Noble Thief
Page 22
Alfred gripped Phillip’s shoulder. “We’ve already lost. Now is the time to save what little we can.”
He was right. There was no denying it. Enough people had died this day. Phillip nodded and Alfred lifted his chin. “Retreat.” His voice carried on the strength of his magic. He could make himself heard at great distances. Those on the battlefield and in the fortress would hear his call. “Retreat.”
“We have to get to the woods.” Phillip looked toward the Gaulean king once more, and the man’s dark eyes turned in his direction as if he could see the Belaen prince amidst the chaos.
The woods were their only chance. The Gauleans were a suspicious sort, fearing the dark forests that stretched across Bela.
Phillip tried to pull his magic forth, to shield them as they ran, but it was no use. He had no strength left for it. His feet thundered across the open land. His head turned each way to make sure the rest of his army followed. The remaining Belaens fled for their lives, abandoning a fortress they’d held for centuries.
But some things were more important than buildings and land.
A man collided with Phillip, knocking him to the ground. The prince tried to roll him off, but the Gaulean was too strong. He held a knife in one hand and slashed it across Phillip’s stomach. Pain radiated from the point of attack, and then someone hauled the man off him. Chandler stabbed his sword through the savage and pulled it out in one movement. As the dead man collapsed to the ground, Alfred pulled Phillip back to his feet.
Phillip pressed a hand to his wound, trying to stem the bleeding. Crimson life seeped between his fingers.
Chandler and Alfred both yelled his name, but he didn’t hear them as he fell to his knees. Agony seared through him.
The end. It comes before you’re ready. It never takes into account how much you have left to accomplish.
Death cares little if you’re the prince, if the Basile power should one day belong to you.
It takes everything and leaves you with only darkness to call your own.
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About M. Lynn
M. Lynn is a USA Today bestselling author of love. Yes, love. Whether it be YA romance, NA romance( Both under Michelle MacQueen), or fantasy romance, she loves to make readers swoon.
The great loves of her life to this point are two tiny blond creatures who call her “aunt” and proclaim her books to be “boring books” for their lack of pictures. Yet, somehow, she still manages to love them more than chocolate.
When she’s not sharing her inexhaustible wisdom with her niece and nephew, Michelle is usually lounging in her ridiculously large bean bag chair creating worlds and characters that remind her to smile every day - even when a feisty five-year-old is telling her just how much she doesn’t know.
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