by Chloe Cullen
The Princess screamed as the Legion Five warrior went down, and Cori and Thoren both moved in sync without hesitation towards Nero, who was now unarmed.
Cori took hold of Millisa, and pulled her away, while Thoren took Nero’s arm and twisted it viciously to force him to his knees. Nero screeched with pain as his shoulder threatened to come out of its socket.
Nero knelt, panting, one of his arms behind him in Thoren’s grasp and the other braced on the floor. Thoren had complete control over Nero’s ability to move, and Cori felt herself breathe properly for the first time since she had seen Nero now that she had the shaking Princess safe in her arms.
“Is he alive?” Cori asked Trey hurriedly who, as soon as Nero had been neutralized, had skidded to his knees for Ryker. Trey, one hand on the bloody front chest of Ryker, which to Cori’s horror wasn’t moving at all, looked back up to Cori and she could see him swallow thickly as he shook his head.
Cori held in the rising emotion and instead she sent her most hateful look toward the boy still panting on the ground, his arm held by Thoren, who looked ready to murder someone.
Cori met Thoren’s eyes for a brief moment and was about to turn away and whisk the Princess off to her rooms, when she heard a low, quiet laugh.
Glowering, she turned back to see Nero shaking with laughter. Cori felt a surge of hate and anger towards the boy. She didn’t understand how anyone could take the life of an innocent person, and to laugh about it. It was sick.
Nero looked up and found Cori’s eyes, humour still shining in his. Cori seethed with anger.
“You’ve lost, Nero,” she said to him.
To her surprise, he said, “have I?”
Cori shook her head at him. “I’m sorry… for your mother. But that doesn’t excuse what you’ve done… and tried to do here today.”
Nero hissed at her and spat towards her. She cringed back, disgusted, and Thoren tugged harder on his arm, which caused him to grunt in pain and sink lower to his knees.
Panting hard, Nero looked back up at her. “This is a message for you. For all of the Legionnaires, from the Shadow Legion.” When no one responded to him, he grinned wickedly at her. “What? You thought you guys won yesterday?” He laughed again. “That was only the beginning.”
Cori swallowed, and met Thoren’s equally disconcerted gaze.
“And today,” Nero said, “was only the beginning, too. I’m just the messenger.”
Against her will, the muscles around her shoulders locked up.
Looking around at the crowd, she met confused gazes, and Cori searched for any sign of enemies amongst them. She saw Maveron standing on the edges of the gathering, a sword unsheathed in his hand as he watched his son. She could see Legionnaires returning to posts around the walls of the room and watching the crowds closely. There was no sign of anyone moving in to challenge them.
Cori didn’t want to hear one more word from the boy. Instead, she spoke to Trey, who still knelt next to the Ryker’s lifeless form. “Trey.” Her voice was strong and hard despite the sorrow threatening to close her throat. “Please will you help me in escorting the royals out of here?”
Trey stood slowly and nodded. A healer was also next to Ryker, but she was doing nothing, instead she looked upon the fallen warrior with helplessness. Cori had to look away.
Her arm around the Princess, she followed Trey out of the hall and into the stone corridor beyond, knowing that Thoren and the others would deal with Nero. She could feel Millisa shaking beneath her fingers, and so Cori gave her little shoulder a squeeze of comfort.
She could see, rather than hear, the other Legionnaires who were walking behind them, as well as the King and Queen.
Trey approached a guard standing by the door to the west wings, and they spoke quietly for a moment. The guard nodded once and then addressed the King.
“No one has entered this wing, my King. Your brother is safe.”
Cori and Millisa had stopped, and the King strode past them. “I thank you for your vigilance.” He glanced briefly behind him at his daughter before he met his wife’s gaze. “I will be with you all again in a moment, I would like to check on my brother.”
“Of course, dear”, the Queen said as she came to stand next to her daughter and reached out for her hand. “I will sit with Millisa until the Palace has been cleared out and searched.”
