Keir’s magic combined with mine. He must have wanted to make sure that guard stayed down a while.
Shadow charged into motion, heading for another guard aiming for the kitchen staff. It was safe to say that one would be staying put.
The remaining guards were now using their magic, fighting Keir and trying to get to me.
Up past the toppled throne, I saw a glint of silver. The sword was up there. I didn’t want to use my magic to bring it to me in case the king still didn’t know where it was. So I used my magic to slide me to it faster.
But then I was forced backward to avoid a throne flying at my head. The king had used the same chair I sat in for parliament sessions and chucked it at me. I jumped aside and froze the chair. I was caught by Keir again, though he had only one free hand to catch me with this time, the other busy wreaking havoc on the guards.
Sensing that Krew was going to need my help, I willed my magic out of my fingertips and started to combine my magic with his. I also put a small silver dome around Krew as he faced his father. Just an extra level of protection. I knew the king could shatter it, but it still made me feel better all the same. If I had to go after the sword and not physically touch Krew right now, I had to do something.
Krew and the king were sending a constant stream of magic into the air, but everywhere black magic was thrown, navy magic wrapped in silver met and stopped it.
I was still slowly making my way toward the sword, trying to help Keir attack the guards with one hand, while sending a steady stream towards Krew with the other.
I was finally in view and was about to step up onto the dais when my magic pulsed. I turned, only to find the shattered glass from the window wrapped in black and barreling toward me. Not only was the king’s power strong, but it was so quick there was barely time to think of how to protect myself.
With only a split second to spare, I put up a shield of my magic to stop it, dropping to the ground to duck under it. But the distraction had cost us, I lost my hold on a few guards.
With pure chaos continuing to rain down around us, Rafe and Maurice had inched around the perimeter of the room and beat me to the sword.
Maurice didn’t hesitate to pick it up and head in my direction.
Keir and Krew now had their backs to each other. While Krew focused on the king, Keir, Owen, and the kitchen staff fought off the king’s guards. Or the ones still alive anyway, as there were at least two bodies on the ground not moving.
The guard I’d knocked away from Maurice had stood and Shadow was growling and closing in on him. I had no idea what happened to the first guard Shadow had cornered.
As I noticed my dome around Krew had shattered, I also saw the king had been slowly moving in the direction of the sword also. But it was too late. Maurice already had it. He reached out to hand it to me, but then suddenly Maurice was jerked away, encased in black magic.
Like he was a mere object and not a huge man, the king started moving Maurice in the direction of the wall.
I threw my magic out to try to get him back, but the king’s magic pressed against mine, and then mine shattered as if it were nothing. A simple firework in the air.
Maurice was suspended in the air, arm still extended to give me the sword, but out of reach to do so.
I sent more of my magic out to help, but it was met with black magic and stopped in its tracks.
In one swift move, the king threw Maurice at the wall, dropping him headfirst onto the ground. I willed more magic to the wall, trying to catch him. Trying to get Maurice turned so he wouldn’t land headfirst.
It was too late. The king’s magic was just too fast. My breath caught as I heard an awful crunching noise. Maurice’s neck laid at an awkward angle facing the wall.
“Learned that little trick from you, Jorah,” the king called out to me.
I screamed. I ran for Maurice but was stopped when random objects wrapped in black began attacking me.
We were weak enough from the fires the night before that the king was still stronger than we were, even without the queen’s sword in hand. Even with a level playing field.
Though I had lost my focus when the king had thrown Maurice at the wall, I inhaled deeply and sent more magic toward Krew, strengthening his. Our combined magic was going to be the only way it seemed. And I was torn between wanting to be able to touch Krew to protect him from the king’s power and wanting to get to the sword before the king did.
The king was fighting both of us and began walking sideways to where Maurice laid, moving for the sword.
If he got to the sword first, we were all as good as dead.
We were finally free of the gauntlets, and we still weren’t strong enough to keep the king from that damned sword. I felt burnout creeping in, but I ignored it and poured my magic into Krew’s as it lashed and attacked the black magic swarming from the king.
Just when the king bent down to pick up the sword, a gray blur charged out of nowhere.
Rafe.
