The Traitor Queen

Chapter Fifteen

An echoing scream filled my ears. It bounced off the walls of the ballroom, reverberating to appear as if it were several people crying out and not just the one. My voice became hoarse as I struggled to move. I couldn't quite tell if I was screaming because Sabre was now crumpled on the ground, blood trickling down the steps of the dais and staining her once green gown crimson, or if it was because of the poisoned arrow plunged into the side of my abdomen.

The doors at the top of the staircase burst open to reveal several dozen guards ready to defend the royalty they had sworn allegiance to protect. How unfortunate it was to see that they were too late.

Mace pushed me off of him, making sure to twist the arrow already lodged into me for good measure, and joined the rest of his group, preparing to leave. To escape the scene of horror he had left in his wake.

As I rolled onto my side, my hands found their way to my wound, I saw Auron lying on the ground. From what I could see, he hadn't been injured, he had just been knocked unconscious. At least that was one less person to worry about, he would be fine if we all got to safety.

Black spots swarmed the corners of my vision, threatening to take over if I didn't fight back. I needed to get this arrow out of me now, otherwise, there would be no chance of me healing from it. However, as I wrapped my fingers around the wood, ignoring the burning sensation that it caused, I couldn't find the strength to pull it out. It didn't help that the blood now coating it made it too slippery to grip.

The guards chased down the cloaked Icrodeian figures, swinging their weapons with everything they had been taught, but every time one managed to get a miscreant in their grasp, they skillfully avoided capture. Despite being outnumbered three-to-one, all of the Icrodeians fled the ballroom, leaving behind their damage as a reminder and threat of what could happen if they didn't get what they wanted.

Their leader — Mace — turned back before he left to survey the destruction he had caused. He watched the High Fae Queen still fighting to break out of the chains wrapped around her, his fingers inching towards his bow to end her life too. His eyes then dipped down to Sabre, a hint of regret passing through him that I suspected must have been a figment of my imagination, my blood loss causing me to hallucinate. Finally, Mace then turned to me, a small grin appearing on his lips. The Icrodeian only winked at me before darkness claimed me completely.