The King nodded once, winked at Millisa with a small, strained smile and then exited through the door.
Trey motioned for three of the Legionnaires to escort the King, who did so without hesitation.
They moved again, heading up the staircases that led to Millisa’s rooms. Cori watched Trey’s back and noticed that he was sending furtive glances behind him every now and again, catching her eye on occasion. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but from the taut pull of his shoulder muscles, Cori could tell he was on edge. It made her skin prickle, and she tensed for every corner or shadowy section of the palace they passed, as though someone might jump out at them at any second. Cori had pulled out a stealthy, small dagger and was holding it discreetly under her sleeve. She would be ready if the Shadow Legion came for Millisa again.
As they came to the corridor with Millisa’s rooms up ahead, Trey stopped suddenly and asked for the others to proceed to the Princesses rooms before he addressed Cori directly.
“Cori – can I, uh… speak with you privately for a moment.” Trey looked down to his boots, as though embarrassed.
Cori hesitated briefly, before she gave him a quick nod. “In a moment, I’d like to check the Princess’ room first.”
Trey nodded his understanding and Cori moved past him and insisted to enter the room first, leaving the Queen and Princess with four Legionnaires and Trey in the corridor. She checked each room inside carefully, ensuring there could be no one hiding in wait to attack.
Cori then motioned for everyone to come in, and the Queen walked inside, still holding Millisa’s hand as they went immediately to the bed and sat on the edge before the Princess let out a shaky breath, relieved.
Cori knelt in front of the Princess, placing a gentle hand on her knee, her other hand at her side still holding that small dagger. Just in case. “You’re safe now, alright?”
Millisa offered Cori a small, wobbly smile. “Thank you, Cori. I hope you can teach me to defend myself, so this never happens again.” She said it so passionately, that Cori could only laugh a little, even as the Queen frowned over at her daughter, unaware of the promise Cori had made to her earlier.
“I’ll be right back.” Cori said, patting her knee before standing.
Satisfied that they were tucked away safely in the room, Cori met Trey at the doorway and together they walked outside into the corridor, closing the door behind them.
Cori leaned against the brick wall, her hands behind her back as she watched Trey. “What is it? I don’t want to be gone long.”
He scuffed the floor with his boot before he finally met her eyes. “I suppose… I wanted to apologise for the way I’ve been treating you since you came back.”
Surprised, Cori opened her mouth but wasn’t sure what to say. “Oh… I mean, it’s okay. I kind of understand.”
Trey moved a step towards her. “It’s hard to explain, I suppose…” He trailed off, sounding strained, miserable.
Cori pushed herself away from the wall towards him, suddenly feeling like she wanted to comfort this man, who she had once been so close to. Someone her father had loved deeply.
“Trey,” Cori reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder, the muscles tensed under her touch, “honestly, there’s nothing to apologise for. Let’s just move forward, okay?”
Trey looked straight at her, his gaze flicking between her eyes as though he were searching for something. “Cori, I am sorry. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s–”
Cori stopped what she was about to say, and instead she sucked in a sharp breath. Because when she looked down in the next moment, she could hardly be
lieve what her eyes were seeing. Trey’s hand was stretched out in between them, and in his hand was the hilt of a blade, the metal having been sunk deep into her stomach.
She felt as though the breath had been knocked out of her chest, and there was a sting of pain in her abdomen that was spreading. Cori looked back up to his eyes, and what she saw there confused her. He looked ready to break down, turmoil in those wide brown eyes as he stared back at her.
No more than a few seconds had passed since she had spoken, but she knew it came down to only a few more seconds where adrenaline would keep her upright.
So, she moved.
With her left hand, she let the blade slip free from her sleeve and she made to slash out at him, aiming directly for his throat, a kill shot, her instincts taking over.
But he brought his arm up to grab at hers, with a speed so fast that it seemed impossible. Two things happened as he had moved to avoid her blade.
