However, it didn’t last long before the door burst open with the force of five men rolling through it.

One was Nav, one was Xi, one was Wallace, and two were men I did not know, but I could see one was Dellish and one was Airenzian.

But several more of the last barreled through the door, plus a few Mar-el, walking right over them as if they were floor, not men.

Ry scuttled forward, raising his long tongs, and striking the first man to approach us with a hearty clout upside his head.

He staggered to the side.

Only for another to take his place.

More were coming through the door, and Farah and I as one engaged, because we should, but also because we had to.

My poker was not my first choice in weapons, but at least it was strong, a good defense, but within blocking three strikes, my arms were humming with the effort of deflecting the blows.

I was not quick enough for his recovery, and made to duck to escape his next attempt, when the point of a sword came through his chest from the back.

It was swiftly pulled out, the man fell, exposing Wallace behind him.

He did not even meet my eyes.

He whirled to become my defense, and I was heartened to see Ore and Luther had joined the fight in the room.

But there were so many of them.

Why were the Airenzian, Dellish and Mar-el fighting kings’ men in a king’s castle?

With no way to find an answer to that in the now, I squatted to pull the weapon out of the hand of the man that Wallace had wounded, chilled when I saw from his face that he had not died, but even so, in a manner, he looked like he had.

Alive.

But gone.

I could also not think on that.

I took his weapon from his hand and stood just as Farah shrieked, “Ry!”

My eyes went to our friend to see him reeling from a blow.

This, right before he took a mortal strike to the side of his neck.

He collapsed to his hip and a hand.

I screamed in fury and charged the man who had taken him, swinging well right with the hefty weapon (we should have asked Serena to teach us swordplay, too late now).

Before he could recover from the blow he dealt Ry, I swiped him across his gut.

His innards spilled forth as he fell to his back.

I then found my arm in a clench, and I was being dragged.

I began to fight but saw Bram had hold on me.

“We make the stables!” he shouted, not to me.

He did this just as True’s green filled the room and he stormed in behind it.

Only for red to wash through it in waves and Mars roared in.