Liam ducked under the blade of another knight before dispatching it in one quick move. Aisha was farther ahead, leading and protecting the injured as best she could with the help of some of the more persistent Pierake Knights. There stood an injured woman beside Aisha, dressed in full armor rather than Aisha's armored skirt and tunic, with an arm that hung limp at her side. Her uninjured arm held a sword and cut through a second knight while Aisha dispatched the first.
"Even injured, the Pierake Knights are a force to be reckoned with." Garrett remarked, a stripe of blood running down his cheek from a shallow cut.
"If only there were some who weren't too injured to hold a sword." Liam replied. "We could use the extra help."
"We seem to be doing pretty well." Joseph said. Two of the pale knights laid dead at his feet, and he speared them each twice more to ascertain they would stay down.
"I see we have an optimist." Liam said, swinging his sword to take another pale knight by surprise. It dropped to the ground quickly and didn't move.
"Sometimes, it's the only thing that wins a battle." Joseph replied. "Or at least keeps up morale."
"Since you're from Railark, you're probably used to this."
"Not that used to it," Joseph said, "but slightly accustomed, yes." He jerked his head up suddenly and narrowed his eyes at something in the distance.
"What is it?" Liam glanced over with a frown.
"Something's happening."
Liam followed Joseph's gaze and, not seeing anything, shook his head. "I don't see anything." Then he sighed. "It's something to do with magic, isn't it?"
"Yes. Someone's using a lot of magic. More than is normal."
"I wasn't aware you had magic." Liam said, trying to keep the accusations from his voice. Although if the other knight had magic, it would definitely be useful right about now.
"I don't, but I have been around it my entire life so I know when something's not right, especially with this particular magic." Joseph's grip tightened on his sword, and he seemed ready to bolt towards the magic. He seemed terrified.
"Is it Lily?" Liam had to ask even if he hated to know the answer. If it was, he knew she was in danger. If it wasn't, he had no idea how she was doing.
"No." Joseph's eyes darkened with anger, then, but he didn't look away. "It's not."
As he spoke, they saw streaks of silver laced with pink explode from the dark cloud before disappearing just as quickly. The dark cloud grew larger, blotting out not only the stars but the half moon above them. The pale knights around them hesitated for only a brief moment before attacking with renewed vigor. Liam, ignoring his companions and his part of the plan, cut through the pale knights towards where he had seen the silver magic disappear. Something told him he had to get to Lily, had to make it to her side.
He fought past the pale knights, some of them without their helmets now, but he paid no mind to the grotesque creatures in his way. They were slowing down, moving with jerky motions that made it easy to dodge around them. The dark cloud felt like walking into a blizzard, cold and suffocating. If it weren't for the frequent bursts of purple lightning, he wouldn't have been able to see much of anything through it. He broke his way through the cloud and found Lily alone in the untouched center.
"Lily?" Liam called out quietly.
She started and spun to face him. "Liam? What are you--" She broke off as he came towards her and looked her over. She was relatively uninjured other than a few scratches on one side of her face as if she had crawled through a thorn bush.
YOU ARE READING
The Witch's Retribution
Fantasia((Book two of the Knight's Deception Trilogy)) Nothing burns quite as bright as the fires of revenge... It's been a year since Lily married her prince, six since she killed her brother to protect him, and everything has settled into a warm routine t...