The first, was that as his arm grabbed hers, it was thrust upwards, the blade missing his throat, but still connecting with a part of him. It sliced upwards through his cheek from his lip to his eyebrow, the skin splitting open sickeningly, blood spilling with a fervour.
The second thing that happened was Trey’s other arm also moved, the one holding his own dagger in Cori’s stomach. He had pulled it back, releasing it from her belly in a move that made her breathless from pain.
She stumbled back from him then, her back hitting the brick wall she had leaned against so casually only moments ago. Her hand went to the wound instinctually, as she sucked in a shallow breath, a pain like fire rippling through her.
She tried to cry out, seeking help, but the words only croaked out from between her lips.
Trey groaned with pain, a hand pressed to the side of his face, blood leaking from between his fingers. Cori could see the dagger in his other hand, the metal of the blade stained with red, her own blood dripping from it.
She shook against the wall as the eye he wasn’t covering looked up at her. Cori wanted to say something, whether it was to curse at him, or to ask him why he would do this. But her brain didn’t seem to feel like engaging with any part of her body. Her legs didn’t even want to stay upright, folding beneath her like paper, her back sliding down the wall until she hit the stones with a flare of unbelievable pain.
She heard a moan echo in the corridor, and faintly she knew it came from her. Cori’s vision seemed like it was coming and going, the edges were tinged with darkness as she tried to keep her eyes open.
Trey stood over her now, his hands dangling at his sides as he looked down at her, the same melancholy on his face as before, although now there was blood dripping freely from his chin.
“I really am sorry, Cori,” she heard Trey say, but his voice sounded so far away.
She could feel consciousness leaving her quickly. Her last thought was spared for the Princess, sending a prayer to the Gods that the Legionnaires would protect her at all cost.
Then the darkness took her.
***
Thoren watched as Cori walked with the royals from the room, Trey in the lead and several Legionnaires trailing behind. They would be safe.
He held Nero’s arm ruthlessly behind his back, even though his own shoulder protested, still sensitive from its dislocation. Thoren was about to call for someone to assist when Romy was suddenly there at his side. She quickly moved in as Thoren allowed the boy to stand, keeping a steady, strong grip on his arms. Romy made quick work of binding his hands tightly and expertly.
Thoren muttered his thanks and began to lead Nero from the room, his heart sinking pitifully all the way to his feet as he moved away from Ryker, who had always been a close friend for his entire life. It didn’t seem like it could possibly be real, that he was gone. For now, he had a job to get on with. Sadness could come later.
They were halfway down the Palace steps, his father walking next to them, when Nero started to snicker which turned into a full-blown laugh.
Thoren tugged on the arm he held on to roughly. “I don’t want to hear from you until we reach the Compound, then we’ll see who’s laughing.”
Nero spoke in between laughs. “It’s just too easy.”
Thoren glanced over at his father who was watching Nero with a mixture of confusion and disgust.
Nero then sneered up at Thoren. “Bye, bye, Princess.”
Thoren felt the unease unfurl in his stomach at Nero’s words, and without another thought for what he should be doing, he immediately handed Nero over to Romy and barely spared a glance in his father’s direction as he bounded back up the Palace steps.
He passed Ione who was awkwardly patting Valentina on the back in what was likely supposed to be a comforting gesture.
“Come with me, please,” Thoren begged as he ran past them. Valentina, who had been crying, perked up immediately as she and Ione began to follow him, warrior instincts kicking in at his panicked plea.
“What’s going on?” Ione asked from behind him.
“I’m not sure,” Thoren said between breaths, and started up the stairs to the upper floors, taking them two at a time. “Something Nero said about the Princess. I think she’s in danger.”
That would mean Cori is in danger.
His legs pumped underneath him as he ran as fast as he was able and then in the next moment, the three of them burst into the corridor that led to the Princess’ rooms.
It was deadly silent.
“Oh!” came Valentina’s exclamation near him as they took in the hallway in front of them.
Thoren paused, feeling the blood drain slowly from his face, his heart beating hard and singing a drumbeat inside his head, blocking out all other sound.
