The Art of Courts and Lies (Book 1 in The Gifted Trilogy)

44- A Deal With the Devil

I stopped breathing as I watched Nox, frozen in both surprise and fear, follow the dagger's path. And the moment before the blade could lodge itself into Nox's chest, a sudden wall of thick ice appeared inches in front of him, stopping the dagger from reaching the king's chest.

    My head whipped to where Marlowe was bent forward in his chair, a hand outstretched towards Nox. If the ice wasn't enough to know the man responsible for saving Nox's life, the look of concentration on Marlowe's face gave him away.

    As the wall of ice liquified and turned to a puddle at Nox's feet, nobody dared move an inch. Each of the kings were frozen in shock and couldn't think of anything other than how easily one of their own could have fallen. How easily destructible they all were. How human they had become at the threat of a simple dagger.

    Nox was the first to come to his senses. Surging out of his chair and onto his feet, he outstretched his arm towards Katrina and I. The shadows around his throne surged towards us as lethal blades of darkness.

    I grabbed Katrina and threw her to the ground beside me, as if either of us could withstand this inevitable doom. I squeezed my eyes but at the sound of a sharp "No!", I managed to pick my head up.

    The scene in front of me made my heart stop in my chest.

    Only a few feet away from me stood Tessa with outstretched arms. Fear and determination had sculpted her face into one that resembled the look of soldiers during a battle. Though she was dressed in a servant's uniform, she looked every bit a warrior.

    And in front of all three of us stood a wall of blinding white light.

    The light illuminated Tessa's face and I knew that the source of that light could only be her. Though how she was doing it, I had no idea.

    "Tessa" I breathed out, reaching for her. She glanced away from the shield of brightness in front of us to meet my eyes. But the second her concentration slipped, the shield of light crumbled to the ground.

    I surged forward and grabbed her forearm, the one newly bare, and tugged her behind me. Katrina was standing as well and looked at Tessa with a mixture of disbelief and wonder. "She just saved us" she muttered.

    "And now you can return the favor" I replied, pushing Tessa into Katrina's arms. "She's my sister. Protect her and the rest of the Garner girls. Keep them safe. I'll deal with the kings."

    Katrina looked like she wanted to argue, but with the encouragement of a sharp "go!" from me, she nodded sharply before dragging Tessa away from the arena. Tessa struggled against her grip, reaching towards me.

    "It's alright little bird" I called to her soothingly, plastering a gentle smile to my face. "We'll see each other again soon. I promise."

    A sharp voice had me turning back around. "What the hell just-"

    "You missed me" I taunted, stopping him from wondering any further how one of his royal servants just unleashed a power that only Lux's people possessed. "Even after all this time, you just can't seem to kill me. What's wrong, you don't think you can kill me on your own? You have to have other people do it for you?"

    I pointed to the sand under my feet. "How about you come down here and try to take me on yourself. Just you and me. No weapons. No help from anyone else. If I win, you set the rest of the girls free. If you win, you get to kill me, once and for all."

    Nox sneered at my challenge but I could see the temptation in his eyes at the offer. "Oh no, little wolf. That isn't the reward I want for defeating you."