Page 42 of Lady's Steed
Screaming, “For Daerva,” Avera ran at the nearest brigand, not caring if he had his back to her. They’d chosen to not fight fair. They could now pay the price. She skewered him in the back, her blade sliding in easily, and as the body went to drag it down, she yanked it free. Whirled. Swung.
Clang.The vibration of metal hitting metal rang up her arm, and she clenched her jaw as tight as her fist. She couldn’t let go of her weapon. If she did, she’d die. The man facing her pulled back to swing again, his skill with a blade more about brute strength than finesse. She thanked all her lessons as she parried and found the opening to slash, opening up the brigand’s stomach.
As she turned to look for the next foe, Gustav yelled, “Get out of here. There’s too many.”
“The path to the castle is blocked!” Avera hollered back as she ducked a swing and thrust her weapon under a man’s guard, nicking him in the thigh.
“Bloody whoresons,” Gustav cursed as he swung his heavy blade, smashing aside a sword before he took his opponent’s head.
Only two other rooks remained standing, and still six brigands to go. Make that seven, as one stood off to the side watching, while also holding Josslyn by the hair.
Avera headed for him and growled, “Release the duchess at once.”
“Or what?” mocked the figure, his tone familiar.
It hit her suddenly. “Benoit?” she exclaimed.
“As if you didn’t already know,” he replied. Despite having a sword clenched in his hand, he managed to tug free his hood, showing tousled hair and a smirk. “I have to admit, I wassurprised you didn’t have the guard out looking for me after you overheard me and Venne in the cellar.”
Should she admit she hadn’t known? While familiar, the man in the dungeon had spoken in a deep and serious tone, unlike the Benoit she’d barely known, who usually either spewed syrupy praise or sly rejoinders.
“How did you know I was there?” Avera thought they’d gone unnoticed.
“I have my ways. One might even say a little bird told me.”
Her mind flashed to the statue she’d seen in her late mother’s office. “You were the one behind the assassins,” she stated.
“And so much more.” His grin turned smarmy. “Assassins aren’t the only thing I had smuggled into the country. I’ve been running Horizon’s End’s black-market for more than a decade now.”
“You?” She couldn’t help but sound surprised.
“Yes me, and no one outside my circle of allies ever suspected. Thanks to me, things banned for import could be acquired for a price.”
“What did my mother ban?” She didn’t recall a list.
“Things she didn’t think added value to Daervian society. Certain alcohols, drugs, magic infused tokens. Because of me, no one had to do without.” He sounded quite proud of breaking the law.
“You’re a criminal.”
“I prefer the term entrepreneur. I see an opportunity and I take it. Like the throne for example. I wanted it, and so I took steps to sit on it. Alas you keep getting in the way. A pity the little surprise I left in the bedroom failed.”
“Guess you should have used more than one statue,” was her dry reply.
“At the time, I only had a single sample, but as you noticed, I’ve since increased my stash of magical weapons. Expensive, but worth it.”
“You’ll pay for your treason,” she stated, wondering how to get him to release Josslyn.
“I don’t think so. See, already the story of your greed is circulating. The bastard daughter of the late beloved queen, hiring assassins to murder her family so she could steal the throne.”
Her jaw dropped. “No one will believe it.”
“Won’t they? After all, Venne wrote about it in his captain’s log, full of regret at what he helped you do.”
“You’re a monster,” she huffed.
“I am a man of vision who will be king. And my first act will be to execute the traitor known as Avera Voxspira.”
She shook her head. “You’ll never be king. The people will choose someone wise and?—”