The Poison Prince

Chapter XXVI

Xylia's jaw tightened. A thousand possible answers flooded her brain and danced on the tip of her tongue, but she spoke the one which sounded the sweetest. "Lyris' retribution."

She grounded her heels into the floor, and raised her hands to her chest, summoning all of her energy for her finishing blow. All of a sudden she felt strong, familiar arms wrap securely around her waist and a solid body slam against her back. She was knocked forward and crashed once more to the stone. Winded again, she wriggled free quickly, reaching for her dagger to take care of her assailant. Xylia froze, and blinked in utter confusion when she saw Taiden crawling to his knees and realised it had been him who had tackled her.

"What are you doing?" She growled, tugging him to safety as an arrow fired towards them. It landed harmlessly in the leg of an upturned table.

He coughed, gulping down air before lifting his gaze to her. "Saving you. Apparently, it's imperative that you live." He explained breathlessly.

Xylia narrowed her eyes, fixing him with a stubborn look that he had come to know only too well in such a short time. "We've been through this; I'm okay with dying if I stop Devanna."

"This doesn't come from me." Taiden grabbed Xylia roughly and twisted her out of the way of a fireball's path. He tugged her down under a table several nobles were already hiding under. They whispered to each other utterings about the mad prince, a usurper, and asked if he was behind this whole assault on the banquet. Taiden ignored them all, his warm brown eyes focused only on the girl he never thought he'd see again. "It comes from someone who found me in the tunnels." He lifted the rich linen table cloth and pointed Allela out in the throng of soldiers battling before them. "Her."

"And who's she?"

"Allela Du Morant. Apparently she's been looking for you for a very long time."

The light cascaded down through the opening Taiden made, casting shadows across Xylia's furrowed brow. Her gaze was fixed on the foreboding woman in the centre of the battle, noticing how she easily towered over many of the guards. Allela never faltered in her step as she swung her sword and took down man after brawny man who came at her. She was only defensive if she had to be, favouring the killing blow above all else. Blood splattered her gleaming armour and she showed no signs of tiring as she spun to face the next guard. They didn't even hit the floor before she was onto the next one, striking and blocking for all she was worth, her rose gold hair matted with crimson and sweat.

"Why?" The word fell so softly Taiden's ears barely caught it.

"I think it might have something to do with your special gifts, Xylia." Taiden mumbled, leaning in close and away from the nobles still whispering behind his back. They craned to hear the conversation, prying for details that might be exchanged for their lives. Taiden knew only too well the price of secrets in his realm.

"But the queen. We have to stop her." Xylia insisted, turning her attention back to the prince.

Taiden hesitated. He wanted to dethrone Devanna more than anyone, and this could very well be their only chance. Xylia had been so close to taking her shot when he had tackled her, but he knew in his heart he had done the right thing. He closed his eyes.

"The kingdom needs you alive. Loreina will kill you if you do anything to her daughter."

"She's stood idly by the whole time. What if she can't kill me?"

"Loreina can. Stories travel about what the Empress is capable of. I'm constantly reminded that they are only rumours, but I don't believe that anymore. I think she is the devil Devanna was born from." He blanched, and the fear Xylia saw in his face was like nothing she had seen before. "The Empress can wipe out villages with a mere thought, Xylia. She will pick your bones clean with a flick of her wrist and that is the nicest possible death she could bestow."