Page 31 of The King's Sword
“Yes.”
Quicker than lightning on a hot summer night, Evander simultaneously threw two knives in different directions, each one embedding into a man’s chest. Both men dropped to the ground with a soft thud.
One of the other men charged at Evander, knocking him over. When the man landed on top of Evander, Sabine spotted a knife sticking out of his back. She hadn’t even seen Evander use the man as a shield before he’d allowed himself to be tackled. Evander shoved the dead man off him and jumped to his feet.
The fourth man attacked. Evander swiped the man’s legs out from under him, threw a dagger at the fifth person, and then produced another knife and rammed it into the fourth man’s neck as he tried to stand.
Sabine counted the dead men just to be sure and confirmed all five were accounted for.
Evander stood there, not even winded.
The entire ordeal had lasted only seconds. “Is it safe to come down?” she whispered.
“Yes.” He glanced up at her. “You made it higher than I thought you would.”
She started to reach forward to grab hold of a branch when she froze.
“What’s the matter?” Evander peered behind him and then back up at her, his brows pulling together with confusion.
She couldn’t move or even talk. Directly in front of her—only a foot away—a large black snake had wound itself around the branch. The head of the snake was focused on her as it slowly moved the bulk of its body into a coil atop the branch. Somehow she knew if she moved, it would strike.
“Stay very still,” Evander said, his voice deep and low. “When I tell you to, fling your body backward, away from the snake.”
She started shaking, unable to fathom moving. Not only was she paralyzed from fear, but she was certain the snake would jump right along with her and when she landed, it’d be on top of her. She’d seen enough snakes attack and eat small creatures like rats and bunnies. She would end up in the belly of that thing. A meal. And after Evander had gone through all that work to keep her alive.
“Sabine,” Evander said, his deep voice now behind her. “I want you to let go and fall back. I’ll catch you.”
She couldn’t move. Death by an assassin seemed better than death by snake. It would probably be less painful.
“You have about a minute until that thing strikes. When it does, you’ll be paralyzed instantaneously. Then it’ll eat you while you’re alive. It’s one of the most venomous snakes there is. Without turning your head or making any sudden movements, let yourself fall back.”
Cold, hard fear gripped her. She knew she needed to do as Evander said, but she couldn’t force her body to move. A tear slid down her cheek.
“Now, Sabine!” Evander said, his voice firm and laced with a hint of panic.
The image of the snake flinging itself forward gave her the incentive she needed to launch herself backward off the branch. She flew through the air, screaming. The snake lunged after her just as a dagger cut through the air, impaling the snake and pinning it against the tree trunk. Sabine crashed into Evander, and they landed together in a heap on the ground.
“I imagined that going much smoother in my mind,” he said.
She rolled off him, shaking, unable to believe he could make a joke when she’d almost been eaten alive. She stood and looked at the tree trunk where the snake was impaled. The creature was longer than her and its body as wide as one of her arms.
“Are you okay?” Evander asked as he stood and brushed himself off.
She nodded, still speechless. Her stomach felt queasy, and she wanted nothing more than to lie down. Preferably in her childhood bed back in Bakley where it was safe from assassins and snakes. A hug from her mother sounded really good right about now.
“We need to be on our way,” Evander said, his voice all business.
She wondered if nothing phased him…killing people, venomous snakes. He acted as if this were like any other day.
Not touching the five dead bodies, Evander headed back toward the town. Sabine hurried after him, ready to be out of this forest. When they reached the walkway, Evander slid his arm around her shoulders, tucking her into his side. She wondered if they should be traveling out in the open like this. However, the crowded streets felt safer than the forest. It wasn’t even noon and she’d already been attacked by assassins and almost eaten by a snake. Perhaps she should just call it a day before she wound up dead.
“I always thought women from Bakley were prudes,” Evander whispered in her ear. “But you just climbed a tree, faced a seven-foot snake, and survived a kidnapping attempt. All in all, not what I expected from someone who hails from a kingdom known for sitting around drinking tea and knitting all day.”
She glared at him.
He chuckled, the sound deep and throaty. “There she is,” he murmured, nudging her stomach with his free hand. “Glad to have you back.”
She almost rolled her eyes but didn’t want to give him the satisfaction. At least her body was starting to calm down and no longer shook from fright.
