Page 85 of Hidden Fate

“Donotseverely harm the blonde,” Jessie added, her short bleach-blonde bangs falling over her cinnamon-brown eyes.

One of the other warriors, a woman, hurried straight at me. She didn’t pause as she swung a fist at my face. I ducked, and she hit only air. Grunting, she tried to correct her balance, but not before I slashed her neck with the dagger. Her eyes bulged as she clutched the wound, trying to stop the blood that oozed between her fingers.

My heart pinched in discomfort, but I didn’t have time to acknowledge what I’d done.

I spun toward my mate in time to see him grip a warrior’s arm. Thorn hadn’t brought a gun, only a dagger, knowing he’d need to use his magic. Three other warriors attacked him from the front, back, and left. The one on his left sliced my mate’s arm with a knife.

Thorn hissed as his dragon roared through our connection, and he released the man from his right hand, the magic sharply cutting off from inside. Whimpering, the warrior fell to the ground. I kicked him in the head as I jumped over his body to reach my mate. I aimed my gun and shot the warrior behind him in the chest.

The warrior fell back into the passageway from which we’d emerged, and I pivoted toward the warrior in front while Thorn spun around to fight the one who had cut his arm.

Another weapon fired, and Thorn dropped to the floor as a tranq dart whizzed over his head and hit the warrior I’d been about to face.

“Uther, Gemma, and Jerry!” Falkor shouted. “What the hell are you doing? Attack!”

Now that my opponent was down, I spun on my heels to find that the five warriors diagonal from us had turned in our direction, their guns raised. I clenched my teeth when I saw Uther, Gemma, and Jerry fire their weapons at the same five who were focused on us.

The other two warriors jerked toward the trio. They swung their weapons at them as the man on the outer edge screamed in anger or fear.

I fired my weapon at the screamer. My bullet landed right in the center of his eyebrows, and his body dropped.

As I prepared to take out the second one, sharp pain exploded in my right shoulder. I pushed through it, pulling the trigger, needing to help Uther and the others. All I managed to do was strike the second warrior’s arm.

My shoulder felt as if it were covered with flames, and I glanced down at my injury. Luckily, it was a bullet wound, not a tranq. I’d be fine, but blood soaked my shirt.

“Donothurt her,” Drake screamed, and smacked Falkor in the back of the head. “I need her well so we can marry tomorrow during the coronation.”

Falkor flinched, his body turning rigid. “She’s killing warriors! I had to do something.”

“Tranq them!” Drake spat.

Crazily enough, I was Drake’s weakness…or rather, his obsession to have me was. Vlad rushed past me, focused on the warriors at the windows on the left, overlooking the front of the château, now that our warrior allies and I had eliminated the ones watching the backyard. Uther and the others raced to help him. We had thirteen warriors against our eight. Way better odds.

Falkor lifted a radio. “We need backup,now. In the king’s chambers.”

My heart dropped as Vlad said, “End this.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Theron, Saphira, and Wyvern charging at the warriors at the windows past the bed.

We need to go for Jessie, Falkor, and Ladon,I connected with Thorn.

Just as I said that, all three of them lifted their tranq rifles at us.

Take cover under the mattress,Thorn connected.

Following him, I leapt to the side of the mattress and ducked, evading two darts flying over our heads by mere inches. If we hadn’t moved, we’d have been knocked out cold in seconds.

“Shit, my gun is jammed,” Jessie croaked, her fear leaking through.

“Stay with Drake,” Falkor commanded as his footsteps stomped our way.

Then the bed dipped. The two of them were coming at us from both sides since the bed frame abutted the light gray wall.

Roll under the bed and hide. You’re hurt. I’ll take the two of them,Thorn connected, his own pain, stress, and anxiety swirling through the connection.

You are, too. You were stabbed, remember? Pretty much the same thing,I replied, refusing to budge. Since I was on the side further from Falkor, there was only one thing that made sense.I’ll take Ladon.

Before he could argue, I jumped to my feet, Thorn’s displeasure washing over me. Ladon was at the edge of the bed, and he startled back at my sudden appearance. I swung my dagger and stabbed him in the shoulder. Somehow, I hit the same area on him as the bullet had hit me, so we had almost identical injuries.

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