Page 202 of The Kingdom's Reckoning
"You traitor!" Rian yelled, shoving past a soldier.
Sebastian turned toward his brother, and a rueful grin split across his blood-splattered face. He shoved the lifeless bodyaside. "I was wondering if I would get to meet you on the streets or if you’d get yourself killed before I got the chance."
"How could you do this?" Rian demanded. "How could you destroy our home?"
"Sometimes one must destroy to rebuild." Sebastian twisted his sword in his hand and leaned to the side as Kallie stepped beside Rian. "I see you brought your wife. Or wait—ex-wife, is it? I’m still a little unclear as to your relationship."
"You’re a disgrace," Kallie spat, tightening her hold on her weapons.
"I must say it’s rather poetic," Sebastian said, ignoring her insult. "Your relationship started this war, and now your deaths will end it."
Kallie and Rian charged. But Kallie made it only a few steps before someone snatched her wrist and yanked her back.
A blade pressed against her spine.
"Kallie!" Rian shouted, looking back at her.
"Don’t let—" Kallie was cut off as the person swiftly wrapped his arm around her and lifted his sword to her neck.
"I was hoping I’d see you again."
Kallie’s body went rigid.
She would never forget that voice.
Myra had told her Armen had betrayed Pontia again. Kallie just didn’t think she would be lucky enough to face him on the battlefield.
Rian called out to her again, panicked and hesitant to abandon her.
"Get Sebastian!" Kallie shouted. "I got this one."
A laugh brushed her cheek. "Do you now? The way I see it?—"
Kallie shoved Armen’s arm away and ducked beneath it. Spinning around, she glowered at the Ardentolian crest stamped on his new Frenzian armor. For a moment, her attention wasso fixed on the crest that she barely noticed the wings sprouting from his back.
"Does loyalty meannothingto you?" she spat.
"I am loyal, darling," Armen said, his wings flaring out behind him. "I’m loyal to myself. And I gotta say, I’m going to enjoy finally putting my blade through that cold heart of yours."
He swung, and Kallie dodged it. In the corner of her eye, she saw Rian’s and Sebastian’s swords colliding.
"You’ll have to actually hit me to do that," Kallie said as she blocked his next attack.
The serum might have increased Armen’s strength, but his moves were still predictable. Armen had always used too much momentum, too much force. Whenever she found him training in Ardentol, she always predicted his moves with ease. Some things even a serum couldn’t change.
They parried, their blades crashing against one another. In her peripheral, Rian narrowly dodge Sebastian’s attack.
Kallie fought harder.
When Armen’s sword swiped through the air, Kallie blocked it with the scimitar.
Nearby, Rian slid across the ground and jabbed, his blade slipping into the bare joint behind Sebastian’s knee brace. The prince hissed out, and Rian pushed forward.
Refocusing on Armen, Kallie fought with just as much ferocity. She could taste the end of this battle, and she would not stop until she finished it. Until they both did.
Armen braced against her attack. Spit foamed on his lip. His eyes were bloodshot and crazed. He dug his heel into the ground and leaned more of his weight against her.
His strength nearly overwhelmed her, and Kallie’s arm shook as she braced herself. The recent arrow wounds in her thigh and arm throbbed. Sweat dripped down her forehead. But Kalliehad fought powerful men before, and one thing always remained true: they never knew when to give up.
