Page 60 of Onyx Cage: Volume II

Rowan stiffened, her fists clenching at her sides in response.

“That isn’t going to happen,” Avani replied evenly. “And we both know you don’t want to attack a member of the royal family, let alone five. It’s an offense punishable by death.”

He spat on the ground, his lips curling back over his yellowed teeth. “The royal line has been tainted ever since that bastard took the throne.”

Rowan sucked in a breath, her small frame vibrating with fury.

And she wasn’t the only one, the others just managed to conceal it better than my lemmikki was able to—ever.

“Then at least consider whether you’re willing to sacrifice your lives for this cause,” Gallagher interjected, his tone full of warning.

“My men number far greater ‘an the four of ye, and I’m no’ too worrit about a few lasses,” he replied, having the nerve to wink at the feral woman at my side.

Gwyndolyn let out a laugh that was filled with violent promise. I would have paid good Socairan gold for the chance to watch her rip them all apart.

“All right, then,” Avani said as she drew her sword. “On your own heads be it.”

Finally.

Theodore and I went for our weapons as well before the queen-to-be hissed a warning.

“My lords. Kindly do not put me in the position of having to explain why Socairans spilled Lochlannian blood on our own soil,” she said in a lower tone. “Do not draw your weapons. Stand aside.”

She couldn’t be serious. She couldn’t imagine that I would stand back and watch theseaaliostry to hurt my lemmikki. My heartbeat thundered in my chest, and I took a slow, furious breath, waiting for her to take the words back.

She didn’t.

Then again, I didn’t need a sword to end their lives. I had spent a lifetime learning all the ways to kill a man without the use of a blade.

A muscle twitched in my jaw as I slid my swords back into their sheaths. I offered Avani a single dip of my chin in response to her order, but storms help them all if even a drop of Rowan’s blood was spilled.

Her emerald gaze hardened as if she could read the thought in my expression, but instead of doubling down, she turned back to face the rebels.

The bastards had the nerve to laugh as the women drew their weapons, taking a defensive position between us.

Then they were launching forward, weapons drawn, ready to kill the royals all for choosing to stand with two Socairans.

Gwyndolyn raced toward them, the steel of her sword flashing like lightning as she met them blow for blow. Her movements were lithe, graceful almost, as she easily pushed three of the men backward.

Gallagher wasn’t far behind his sister, taking on the two soldiers who tried to jump her from behind.

My fists were clenched at my sides as I fought to stay still while the rest rounded on my lemmikki. It didn’t matter that Avani and Davin were there, too, or that Korhonan and I were standing behind them. Theaalioswere singularly focused on Rowan.

Was it because she was the smallest among them, appearing like easy prey? Or because they knew she was the princess who had been in Socair? Did the people know she was in marriage talks with both of us?

A warning growl escaped me as they charged forward, and I mentally calculated how quickly I would need to move to intervene, how close I needed to remain in step behind her to keep her safe. Just as I was taking a step forward, Avani stepped in front of Rowan to block them from advancing.

She didn’t hesitate before charging forward, taking on two rebels at once. She cried out as she met their blades with her own, parrying them away with a strength I hadn’t been expecting.

She wound between them with ease, dancing in and out of their reach while taunting them to keep their attention fixed on her.

It was impressive, seeing the influence of Prince Finnian’s training at work among the royals. While they were blasé more often than not about… just about everything, they showed impressive skill and strategy when it came to fighting.

That didn’t stop me from tracking each of the blades slicing through the air, my stomach knotting as they came far too close for comfort to Rowan.

She held her own valiantly, despite being outnumbered, and despite having the disadvantage in size and skill. I studied the rise and fall of her sword, the quick breaths and the feints ofthe men she was fighting, my mind racing to the next potential attack, and the one after that, desperately looking for the variables that might mean them getting the upper hand.

Each time she took a step forward, or swept to the right or left, I was right behind her, a furious shadow ready to step in at a moment's notice. That invisible thread that had existed between us from the moment we met kept tugging me forward, kept me in sync with her, and I willingly let it lead me.