The Princess's Guard ✔️

50

Word Count: 1981

~Kiva

I let them come to me first.

Their faces are concealed by shadows, but I don't need to see them anyway. They are just more rebels who would rather kill me than risk allowing me redemption.

The tallest one lunges for me first.

Anticipating their attack, I slash the shard of glass along their arm in a similar fashion as with a knife. Ark's training rings in the back of my mind, giving me some confidence in my ability to get out of here.

The rebel hisses in pain but barely flinches, still advancing on me. They manage to grab my arm in a firm grip, holding the glass away from themselves.

Someone kicks me in the lower back, a jolt of pain accompanying me in my fall to the floor.

I hadn't even realised someone had come up behind me...

The rebel who kicked me climbs on top of me, trying to wrestle my arms behind my back while another readies the rope to wrap around my neck.

With my cheek pressed against the cold floor, I try not to let my panic exhaust me.

They really are going to do it. They are going to kill me.

Twisting my arm, I manage to cut at the fingers of the rebel on my back. She fists a clump of hair in the back of my head, pulling it back.

"I wonder if Ark will still think you're pretty when you're dead," she seethes in my ear. The familiarity of her voice drenches me in cold, overwhelming dread.

It's the girl Ark was talking to outside my door.

Gritting my teeth, I muster all my strength to roll over. I only roll onto my side, but it's enough to disrupt her sitting position, sending her toppling onto the floor.

Someone else grabs me, but when I turn to slice them with the glass, they let me go. That must have been a deep hit...

I can barely see anything as I scramble up, but I know someone else is lunging for me.

They slam me against the door, the sound making a horrible thump. I cough as the breath is squeezed from my lungs.

As hands reach for my neck, I slam my knee into their stomach, listening to them groan. I do it again, and then another time until their grip loosens.

I don't want to kill these people. I could stab this shard of glass into his neck and this would be over, but I can't bear it.

Instead, I fumble with the handle, managing to shove the door open.

I stumble out into the hallway, knowing I'm being pursued by the girl. I don't turn to face her, opting instead to run as fast as I can down the hallway.

If I stay a moment longer, either she will kill me, or I'll kill her.

The sounds of her footsteps cease quickly as I pace down the stairs, practically flinging myself around every corner. She knows that now I've escaped there is no chance for them to finish me off.

All of a sudden, I slam into a body. The impact sends me hurtling into the wall. I nearly keep running until I see it's Ark, looking at me for a moment like I'm a complete stranger.

He blinks as he registers it's me.

"What's going on?" he questions, looking over me.

His eyes flare wider as he takes in the sight of me clutching a shard of glass, blood dripping from the wound it has cut into my palm and fingers.