As the General and my charzbos clashed knives, I jerked my elbow back into the stomach of the guard who was holding me, then spun and jammed the heel of my hand upward into his chin, making his head crash backward as he doubled forward, gasping for air from the first surprise hit. At the same time, the Farian that Cartari had called Kala kneed the guard in the back and he fell to the ground. Kala grabbed my arm and tore me fully out of the guard’s grasp and I was running after her, away from the other guards as Kala thrust them back from us with telekinesis.
“Can you fight?” Kala asked, her sharp blue eyes scanning the building for a good place for us to make a stand as guards converged to win me back. We settled for sliding to a halt behind a pillar that led to a small alcove.
“I’ve trained a little with a sword, but I’m best with a bow and arrow.”
Kala stood up, searched quickly, then whipped her hand back and a bow ripped from the hands of a guard in the upper balcony, one that another Farian had been focused on watching, wary of his attack. The guard fell to the floor from the force of the quiver being torn off his waist, yelling as he tumbled, his cry crushed as his body swelled with blood. The bow and arrows hovered in front of me and I took them with a deep gulp.
“Shoot to kill.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Can you communicate telepathically?”
“With Cartari… I don’t know--”
“Try with me.”
I opened myself up and sure enough, there she was.
“Can you hear me?”
“Yes!”
It was thrilling… It wasn’t just because of the Destin connection. Something had happened when Cartari mind controlled me. I was a telepath. I wondered if I would be able to just make it stronger. I wondered if I would be able to use telekinesis.
“Good. Communicate with us Farians like this and obey our commands. Stay here, behind this pillar, and watch our backs. You stay trained on the guards in the balconies. The plan is to let the Commander and Blatson fight, then we take everyone’s weapons and imprison them until Truloy gets here.”
“Ok, good. What happens if they resist?”
“Then we show them why resisting is futile.”
I gulped again. I didn’t want to kill more than I had to… I hadn’t really adjusted to the dark sentiment haunting my soul for the men I had killed at the cabin in the snow… I had just pushed aside those thoughts. But… I looked at Cartari as he was knocked backwards by a hard left hit from Blatson. My heart leapt into my throat in fear and anger and protection. I slipped an arrow to the bowstring and took a deep breath. I knew my side. I knew my mission. I would kill anyone to protect my Destin.
The guards who had captured me at the toolshed had known immediately that I was Lady Zaya and they had brought me here, but they clearly hadn’t known that there were more Farians around. Cartari certainly hadn’t even known. I was sure he would have told me. It was a good thing, though. Blatson and his men wouldn’t go down easy.
My heart was still breaking for not having told Cartari sooner about my tie to Blatson, but it was blazing with hope and happiness that it hadn’t even been a consideration on his part for him to trade me for the trade deal Farian wanted to make with the Vailstorans. I was lucky… I was so lucky. Cartari might be a charzbos, a barbarian… as I thought this, Cartari did a spin move, jump through the air, and landed a huge heavy blow against Blatson’s cheek that knocked the larger man backwards, stumbling to swing his knife hand, but Cartari parried and slashed at his stomach, slitting the General’s shirt and making first blood.
I cheered, as did the Farians.
He was my charzbos, my Destin, my protector, my soul.
Cartari swung his green eyes to me across the hall and he grinned, waiting for Blatson to steady his feet. He twirled his knife in the air, catching it deftly.
“I’d fight a million Blatsons to have your heart, Zaya…”
I swooned, my head spinning, heavy heart lightening, tingles running through my body, butterflies sweeping up through my skin and racing through the world around me.
He is going to win. He is going to win.
Then Blatson lunged, pummeling into Cartari and knocking him back, slamming him into the wall, crashing his head back against the stone, massive hand clenching his knife wrist, other hand at his throat, and my bow trained in on Blatson’s back almost of its own will.
I can release… I can end this… I can protect him…
Kala stood in front of me, frowning down at me. She pushed the arrow aside.
“You cannot interfere. Commander Catari wants to fight this battle alone. Curans take duels for honor seriously. He will be fine. You must believe in him.”
I dropped the arrow’s point, feeling my heart drop with it, and released the tension on the bow. I took a deep breath, nodding to Kala, and refocused my attention on the balconies. I cast sideways looks toward Cartari, where he still struggled, still clenched to the wall by Blatson, Blatson’s knife at his throat, his own knife hand held suspended, unable to get a tactical advantage…
“You can do it, Cartari… I trust you…”
I trust him with my life, my future, my love.
The doors of the hall burst open and ten more of Blatson’s soldiers flooded in. A cry went up, signaling an eruption command of attack and the others unleashed their weapons. Where the Farians had been holding them at bay just by the threat of their own floating knives and arrows, now they had to defend and attack in earnest.
It was a true battle, as arrows fell
