The blade hit the large gnarled hand just before it could grab Astra and a loud screech filled the air, alerting Tyrese and Astra to the presence of a monster near them.
Astra wondered how one had managed to breach Mikel’s spell before noticing that Tyrese had pushed her out of the protective circle during their brief fight.
She jumped out of harm’s way and back into the circle, watching as the monster came for her again but was repelled by an invisible shield.
“Thank you,” she said, directing her gratitude to Mikel who nodded at her.
In a singular move, she decapitated the monster, its black blood staining her blade.
Almost immediately, Tyrese tensed as he saw Astra face him, her lips set in a thin line of disapproval and disgust.
“Would you prefer a quick death or do you wish to draw this out?” the question was delivered through gritted teeth and Tyrese could tell that she was asking more out of courtesy than actual interest.
“Do not forget, insolent one, that I outrank you,” he said, watching Astra carefully.
“You lost your rank when you betrayed your church. You are now nothing more than No Blessed and it is my job to exterminate you.”
“That is, if you can.”
They would have rushed at each other, ready to fight to the death, if a sudden jolt of lightning had not come in between them, successfully bringing them to a halt.
“Stop,” Mikel said, exasperation evident in his voice, his hand still outstretched to show he had cast a spell. “We are supposed to be working together, not fighting.”
“I cannot work with a traitor,” Astra snarled, glaring at Tyrese. “All my life, I have been taught to despise No Blessed. Why should I tolerate one now?”
“When was the last time you heard from The Royal Church of Zohar?” Tyrese suddenly asked, sounding just as angry as Astra did. “What news has been brought to you from there in the past several months?”
At Astra’s silence he continued. “You cannot answer me because you have nothing to say. All this time without news from the church and you have not once asked yourself why. Why your church had not been contacted by the Cardinal, one known for his close contact with The Church of Erynla because of you, for several months. You must be ignorant if you thought all was well.”
Astra flinched, something hardly noticeable but Tyrese saw it, the proof that doubt was beginning to claw into her mind. “The Cardinal is dead Bay-son, killed by the King himself, and for someone who is often hailed as his successor, you really don’t seem to care much.”
Astra attacked, her fist slamming into Tyrese’s jaw with so much force Mikel actually felt a slight breeze sting his cheeks. Tyrese fell to the ground with a small groan as his hand came up to carefully cradle where he had been hit.
“What did you say?”
Tyrese looked up at her brazenly, repeating himself even though his jaw smarted horribly. “The Cardinal is dead, and it may as well been your own hands that killed him.”
“Do you expect me to believe that?” Astra asked, stepping on Tyrese’s chest, an ugly look of derision on her face even though her hands trembled. “The King is the Pure One, someone chosen by the gods themselves. It means he can do no wrong.”
She pulled her sword from its sheath, raising it. “Say your prayers, No Blessed. The law has granted you a quick death.”
“Astra!”
YOU ARE READING
No Blessed ✓
Fantasy- Completed - For Mikel Ark, being offered a job by the world's biggest gaming company is a dream come true, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that will launch his career as a hotshot programmer. But what Mikel hasn't been told is that his employer's...
