Page 88 of Destiny Redeemed
The men resumed their advance, smirking beneath their masks.
“Lya, DOWN!” Anderic’s voice thundered from behind them.
I dropped to the floor as his blade sliced through the air where I’d been standing, catching one attacker across the back. The man screamed, collapsing forward.
Anderic grabbed my hand, yanking me to my feet. “We need to go—NOW!”
We raced for the door, dodging bodies. “Wait! Your dagger—” I gasped.
“For fuck’s sake, Lya. I’ll buy you a hundred daggers if we live through this,” he snapped, dragging me toward the stables.
I spotted an arrow on the ground—the same kind that had nearly killed me upstairs. I snatched it up as we ran. Evidence. Proof of who might want us dead.
Anderic practically threw me onto his horse before vaulting up behind me. His arms encircled me as he grabbed the reins, and we thundered away, leaving the remaining attackers behind.
His heart pounded against my back, his breath ragged in my ear. We were alive—for now. But the arrow clutched in my white-knuckled grip promised this was far from over.
We rode hard for what felt like hours, the thundering of hooves matching the frantic beating of my heart. Anderic’s arms remained tight around me, his body shielding mine as we put distance between us and our attackers. The sun climbed higher in the sky, burning away the morning mist but doing little to warm the chill that had settled in my bones.
When Anderic finally slowed our pace, we’d reached a small clearing bordered by dense pine trees. He dismounted first, scanning our surroundings with narrowed eyes before helping me down.
“I think we’ve lost them,” he said, his voice still tight with tension.
The moment my feet touched the ground, his hands were on me, turning me this way and that, checking for injuries with an urgency that belied his anger.
“I’m fine,” I insisted as he examined a small scratch on my cheek. “Truly.”
His jaw remained clenched, eyes avoiding mine as he finished his inspection. I took the opportunity to study him more carefully and spotted the dark stain spreading across his sleeve.
“You’re hurt.” I reached for his arm, but he pulled back. “Anderic, let me see.”
“It’s nothing.”
“That’s not nothing.” I gestured to the blood seeping through the fabric. “Your ‘nothing’ is staining your ridiculously expensive shirt.”
With a reluctant sigh, he allowed me to roll up his sleeve. The gash was deep, running from his elbow almost to his wrist.
“This needs stitches,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. The sight of his blood made my stomach lurch. “How did you even manage to ride like this?”
“I’ve had worse.” He pulled his arm away, tugging the sleeve back down. The movement was deliberate, creating distance between us. The argument from earlier hung in the air, unresolved and festering.
I swallowed hard and pulled the arrow from where I’d tucked it into my belt. “Look,” I said, pointing to the symbol etched into the shaft. “It’s the same mark we saw before.”
Anderic took it, his expression darkening. “They’re not even trying to hide anymore.”
“They know we’re coming for them.”
“Then we need to hurry.” He turned toward his horse, then paused. “Fuck.”
“What?”
“We don’t have any supplies. Or the royal seal.” His eyes met mine briefly before skittering away again. “We left everything back at the house.”
I bit my lip. “Without the seal, we can’t enter the fringe village where the northern mines are. No one gets in without special permission.”
Anderic’s chin lifted slightly, that familiar arrogance settling over his features. “They’ll know who I am. I’m the prince.”
The laugh escaped before I could stop it. “Anderic, the last time you met Commander Maxwell was what, five years ago? This isn’t the capital where everyone bows at your golden curls. Even if Maxwell somehow recognizes you, you’ll still have to get through the front guards first—and they definitely won’t. Trust me when I say no one—not even a prince—enters the fringe without proper documentation.”