The door to the Princess’ room was open, and Thoren could see some legs on the ground halfway out into the hallway, the rest of the body in the room. There was a spray of blood up the wooden door.
But what held his attention was the inert form slumped on the ground near the door. Her head was lolled forward, but the curtain of blonde hair falling forwards was unmistakable. His heart lurched painfully inside his chest as he moved towards her.
“Corisande…” Ione mumbled from somewhere behind him, and he registered the two of them moving past him, heading straight for Princess Millisa’s room as he fell to the stone floor next to Cori.
He pushed back her hair and tilted her chin up gently to see her eyes closed, face relaxed. It was as he had pulled away her hair that he’d seen the blood-soaked tunic and he took in the deathly pallor of her skin. Panic seized him, seeing the wound in her abdomen, which still bled. He pressed his hand to it immediately and Cori’s face suddenly pinched as she groaned with pain.
Thoren let out a relieved breath. Alive.
“Val,” Thoren called out in a hoarse voice, keeping his hand firmly against her wound. “I need help here. We need a healer right now.”
Thoren heard movement above him, and he looked up from watching Cori’s face to see Ione there, looking almost as pale as Cori. His stomach plummeted again.
“The Legionnaires are all dead, but the Queen is alive though unconscious,” Ione said, “and the Princess is gone.”
41
Cori woke up slowly, sluggishly.
It felt like her consciousness was wading through a thick sludge, pushing forward but gaining little ground. It came in sounds at first, and she could hear a voice speaking softly next to her. Then her body was registering touch, the feel of arms around her and she briefly thought she was being carried. By the time Cori was able to blink an eye open, she couldn’t tell how much time had passed since she had started to register the sounds and the touch. It felt like an eternity had passed.
When her eyes finally opened, Cori found herself looking up at a plain roof. She could feel a comfortable mattress underneath her, a plush comforter enveloping her in warmth. This meant she wasn’t in the healing bay.
Cori wanted to speak, but when she tried to push sound up her throat, all that came out
was a croaked gurgling.
She felt the bed shift beneath her, and suddenly there were a pair of blue eyes floating above her. Cori blinked, and more features came into focus on the face. Gryffin.
“Cori?” he asked, the sound of his voice was a little distorted, like she was listening from far away. “You’re awake.” His voice was full of relief as he continued to stare down at her.
She felt her lips part, and it took a measured amount of effort for her to speak. When she was able to, it came out hoarse and barely discernible. “Millie…”
Because from the moment her brain began registering even the smallest of thoughts, they had been centred on those moments before she had blacked out. When Trey had been standing over her as she bled on the ground, and Cori had known that he was going for the Princess next. She dreaded the answer, but she had to know.
The moment she had spoken the word, Cori had her answer at the expression on Gryffin’s face. His features had fallen, and the relief that had been on his face had turned to sadness.
Cori closed her eyes against the look on his face, desperate to escape the rising grief.
“I – I’ll get Thoren.”
Her eyes flew open again, and she nodded, suddenly yearning for him to be there with her.
Gryffin smiled sadly at her. “He’ll be so pissed he wasn’t here when you woke up. He won’t tell you this, but he’s been here almost twenty-four hours a day. Val and I had to almost wrestle him out of your room so he could get some sleep.”
Cori tried to clear her throat, but it was desperately dry and painful.
“I’ll be back in a moment with Thoren, but here—” Gryffin leaned forward and looped his arm under her shoulders and easily pulled her into a sitting position.
Cori hissed through her teeth as pain shot through her abdomen.
“Sorry,” Gryffin said, sitting back to look at her as she tried to settle back against her pillows, her limbs feeling heavy and useless. “the healer said it would be okay to sit you up once you woke. And I have some water for you.”
He started to hand her a glass of water, but when Cori couldn’t make her useless limb reach for it, Gryffin smiled sheepishly and instead offered to hold the glass to her mouth. She accepted gratefully, letting the cool water ease down, feeling like she was able to clear out the passageway.