Page 74 of The Crimson Princess
“You chose the right enemy, princess. He’s the most lethal opponent you could ever face, but I won’t let that happen.”
A weird sense of dread fills me in that moment, almost a premonition that I will face Ruhn, and I think Toren feels it, too and I just need to set it aside right now. What will be is already set in motion. On some level, we both know this, too.
“How did it go in the palace?”
“Productive.”
That’s all he says, and I have a sense he doesn’t want to talk about it, but I still ask, “Did Tabby and Alister make peace?”
“They talked. That’s a start.” He catches my hip and walks me to him, firmly changing the subject. “I’m starving. Are you hungry?”
“Very. I actually didn’t eat, but before you yell at me, I did drink.”
“I’d scold you for not taking care of your healing body, but that’s not how I want to spend our last night together. Let’s stay in, just you and me.”
The last night, I think, and it’s a brutal reality I cannot escape. “I’d like that.”
He blinks us to the living room and there’s a romantic table set-up in front of the window. I’m shocked to realize it’s dark outside. He’s been gone all day and I’ve been in the simulator justas long. My belly clenches as I realize how close to goodbye we are. We settle into our seats, and I find a meal of rare steak and well-buttered potatoes awaiting me, as well as some sort of soup.
“This is from one of my favorite places we didn’t get to go to together,” he explains.
“It looks good,” I say, swallowing hard, not sure what else to say. Everything feels weird right now, like we’re one breath from transitioning from lovers to enemies.
I reach for my goblet when the doorbell I didn’t even know he possessed rings, and I want to scream with the interruption. Toren grits his teeth and pushes to his feet. “I’ll get rid of whoever it is.” He blinks out of view and I stand up, a bad feeling grinding at me.
Toren’s not gone long, but there’s an urgency about him on his return that’s impossible to miss. “My brother’s rebels have attacked several of our cities, no doubt a distraction to keep me away from the Challenge.” I round the table to meet him by the widow as he adds, “I have to go.”
“I’ll fight with you. I’m ready. I want to fight.”
His hands settle on my arms. “You can’t. We can’t risk them seeing you and telling your father. Not like this. Not now.”
“If I kill them, they can’t tell anyone.”
“No.” The word is absolute. “Stay here. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
“Damn it,Toren. I can’t just stay here.”
“You have to. You will.” His hands fall away from me.
I sense he’s about to blink and I grab a hold of him and a moment later, we appear on the rooftop of one of his ancient cities lined with cobblestone streets and walkways. In the process, I’ve changed into my battle gear, and Toren has done the same. I have no blade, and no idea where mine is, but I have my magic. He grabs me and pulls me in front of him. “Are you crazy?”
“No. I amnotcrazy, but you are if you don’t use me for the resource I am.” It’s in that moment that we’re attacked. Two rebel vampires appear next to us, blades in hand, in confrontation. I yank one of Toren’s blades from the holster on his leg, the magicit possesses humming in my hand, and I shove it in the vampire’s heart. It’s the kill spot. I learned that in the simulator when the fake Ruhn had taunted me with my inability to get there.
The vampire drops to the ground just as Toren’s attacker does the same. My blade appears in Toren’s hand and he offers it to me. “If you’re going to fight, you need this. I kept it safe for you after you were attacked.”
I accept it and it feels oh so good in my hand. I shove his back in his holster, and say, “Now where?”
He motions to the edge of the rooftop where Stefan joins us, none too pleased to see me. “What the fuck is she doing here?”
“Killing assholes,” I say. “Any questions?”
Stefan opens his mouth to snap back and Toren holds up a hand. “Just go with it.”
It’s then that Tabby and Gideon appear on the rooftop, a group of warriors behind them. Toren gives them a look over his shoulder and waves them forward. They all rush to the edge of the roof and appear to jump, but they blink mid-air. Toren then indicates to the ground, and me, him and Stefan are there in a blink.
And so, the killing truly begins.
One rebel after another and I’m in my element. This is what I do. This is what I have done for ten years of my life and with each kill, each use of my shield, I manage to hold it a bit longer. The sun has pierced the night when the battle concludes on a remote portion of the cobblestone street of one of three villages we have fought inside this night. Gideon, Tabby, and Stefan are all by our sides in conquest.
