dazed, I realized there was yet another familiar face among the fighters. Noah, his warm brown hair matted with sweat, was locked in combat with Gareth. The two men grappled, trading vicious blows.
I had never thought much of Gareth beyond his quiet, watchful presence as my father’s loyal servant. But now, seeing the way he moved—the precision of his strikes, the raw efficiency of his attacks—I felt a cold chill seep into my bones. He had always been capable of this. He had always been dangerous. And my family had never truly understood how close to harm we had been.
Their forms blurred as my vision swam, exhaustion and pain threatening to drag me under. I blinked hard, forcing myself to focus.
Noah fought with relentless determination, and despite Gareth’s skill, he couldn’t hold out forever. With a brutal strike to the temple, Noah sent him sprawling to the ground, unconscious.
As the dust settled, Noah turned to me, his expression shifting from triumph to concern as he took in my battered state. He dropped to one knee beside me. “Are you alright, Ilyana?” he asked, but as his gaze swept over me, his brow furrowed, and he turned to Rosalind instead.
“For now,” Rosalind said grimly. “But we need to get her to a physician. Soon.”
Across the room, Anderic stood over Red, his chest rising and falling with steady, controlled breaths. Red glared up at him, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but there was no fear in his eyes—only cold certainty.
“It’s over,” Anderic growled, his boot pressed against Red’s throat.
Red let out a breathless laugh. “No. It’s over for you. For the royal family. Everything is going to change.”
Something flickered in Anderic’s expression—not doubt, not hesitation, but absolute understanding. He believed him.
Even so, Anderic’s response was measured, unwavering. “What do you mean?”
Before Red could answer, movement in the corridor drew their attention. A soldier rushed in. “Your Highness! We’ve secured the building, but more of them are coming!”
Anderic’s jaw tensed, his focus snapping back to me across the chaos of the cell. At that moment, I saw it clearly in his eyes—undeniable relief, but also a warmth so fierce it stole my breath and sent my heart racing.
Noah reached out to help me stand, and I gritted my teeth against the pain as my legs threatened to buckle beneath me. I barely had time to steady myself before Anderic began striding toward me, his intense, dangerous gaze locking onto mine. But just as he closed the distance, his eyes flicked to Noah’s hand resting on my shoulder.
His expression darkened, and a low growl rumbled in his throat as if the hand had offended him, despite the fact that Noah wasn’t a threat to me in the slightest. Noah, sensing the shift, raised an eyebrow but quickly pulled his hand away.
