Page 111 of The Barbarian King's Assassin (Magic and Kings 1)
For some reason I’d thought him too weak to control me. Apparently, if he tried, he still could.
“Freeze.” His fingers flashed, and I went still. Just like that.
I wanted to scream in frustration but could only glare helplessly. Hating him. Wanting him dead more than anything. The sword in my hand pulsed, and I managed one step. Enough to widen Marell’s eyes. He concentrated, and my small victory found itself crushed.
Sudden movement had Marell jerking to avoid the swing of Jrijori’s sword. My only true father arrived, a dark wraith in a cloak who somehow missed his mark.
I would have taunted him if I had a voice.
Marell raised his hands, preparing another spell, only to say, “You. I know your face. You used to work as an assassin for my father. The same one who apparently failed to kill a certain child locked in a prison.”
Shock had me mentally reeling. Jrijori came to the prison to eliminate me? I might have thought it a lie but for his face. It showed a rare crack. “The grand vizier wanted her gone. I took her with me.”
Which explained why he’d been there that night. But what I didn’t understand was why he’d never told me. The one person I thought I could trust.
“And I thank you for that. At the same time, can’t have someone who betrayed my father running around.” Marell twisted his fingers, and Jrijori jerked.
“No,” he grunted. “Ilyana. Stop him.”
How? I remained frozen. Unable to move because of magic. But hadn’t we just ascertained I had magic, too? A different kind of magic. My sword tingled against my palm. I didn’t lose it when he froze me.
It vibrated in my grasp, and I noticed Jrijori staring at it. Willing it to him. Why, when he had a sword? A weapon like mine, forged of elekium that could cut through anything.
Jrijori held his sword in front of him, level with Marell’s chest. His gaze met mine. Nothing was said, but I understood in that moment what he wanted me to do.
I need that sword.The tingle in me strained against the barrier holding me back. My fingers tightened around the hilt of my blade.
Come to me. Now!
Jrijori didn’t try and hold it back. He released the hilt, and the sword came to me, unable to resist my call. Marell wasn’t fast enough to stop it as it tore through his body to reach me.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE
The new grand vizier,who’d reigned for a very short time, died. The blade I called shredded through his upper body. It proved as permanently fatal as a proper decapitation.
Without magic to sustain them, the golems collapsed. The remainder of the spell trying to bind me vanished, which meant I could throw myself at Jrijori.
“How could you not tell me?” I swung both swords in his direction and missed. It better be because I was slow and not sentimental.
He held up his hands. “Tell you what? That I took money to kill a child and changed my mind because of her big eyes?”
I hesitated on my next swing, and he easily ducked. His words helped, but I wasn’t ready to forgive. “I thought the rule was no kids.”
“In those days, I was less choosy.”
“You should have told me.”
“I should have,” Jrijori agreed, “but chose not to. I never imagined we’d end up back here.”
As I glanced around, I noticed the fighting had mostly stopped. The soldiers abandoned the wall, and grappling hooks found their way over.
I didn’t have long. “Did you know I was the emperor’s bastard daughter?”
“I had my suspicions but no proof.”
“I trusted you.” My swords moved fast enough to trap Jrijori in an X that would only take a little bit of pressure to remove his head.
“I’ve always done right by you.”