Evmor: The Calling

Chapter 23

Another week and here is the LAST CHAPTER to the Calling! It has been an amazing journey on my part and I can't believe I'm pretty much done. Once I upload the epilogue, I'll be done for good :o Thank you to those of you who have read my book and I hope I'll get the chance to see you on my second book (yes, I'm planning a sequel). Anyways, enjoy this one <3

Chapter 23

We finally reached the entrance hall, the walls covered in thick tapestries. I noticed that some told a similar story from the ones in Leseros and wondered how two kingdoms so different could have the same history.

"Halt!" someone called out as we reached the center of the hall. The four of us turned in unison to meet the assembly of guards standing behind us. They were all dressed in battle gear, their black armors seeming to darken the hall even more. I cast my gaze over my shoulder and dread crawled up my spine as I saw the other side overflowing with guards as well. We were surrounded.

"Shit," Rocco swore, gripping his labrys tightly in his hands. I made sure to keep my daggers still, not wanting to alarm any of the guards.

"Prince Erebus," a guard said, stepping forward, "We are under orders from His Majesty to cut down anyone who assists the prisoner."

"She is not a prisoner anymore," Erebus growled back. The guard tensed, hesitant to challenge his prince.

"But Your Highness-"

"Stand down and no one gets hurt," Erebus interrupted, his low voice holding a thinly veiled warning.

The guards exchanged wary glances but in the end the fear of punishment from the king won out. With a meaningful look, they tensed up in unison. Killian and Rocco spun around to face the other group of guards. The four of us stood back to back, an unlikely group fighting together.

The guards came at us with a war cry, all their weapons raised. I met them with a savage scream of my own, ducking under a wild slash of sword. I propelled myself forward, crashing into a guard.

It was different fighting Evmorians. They weren't demons, with their depthless eyes filled with bloodlust. They were just as human-or similar to a human-as I was. I had killed a few demons before but this was different. I felt my arm freeze before I could stab at the exposed neck of the guard before me.

He took that as an opportunity and struck out at me, ramming the hilt of his sword at my cheek. My body spun from the blow and the world seemed to lurch under my feet. I fell backwards and crashed heavily onto the ground. I was still dazed from the blow, groaning as I gently probed at my split cheek. I grimaced to find it was bleeding freely.

The guard came at me again and I scrambled just out of his reach, fighting back the wave of nausea that crashed into me. He was trying to kill me; that much was obvious. But I couldn't bring myself to kill an Evmorian like I had killed demons. That would be murder.

He turned towards me and his eyes held a hint of doubt, then he stopped in his tracks. He was going through the same inner turmoil as I was. He took another hesitant step towards me.

"Don't," I pleaded, hoping I could somehow avoid this situation. It was naïve, but I couldn't think of any other way.

The guard's eyes suddenly widened in shock before he collapsed to the floor, a thick trail of blood streaming from his mouth. I looked up in shock to see Killian, his expression grim.

"Why did you do that?" I shouted at him, unable to look away from the dead guard in front of me.

"He would have killed you," Killian answered grimly.