Villainous [Wattys 2021 Shortlist]

45: Ambush

Delilah kept touching the hilt of her sword as rock cliffs towered all around them. Every footstep echoed, and the air was so chill and dank that even the Fire Opal, in her pocket once again, wasn't much of a comfort. She prowled beside Dante at the front of the formation.

"It's very quiet," she whispered, wondering how far they'd walked already. "Where are they?"

"We aren't halfway through yet," Dante said.

They were in a long, dark tunnel and it didn't seem to have an end. Armour clinked. Men were breathing heavily behind them.

"This will turn the tide of the war," Dante whispered. "And I shall let you kill the royal family yourself, if you wish."

She blinked up at him. "Thank you. For - letting me come. I can finally have closure when they're gone."

His gaze met hers. There was a startling, intense emotion churning in Dante's eyes, and all the breath vanished from her lungs. For one moment, the soldiers, the cliffs, the discomfort of the march - everything fell away. She and Dante were the only two people in the world who existed. The only two who really knew each other. He sees me, she realised. For who I really am.

Dante opened his mouth.

And a volley of arrows flew from the clifftops.

Delilah's instincts kicked in and she dived towards the nearest boulder, going into a roll as her arms went up to protect her head. She could hear thuds, the sound of their own men dying.

Delilah pressed against the rock and forced herself to keep her eyes open, watching black arrows strike the stone. One caught her shoulder - luckily her armour stopped it from entering skin, but she grunted at the impact.

Where was Dante?

Delilah hissed at herself for getting so distracted.

Eventually the arrows stopped, and Delilah threw herself back onto her feet as Pelenan soldiers streamed out of nowhere, their weapons at the ready.

"Formation!" she roared at their surviving men, still scanning for Dante. Fear seized her heart for a moment - was he -?

Ambush. This was an ambush.

They'd been tricked.

A sound of fury and rage tore from Delilah as she led the charge towards the soldiers. To her relief, boots pounded behind her - the men had listened to her. They collided with the Pelenans and the battle began.

Delilah blocked a sword's blow, danced past a man's defences, and stabbed him in the gut. She tugged her sword back out and whirled to deflect another attack, her hair already coming loose from its tight plait.

Dante appeared, a storm of darkness and wrath as he sliced into people. Cold fury glittered in his eyes, and it chilled her to the bone.

Delilah surged forwards, colliding with someone's shield as she searched for Gaol, Marko or Finias. Her shoulder barked in pain as she and the other soldier staggered.

Delilah swung, aiming to get past his shield quickly, but he deflected her sword and she almost lost her footing. She lunged to one side in a feint but he'd anticipated it - his shield smashed into the side of her face.

The pain was white-hot and blinding as the blow reverberated through her bones. Delilah collapsed onto her back, clutching her jaw with one hand - and the soldier's sword flashed in the sunlight.

She rolled at the last minute and the sword sank into earth. She kicked, aiming for the groin, but the man's full weight descended, crushing her.

They grappled frantically as Delilah gasped for breath, trying to master her pain. She wrenched one leg up and kicked his shield, knocking it against him - then clawed at one side of his face. Her metal gauntlets split flesh, gouging, and she caught his eye.