Ruined - Amy Tintera Page 0,65

He ducked away, straightening to find Galo with his left arm on fire.

Galo ripped off his jacket and stomped out the flames.

Cas felt a hand on his arm, and he whirled around to find his father next to him. He had to beat back the urge to throw his arms around his father’s neck like he was five years old again.

His father handed Cas a sword. It was heavier than he was used to, the red band around the hilt identifying it as a warrior sword. His father’s blade had blood smeared across it.

Cas took off behind the king, looking over his shoulder to find the Olso warriors spilling out of the kitchen. Screams echoed through the halls, and he could only pray that his mother had made it out and the warriors hadn’t noticed the passageway.

Galo lifted his sword as two warriors rushed at him. “Go!” he yelled over his shoulder.

Cas ran behind his father, almost crashing into him when he came to an abrupt stop as they rounded a corner. Three warriors stood in front of them. Light flickered across their faces, and Cas started as he recognized one of them. Benito. The warrior’s eyebrows were drawn together, his lip curling as he charged them.

“Here!” another warrior yelled down the hallway as he lunged at the king. “I’ve got the king and the prince!”

Cas lifted his sword, jumping back as Benito swung at him. The blade barely missed his neck, and he realized with a flash of horror that the warriors had been ordered to kill them. They wouldn’t be captured or brought anywhere for negotiations.

Panic vibrated through his every limb, and when he swung his sword, a strangled grunt accompanied the effort. Benito’s sword met his.

Out of the corner of his eye, Cas saw one of the warriors fall, and his father engaged the other. He sidestepped as Benito lunged at him. The warrior lost his balance, stumbling forward. Cas quickly turned, slamming his boot into the back of Benito’s legs. The warrior hit the ground on his knees and scrambled against the stone. Cas drove his blade into Benito’s chest.

The warrior made a horrible gurgling sound, the sword sliding out of his stomach as he toppled to the ground. Blood dripped off the metal and Cas tried to shake it off, his stomach rising into his throat. He only succeeded in splattering blood across the blue wall.

A hand grabbed his arm, and he jumped, almost hitting the king with his sword as he whirled around. The two other warriors were dead on the ground, and his father gave him a look of approval as he glanced at Benito.

Someone nearby started shouting, and his father tugged on his arm. Cas had to jump over a dead body as they ran down the hallway. His breath started to come out in panicked puffs, and he transferred his sword to his left hand, wiping his sweaty palm on his pants.

Flames licked up the walls at the far end of the hallway, and his father turned, pushing open the door to a sitting room.

“The window,” he said, gesturing for Cas to go ahead of him.

Cas ran into the dark room and to the large window, unhooking the latch and pushing it open. A gust of smoky air blew across Cas’s face.

“Where did they go?” a voice yelled.

He whirled around just in time to see a warrior running into the room, making a mad dash for the king. His father was ready, sword lifted. “Go!” he yelled.

Cas ignored him, lunging at the warrior instead. The knife in the man’s left hand flashed across his vision, and he opened his mouth to yell a warning to his father.

The warrior drove the knife into his father’s chest.

The king gasped, his sword clattering to the floor. The warrior gave the knife a shove. The king toppled over, hitting the floor with a thud.

Cas froze. Red spread across his father’s shirt, but Cas was sure he wasn’t going to die. He couldn’t.

The warrior darted toward Cas, and his brain snapped to attention. He surged forward, surprising the warrior, and his blade immediately nicked the warrior’s arm. The man sprang out of the way, and then lunged for Cas.

Cas blocked his attack, taking two quick steps back and darting around the warrior. He jabbed his blade straight into the man’s side. The warrior gasped as Cas yanked it out of his flesh.

He sliced the blade across the warrior’s neck.

Cas turned away as the man fell. The