Page 95 of Lady's Steed

“Whatever it is, I’m not interested in dealing with it. Goodbye.”

“You’re leaving?” Avera turned her gaze for a moment to see the captain with his hand on the door.

“This isn’t my fight, little queen.”

“Who says it’s mine?” she huffed.

“I’ve been inside of this chapel plenty of times before and never seen anything emerge from the altar, so I’d say it’s fairly obvious it’s here for you.”

The creature solidified, literally. She could see the fog hardening into a carapace. Eyes blinked open, the depths of them the deep blue of the sea. Its razor-sharp teeth reminded her of the fish she’d seen split open at the butchers only yesterday. Only this wasn’t a shark.

The monster stepped down from the altar and immediately more smoke began to fill the basin. Rising. Twisting. Taking another shape even as the first stomped for her.

The door opened, letting in fresh air and the strident clang of battle.

Perhaps the captain had the right of it. She didn’t need to fight but she should most certainly flee.

She backed away from the creature, pausing only a brief moment on the threshold to glance sideways to see Gustav holding off two knights. One of them was still bleary-eyed from drink but the other fresh. Josslyn was in the grips of a third while the fourth pointed his sword at the captain and shouted, “Drop your weapon.”

“I don’t think so,” growled the man. The captain charged the soldier, the metallic clank of their blades as they met discordantly loud.

Avera turned her gaze back to the chapel to see the monster almost within reach, and behind it, another stepped from its basin of birth.

Two creatures and a third had begun forming.

She could have run, escaped the menace, but that would mean leaving Gustav and Josslyn behind. Rather than be a coward, with her dagger in hand, Avera whirled and ran for the man holding Josslyn.

The knight’s eyes widened. “Halt or I’ll?—”

Josslyn stamped her booted foot atop the soldier’s. Despite his footwear offering some protection, he yelped and loosened his hold on her. As Josslyn squirmed free from his grip, Avera moved in, her dagger extending which took the soldier by surprise. Before he could raise his own weapon, she’d stabbed him through the chest.

So much for not killing her own people. Then again, he’d left her no choice.

With one soldier down and a second engaged with the captain, she chose to help Gustav who did his best to fend off the pair with a sword in one hand and a dagger in the other.Despite his age, he could still fight, his movements a blur as he blocked thrusts and swings. Still, he couldn’t keep parrying the two knights forever.

Make that one knight. The drunken soldier succumbed to a slash that opened up his torso. As he dropped—one threat less—it left Gustav facing the sober soldier.

“You are a traitor to the crown,” snarled the remaining knight.

“Says the man trying to kill his rightful queen.”

“She is not our queen. She isn’t even Daervian. Anyone could tell just by looking at her,” shouted the knight as he parried a stab by Gustav.

“She is Queen Calixte Voxspira’s daughter. Orphaned by the pretender you call king. You are the one in the wrong,” Gustav declared, advancing with a flurry of strokes that sent the other knight stumbling to defend.

“Behind you, little queen.” The shout from the captain had Avera turning and instinct sent her ducking. A good thing as a hand—or was that paw?—tipped in long claws swept past without doing damage.

The monster hissed in her direction as it began swiping its arms, trying to catch her with every slice. Avera parried, grunting at the impact as she blocked. Her blade did not slice through its armored skin. Didn’t even scratch it from what she could see.

A victorious Gustav came to stand by her side, huffing with exertion but unharmed. “What are those?”

“I was gonna ask you,” she replied as she once more deflected a blow.

The second monster emerged from the chapel and came for them, choosing to engage Gustav. Avera panted as she kept parrying, unable to cause any damage, feeling herself tiring,knowing she would lose this fight. Especially once the third one emerged.

Would the altar keep sending them?

To her surprise, the captain suddenly darted in from the side, his silvery blade flashing as he weaved it against the creature. It glowed each time he struck, the hue of it similar to that of the amulet she used to have. More astonishing, his weapon actually could cut the monster’s flesh.