Page 85 of Not Another Happily Ever After

My fingers tighten around where the dark knight smothers my own screams.

“Please,” I beg as hot tears stream down my cheeks. But it isn’t until an attacker finds where we’re hiding that he finally sets me free.

In one smooth move Frog pushes me behind him, but he doesn’t draw his blade.

The attacker cocks his head in question, his dark eyes bouncing between me and the dark knight.

“Move,” he croaks.

Frog shakes his head, but I can’t see his face. I can’t see what he’s thinking or why he hasn’t drawn his sword.

“Ooh.So itislike that now?” The attacker huffs a laugh, inching ever closer with the tip of his blade. Though somehow, he knows to tread lightly, watching the dark knight’s every step.

“You cannot have Miss Sunday,” Frog grits, digging his heels into the sand, readying to face metal with nothing more than his hands.

“This realm will be restored,” the strange man growls. “’Tis a shame you won’t be here to see it.”

He charges us, his blade held tightly at his side.

“No!” I yell out as Frog meets him halfway, tackling the attacker to the ground.

“My lady?” Rhidland shouts.

I whirl in time to see him frozen, his sword raised high above his head. Pinned beneath him, the attacker slips a hand into his cloak and draws out a short blade.

My heart lurches in my throat.

“Rhidland!” I scream just as steel sinks into his flesh.

“No!” I cry.

Time stops as the blade disappears into his ribs. He remains standing for one impossible second, his sword striking the earth with a dull thud. Then he falls to his knees.

I’m running before anyone can stop me.

“Princess! I’m coming!” Merrek calls, his attacker screaming as he’s shoved off the cliff.

I ignore them all. Dropping to my knees in the sand I catch Rhidland before his head strikes the ground. His blood soaks into the sleeves of my nightgown almost immediately.

“No…no, no…” I shake my head, harder and harder each time, as if the motion alone could change his fate.

“My lady…” Rhidland whispers.

His voice is frighteningly calm.

“Stay with me, okay?” Hot tears blur my vision, and I curse them for stealing my view of his face.

His weathered hand lifts with obvious effort, swiping the wet from my face.

“My how you’ve grown,” he murmurs.

My head shakes, more desperately than before.

“My lady, look at me.”

Around us chaos ensues, but it all feels impossibly far away. My eyes search for someone, anyone, to help us. To help him. But Merrek’s taken on the man Rhidland had pinned. There’s no one here to save him.

“No…no.” I plead with trembling lips.