Sigmo, Arietes Orbis
Adrastea kept her hand poised in the air as Daphne's scream echoed in her mind and for a moment she was in a shocked daze. The only thing on her mind had been to kill Hammond and nothing else mattered. Now she looked around at the cause of Daphne's hysterics and saw one of the palace guards, his temple bleeding excessively, holding a knife to Caelum's throat.
For the third time Adrastea had forgotten all about the little boy but for the first time she felt a real sensation of remorse surge through her body. What had he done to anyone? Nothing! What kind of a person would drag a little boy into a war he did not belong in? Then, after a short moment, Adrastea realized that it was truly her fault. All this time Caelum had wanted to come with her, for some strange reason that she did not know, and now she had thoughtlessly led him into a death trap that someone so young should never have to face.
"Caelum," Adrastea muttered, her grip loosening.
Hammond breathed hard and ripped his arm away, angrily grabbing the dagger that was still poised in the air.
"Who is the idiot now?" he asked, spitting with every angry sound.
Adrastea did not care. She just stared at the forlorn boy in defeat. Hammond had been so close and even though Daphne had asked her not to, Adrastea knew that she would have killed the man. There was no mistaking it.
Utterly defeated Adrastea gave up without a struggle, subjecting herself to the tight ropes that Hammond bound her hands with. Daphne put up a larger fight, spitting at Hammond with a string of curses that Adrastea heard but did not process, and the two of them were forced to their knees. Hammond then walked over to the palace guard and grabbed Caelum by the collar, shaking the boy around like a rag doll saying, "What great luck you are my boy!"
That got Adrastea's blood boiling and she looked up at the man with flaming green eyes, the rain covering up the tears of anger and frustration that sprang up in them.
"Let go of him!" she shouted, fighting against the ropes. "He has nothing to do with us! You have no right!"
"No right?" Hammond asked mockingly. "This boy saved my life. I only wish to thank him."
The sky had turned even darker and now the clouds were almost a slate black, purple streaks of lightning shooting down and striking the ground. As the rain banged heavily on the boardwalk Daphne looked up at the sky, her mind slightly more clear than Adrastea's, and marveled at the spectacular site. Only minutes ago it had blue. The weather most certainly was not nice for the icy wind took care of that, but the sky itself had been blue with not a cloud in site.
As Hammond shook him the boy clawed and kicked, fighting against the hard grip of the human to get away but to no avail. It was a useless effort.
"Now," Hammond started again. "Which of you-"
Suddenly there was a loud twang sound and an arrow sped through the air, burying itself in one of the guard's chest, killing him instantly. Not a second later another one flashed through the air and struck the second guard dead. Hammond looked about in shock and instantly the woods came alive, figures leaping out of every tree within five yard radius.
One of them jumped out of an oddly placed birch and landed next to Adrastea who looked up is surprise to see the stone face of Miguel, pointing his thin but sharp blade at Hammond.
"Drop him," Miguel ordered, his voice emotionless and flat but no less commanding.
Hammond laughed nervously and let go of Caelum's collar, the boy falling to the boardwalk with a loud thump.
YOU ARE READING
The Hunted - Book 1 of the Lost Royals Series
Fantasy"I shall never tell," the Queen replied. Without another word the man thrust the dagger into her and Adrastea let out an involuntary scream, quickly covering her mouth. But it was too late. The Human snapped his head around and looked at the do...
