Queen of Light (The Light-Bringer Trilogy, #3)

Nine

The guard's head jerked to the right as he broke his neck. He stepped over the guard's crumpled body and strode down the corridor.

"Stop!" shouted a man.

Two guards dressed in orange thundered towards him. He grinned and ran to meet them. When they were several paces away, he jumped and flew through the air. He soared over the heads of the guards. They swore when he landed behind them. He broke the neck of one and elbowed the other in the face. He slammed the guard's head up against the wall with a crunch.

He turned and ran. He had to find the king. The guards kept coming, and he kept subduing them. He turned the corner and instead of being met with more guards, he was met with a man.

He only wore and orange tunic threaded with gold, brown trousers, and black boots, but his hand rested on the pommel of a sheathed sword.

King Andrei of House Dragos.

"Matt," said the king.

He did not know that name.

Andrei unsheathed his sword. "One sign, Matias. Give me one sign that you're still in there."

All he did was smile.

Andrei raised his sword and brought it down on him. He caught the blade in his hands and kicked Andrei in the stomach. The sword clattered to the ground. Weaponless, Andrei balled his hands up into fists and threw punches at him. He dodged the blows easily. He grabbed Andrei's wrist, stepped to the side and yanked him forward.

He grasped the back of the king's neck and forced him to his knees. "Where is Phillippe Dragos's body?"

"It's in the crypt, but you're nineteen years too late. We—Queen Marilyn and the late King Dmitri—turned it to ash years ago."

He scowled and knees the king in the back. Andrei screamed as a snap reached their ears. He released the king, who crumpled to the floor. He reached a hand out and pulled himself forward. He did it again, groaning as he moved forward inch by miserable inch.

He flipped the king over with the toe of his boot and looked down at the helpless man. He pressed his boot down on Andrei's neck. Andrei gasped for air, fighting to lift the boot off of him.

Matt, he mouthed. Matt, please.

Andrei's eyes rolled to the back of his head when a ball of fire hit him in the chest. He flew back several paces and got to his feet.

Standing halfway down the corridor with her hand outstretched was the Light-Bringer.

—

She had been knocked unconscious for a few minutes, but it was enough for James to leave a trail of bloodshed in his wake.

Her hand remain raised as James got to his feet. "I thought that you were out cold," he snarled.

"It's going to take a lot more than that to keep a god down," she replied coldly.

He reached down and took up Andrei's sword. Cal unsheathed Azar and planted her feet exactly as Matias had taught her. In the blink of an eye, James was in front of her. She raised Azar to block James's stolen blade, the metal singing. Sunlight flickered and the torches burned a little brighter as she pushed against him. James staggered back, trying to regain his footing. Cal knocked the sword out of his hands, fire running along the edges of the blade.

James kicked Azar out of Cal's hands and swept her feet out from under her. Gasping for air, James took advantage and wrapped his hands around her throat and squeezed.

"You won't die if you're a god," James hissed.

Cal clawed at his hands, trying to pry them off of her. Light shone from her palms. James winced. She pushed her light further. James cried out and let go of her, but she didn't let go of him. She kept pushing.

"Cal, stop!"

She didn't listen, even when she had James on the ground under her. His eyes turned from orange to grey.

"Cal, enough!"

Hands pulled her off of him. Guards slipped new iron shackles in James's wrists and a cloth over his mouth. Cal watched as James's eyes turned back to orange. Within seconds, he was out cold.

She was spun around and forced to face her father.

"Let go of me," she snarled.

Akaljot gripped her shoulders. "What's gotten into you?" he asked, his green eyes searching hers.

She pushed him away. "Nothing. I'm fine."

"Really? Because you're not acting fine."

"I'm fine, Everlight," she spat. "I just need some air."

She spared her brother a glance before she spun on her heel, took up Azar, and strode away.