"If you're going off, I insist one of us accompany you," the youngest of the two, looking only a year or two older than herself, told her. "These parts are teeming with gypsy gangs."

"But the gypsies are normally friendly."

"Not around here," the other said, shaking his head. "We were warned by the guardsmen at Stadely. There's one gang they can't seem to get proper hold of."

"Well, I'll be fine," she told them, pulling her dagger from its sheath to show them. "But if one of you insists, please just keep your distance. I'll only be a few minutes."

The youngest nodded, following a few paces behind her for a distance before she held up her hand for him to stop. Lyv walked a little farther out and found a large tree to relieve herself behind. It only took a moment, but she still took her time to be by herself after having everyone around and had just finished tying up the laces on her pants when she walked back to the young guardsman.

"See, no harm comes to the princess," she said as she stopped where she left him. "Now, I'm tired, so let's both..."

"Princess, eh?" a deep, male voice chuckled. "Well, men, we've got ourselves a princess. And Princess Alyvia at that."

Lyv's head snapped up...and her eyes immediately landed on the guardsman's body, pinned to the tree by a spear going straight through his chest. Blood coated his uniform, ran down his chin, and from his eye sockets...which were missing his eyes. They were on the ground beside his boots along with his tongue.

Strong hands grabbed her from behind and she screamed. Not from terror, but a roar as she reared her head back, slamming into the man's face. Blood spurted from his nose as she turned in his arms and rammed a knee up into his groin before grabbing her dagger and cutting clean across his throat.

But more hands were on her then, pulling her in every direction. Her shirt ripped, boots dug into the ground in resistance as they tried to restrain her. One blow to the back of the head and...yes...she was down. The stars in the sky weren't the only ones she was seeing.

Faintly, through the laughter of the men who had her pinned down, she heard the sound of a heartbeat thundering in the chest of someone who was coming for her. And then, as if in a dream, the man on top of her, laces of his pants halfway undone, stilled and stared at her in horror as blood splattered down on her.

His blood.

A blade had pierced his neck from behind, going straight down through his body, and came out just below his ribcage.

Then it disappeared and the man was thrown off her.

And Amory, fury in his eyes, stood with bloody blade still in his grasp.

Seeing him...it gave her a new surge of energy. Her magic rushed through her, chasing back the fear, and instinct took over as she reached up to grab onto his outstretched hand. He hauled her up so fast, she collided with his chest.

"Are you okay?" he asked hurriedly. "You're not hurt, are you?"

Before she could answer, he was pushing her out of the way, blade coming up to stop the other that swung down on them. The clang of metal against metal sounded through the air.

That was when she noticed Gideon was fighting three of the men at once. He was a whirlwind, sword in one hand, dagger in the other. But as soon as he cut down one, another would join in the fight. He barely seemed winded.

Amory was now going against four, rage pouring off him in waves so tangible she could almost reach out and touch it.

She looked at the body of the guardsman pinned to the tree once more.

Heard the sounds of the fight and more men coming out from the trees.

And saw the leader of the gang headed right for her.

She forgot about her dagger, which was now on the ground beside the man Amory had killed.

Her power sang and scorched through her veins, and yet was still held back by that wall she could never seem to get around. But that fissure that let a little of her magic out when she wanted it...it widened even more.

Magic more powerful than she ever thought she could manage rushed out like water from a broke dam.

Her hands started to glow.

As soon as the man was within arms' reach, one of her hands shot out, closing around his throat. His dark eyes widened as her magic surged against him. Glowing lines of ember formed where her skin met his, trailing up to his face, down his neck and arms, until he was glowing himself. His blue eyes were wide before they turned to hot coals in their sockets.

Then ember turned to ash in her hands.

And the man in front of her disappeared in it.

Her magic urged her forward, but she didn't even have to touch the men she wanted to kill. Instinct took over once more and, letting her magic guide her. She knelt, pressing her palm to the dirt, and trails of that ember left her fingertips in tendrils and found their way straight to their targets.

The men tried to run, having seen what she'd done to their leader, but they weren't fast enough. They were caught, branded, lines of fire erupting on their skin, before they, too, were reduced to ash.

And the screaming stopped.

Blood trickled down from both of her nostrils, staining her lips and chin red.

The glowing lines receded into her palm, which still glowed until she patched up that crack in the wall that held back her magic as well as she could. With it, her energy went out like a matchstick.

Strong arms caught her before she could fall anda hand gently pressed against her forehead. Amory's worried eyes were above her as he called her name. She managed a smile of thanks before thestars enclosed her in darkness.    

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