The Knight's Deception

Chapter 28

"Basil, run.” Lily hissed at her brother, pushing him away. Several rats laid dead at their feet, but an endless sea remained.

Basil’s magic snapped through the air, cutting into another shrieking rat. He looked from the rats then back to his sister. “You’ve got to be joking! You won’t last a second in your state.”

She swept her borrowed sword out, catching a rat in the throat, blood tainted with black spilling out onto the ground as the screaming creature writhed and died along with many of its brethren. “Basil, please. I need you to protect Liam.” She saw Basil tense at the name, but she pressed on. “Please. I can’t let him die.”

"He’ll have us both killed.”

"He’s already had his chance. He won’t get another, and he won’t hurt you.”

Basil hesitated, shooting his magic at another rat that crept too close. “First, tell me why.”

Lily glanced at him and smiled. “I love him.” Her words were soft, barely a whisper, but she knew he had heard. Meeting his incredulous eyes, she continued, “I don’t expect you to understand--”

His eyes dimmed. “I understand just fine. You’d do anything to protect him, even if it cost you your life. Even if it hurts.”

"Basil...”

He forced a smile. “I’ll do what I can to keep him safe.” He cast another hesitant look at the rats that had finally begun to dwindle. “Make sure you stay safe as well.”

"Of course." She said with a pained smile. “Bane is still out there, after all.”

She watched her brother leave, his steps hesitant but growing more certain the farther he went until he disappeared from sight. Lily cut down another rat, her breath coming in heavy gasps. Every inch of her ached fiercely, but she continued to swipe at the rats. One ventured too close and acting on pure instinct, she lashed out with her magic. She cried out, hitting her knees. Her magic burned like fire in her veins that led straight to her heart, making her gasp for air as she fought not to claw at her arms.

Silver flakes fell around her, and she didn’t know if it was her magic or more snow. She blinked the tears from her eyes as the rat moved closer, giving her only a moment to think about being torn apart by its sharp teeth. A sword cut through its head, severing it from its body. It rolled towards Lily as its blood pumped out onto the ground.

She half-expected it to be Liam, but the hand gloved in scarred leather reaching out to her proved to be someone else altogether. She tried not to be disappointed when Owen pulled her back onto her feet. A strip of blood ran down the side of his face from a shallow cut, his hair matted to his forehead with sweat.

"Never thought I’d be happy to see you again.” She said between harsh pants.

"And I never thought I’d see you looking like hell.” He replied then looked around, almost guiltily. “Just so you know, I did keep your brother safe. I just may have misplaced him recently.”

She gave a soft laugh. “No worries. I sent him after Liam. Someone needs to...” She trailed off as Owen’s face darkened.

"You still care what happens to him?”

"Of course I do!” She nearly shrieked then quieted. “He made a mistake.”

"One that nearly cost you your life.” Owen bit out between clenched teeth, his hand clutching the hilt of his sword so tightly she thought it might break.

"I know that, but I swore to protect him.”

She knew her reasonings to continue protecting Liam were not good enough to redeem the prince’s previous and nearly deadly lapse of judgment. Still, she loved him too much to just abandon him. In her mind, she saw him as the child who had saved her from the fire. It didn’t matter that he had tried to throw her right back in.