Page 40 of The Darkest Knight

“Go to the window now!” Niall told Padriag. “Take the women with you.”

The wizard cocked his head to one side, as if amused by them and then looked to his guards. “I said kill them.”

The beastly guards rushed forward crashing through Padriag’s shield that no doubt had been weakened by Meliot.

When they were but mere inches from them, Tamara held out both hands casting what he could only describe as pulses of energy. It sent the guards tumbling backward. The downed beasts shuddered, their limbs curled unnaturally. The screams left no doubt that they were in agony.

The entire time, an expression of pride spread across Meliot’s face.

The respite didn’t last. The wizard flicked his right-hand, sending Niall and Padriag flying across the room, crashing against the wall. Niall managed to keep hold of his sword, but upon collapsing to the floor, all air left his body.

The wizard had him in a vice like hold, the grip so tight, he couldn’t draw air into his lungs. Despite struggling, he couldn’t free himself. By the sound of Padriag’s gasps, he suffered the same hold.

“Stop, you’re killing them,” Tamara screamed. She pushed pulse after pulse toward the wizard. It was ineffective. Meliot was much too powerful.

“Help them,” the other woman screamed.

Darkness ebbed as Niall did his best to suck in air, but it was useless. When a pulse of energy struck him, the vice eased just enough he could draw breath. He prayed the same happened to Padriag.

A second energy pulse struck, and the hold around them was gone. Niall tried to stand, but the best he could do was get on his hands and knees.

More guards had arrived, one after another going toward Tamara, only to fall. It was obvious she was tiring. Niall managed to yank a dagger and fling it at a guard just as he almost reached her. The blade sunk into his neck and the creature fell to his knees and disintegrated.

“I’ve had enough.” Meliot held up his hands forming a shield as he walked closer to Tamara. “Accept your destiny. This is your home now.” He glanced to Niall and Padriag, who remained too weak to fight.

“Take them to the dungeon.” Enormous guards neared and grabbed Niall by the arm, dragging him to his feet. Even if he’d had his full strength, Niall couldn’t fight four huge warriors.

Once out of the room, Niall pulled a dagger and stabbed one of them in the side, the beastly being grunted, but didn’t release him. Again and again, he sunk the blade into the now bloody flesh, until finally the guard collapsed.

The guard on his other side grabbed his wrist, preventing him from stabbing him and Niall kneed him as hard as he could between the legs. By the squeal it let out and the way he fell face-first onto the wooden flooring, the beasts had the same vulnerable spot as other males. He leaned over the guard and sliced its throat.

Flinging a dagger into the nape of one of the beasts that had Padriag sent that guard falling onto the floor. Taking advantage of the distraction, quick as lightening, Padriag dispatched the fallen guard as Niall attacked the other one by jumping on its back and slicing his sharpened blade across its throat.

Niall signaled for Padriag to follow him back to the room where Tamara and the other woman were. They stopped just outside, unsure how to proceed.

Meliot seemed to be growing impatient. “Stop fighting me and accept your fate.” A grunt told Niall that Tamara continued to fight the wizard, and for whatever reason, Meliot seemed unable to fight her.

They’d suspected he’d been growing weaker, as the quests he’d sent them on in the last year had become less perilous and his skin had taken an ashen hue as of late.

“Enough with the fate shit. I am not staying here. You are not killing my friends, and I am going to ensure you never harm anyone again.” Tamara’s voice was tight with anger, but the slight tremor told Niall she was terrified. “You are a terrible villain. Do you know why?”

When Meliot didn’t respond, she continued. “Because you cannot kill any of us. Something blocks you from it. I am right aren’t I?”

Niall smiled in spite of himself. He loved her spunk.

He loved her.

The wizard sneered. “You will worship me, once you discover the powers within. I am your sire, therefore darkness lives within you.”

It had to be a lie. There was nothing dark within Tamara. Niall prayed she didn’t believe him.

“Ha,” Tamara replied. “That I don’t believe. If I was in anyway related to you, I would sense it. The only thing I feel for you is hate.”

Sounds of battle became louder. The sentinels and Atlandian warriors had managed to get inside the castle.

Niall hoped with all his might they’d get to them in time.