I just kept hacking, not even caring which part of my blade made contact. Iron was the key. It had to be. Although my bracelet was drained now and my magic wasn't as full, I still had enough for one more thing. Shifting my grip, I shook my other arm and pulled out a shadow shield, managing to get that up just in time for the entire world to flare the brightest green I could imagine.
The fog cleared in an instant, rushing away from us like some kind of hurricane force winds had blown it all away. I swung my head, trying to see where it went and caught a glimpse of orange, yellow, green, and blue lights flashing on the other side of these trees. Close. That had to be the teachers and staff. They were so close, which meant we just had to hold on a little longer!
To my left, Keir bashed back a hunter with all he had. The man used his feet, the spear Torian had made for him, and all his strength to physically keep them away from Aspen. So I tried to do the same. The shield helped. Being right up in the middle of this, it felt like all the blades were coming at me. The sound of weapons crashing against shadows was so damned loud I didn't have time for anything else.
One hunter managed to connect with my leg, making me trip, but the armor blocked it easily. I also didn't have a chance to stop and worry about it. Everyone was trying to push in, and I would not let them touch my girlfriend. Wilder snarled out words in Faeril as he turned my other side brightwith his power, and cold air washed over me, but the Huntsman was focused on one thing.
"Usurper," he yelled. "Come to me, Princess, and they can live."
"No, no, no, no," Aspen whimpered.
But Torian's spell was done, and the Huntsman now had his complete attention. "You cannot have her!"
The Huntsman shoved me aside, pushing in like I was no more of a bother than a fly in his face. "I will have the princess. To stop me is to make yourself a criminal."
I thrust out a hand, meaning to catch my balance again but accidentally shoving shadows at the hunters. Two massive wolves grabbed them, one shadow on each man, and began slinging them around like some kind of trained guard dogs. Yet not even that made me miss what happened next.
Torian pushed around his sister and flung both hands down. His left was filled with white. The right glowed bright green. With the rest of us trying to push back this mob, the guy lifted his chin and faced the Huntsman alone.
"I, Tordynnar Dorvian Aratoris, command you to leave!"
"You do not wear the crown!" The Huntsman said. "You have no control over me!"
"On my mother's authority!" Torian tried next.
"Fool!" the Huntsman snapped before flinging Torian aside.
The Huntsman hit so hard Torian flew, looking more like a child's toy than a person as he hit the ground, his arms and legs all angled wrong, and then rolled even further away. I heard a groan, and Torian tried to push himself up, proving he was alive, but the ones attacking me meant I could only get short glimpses before swinging and blocking again.
Yet the crack and sizzle of magic was even closer now. I could hear other weapons clashing and fae were screaming. Above it all, Ms. Rhodes called out orders, her words a perfect mix with the war cries of the rest, yet no one else seemed to care about them. Not my friends, not the hunters, and not even the Huntsman moving ever closer to Aspen.
She flung her hands out in front of her, sending magic, but the Huntsman grabbed it from the air. The stuff was quickly absorbed into his skin. I had a feeling that was much too similar to what happened when my friends hit me with magic.
"Leave me alone! I didn't ask for this!" Aspen pleaded.
"One does notaskfor a crown," the Huntsman said, his tone so eerilycalm. "She inherits it. She claims it. She usurps it, and you have been found guilty!"
I spun, leaving behind the hunters I'd been fighting and kicked the Huntsman back the same way Keir had. Once I had enough space, I swung at him with everything I had, adding all of my strength and bodyweight into the blow I hoped would finally stop him. Not even kill him, but keep him from putting his hands on Aspen.
With a backhanded swing, the man knocked my blade aside. His other hand snaked out, caught me around the throat, and lifted. In that instant, I forgot about the weapon, the shadows, and everything else. All that mattered was my inability to pull in a breath, and the ever-tightening sensation of his fingers trying to crush my neck!
"Rain!" Jack cawed, darting in to flap and claw at the Huntsman's eyes. "Morrigan. Rain! Morrigan-Court!"
I tried to yell for help. I kicked. Most of all, I grabbed at the Huntsman's wrist as my feet left the ground, trying to spare my neck, but the pressure only increased. My pulse was pounding in my ears, and the world was growing dark around the corners, but Jack refused to stop fighting for me.
So the Huntsman grabbed the bird mid-flight and slung him to the ground.
"Do not hurt Jack!" Aspen yelled - and whiteness flared into her hands.
"Aspen!" Torian yelled as he pushed himself to his feet.
But Aspen's eyes were locked on the Huntsman. "I tried to say no. I didn't want any part of this, but I will not let you hurt them!"
She shoved both hands out, blasting the Huntsman with blindingly white light. His torso froze, ice crystals traveling down to his elbows, but it didn't loosen his grip at all.
"I am here for the princess!" the Huntsman said, his voice booming with power.
So Aspen thrust one arm out towards her brother, her open palm reaching for him, but her jaw clenched, her body straightened, and my girlfriend pulled herself up as tall as she possibly could.
