Chapter 19

When he had told the guards to meet at the stables, I thought we were talking about the old stables or what used to be the stables. As I stood outside watching the stable hands bring out the horses I didn’t know what to do. They were real horses and like everything else in this realm, really large. When one of them stopped in front of me with a gigantic white horse I just stood there feeling like I should be asking for something I knew how to work, a motorcycle or even a bicycle. Riding and steering a horse wasn’t something I had the slightest clue how to do.

“Never ridden, have you?”

I looked away from the huge beast to Chase as he walked up behind me. “City girl I’m afraid.” Craning my neck, I looked up at the big blue eyes of the animal. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this close to one.”

“As much as I’d like to give you riding lessons, I don’t think we have time right now.” He motioned to the man holding the horse in front of me. “The Huntress will ride with me today.”

I watched him lead the animal away again.

“She’s yours by the way.”

Looking down at the size of the print she had left behind I felt relieved I didn’t have to ride something with feet that big. “What do you mean?”

“The horse. Angelica. She’s yours.”

With both eyebrows raised I looked back at the animal now running around in the yard again and then flicked my eyes to Chase. “She’s mine?”

He nodded. “I’ve been breeding the same champion blood line for over a hundred years waiting, always selecting the white foal to groom for the Huntress. Angelica was born for you. I only let the female trainers ride and groom her.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

Watching the guards come out of the stables, each leading two horses he shrugged. “Thank you works.”

“Thank you.” I fidgeted with the dagger strapped to my leg again, so I wouldn’t have to look at him. “Why horses by the way? I know you have cars.”

Accepting the biggest horse that had been led over, he patted its neck. “Easier to maneuver and quieter.”

Sounded like a reasonable explanation to me. “Is it far?”

“Roughly twenty minutes.” Grasping me around the waist he lifted me onto the back of the black animal. “Just stay up there until I get on.”

I nodded, too nervous to say anything and clung to the animal with my knees while he climbed up behind me. There was no need to encourage me to lean back into him as he reached around me to get the reins. The animal pranced a few times, but stayed in one place.

“I’ve got you, kitten.” He whispered in my ear, wrapping his arm around my waist. “Ready to go kick some ass?”

I was on the horse wasn’t I? “Let’s do this.” I answered breathlessly.

****

The compound wasn’t well guarded, so getting close enough to plan was the easy part. We watched a few people come and go, long enough to get a good idea of how many people we were dealing with. There were nine of us and we counted twenty of them, so far.

Victor pointed out a tall thin man in a blue jacket. “That’s him. He’s mine.” His voice had that ice-cold edge to it.

Chase nodded and moved back toward the horses. “We’ll go in around the side of that small building to the left.” He motioned to two of the men. “You two come in from the back of the middle building.” They nodded and jogged off into the trees.

Victor started in the other direction, motioning for one of the men to come with him. “Fight well, brother.”

Chase grinned. “Well enough to beat you, brother.” The grin died when he turned to me, his eyes told me how much he wanted me to stay right where I was. “Do whatever you need to stay whole and alive.”

“I always do.” Pulling the tonfa from the strap on my back, I popped the blade out to check it. “Let’s go.”

Chase looked me up and down and then he turned dead serious eyes in Tim’s direction in warning to remember what he’d said.

We didn’t even reach the building before all hell broke loose. Apparently while we were watching them, they had been watching us. Before we could get around the building, two men jumped out of the trees, axes swinging. I had a holy shit that’s a freaking battle axe moment, but I didn’t actually stop to admire, I was too busy trying to avoid the blades of death.

Tim wasted no time inserting his body in the path between one of the attackers and myself. Usually I’d gripe over someone getting in the way, but in this case, I decided his broad sword outmatched my dagger against one of the metal axes trying to take a bite out of our flesh.

In a move that would have brought tears of pride to my eyes if I’d been standing back watching, he ducked and knocked the guy back just enough to make him pause with his onslaught. Never being one to stand on the side lines, I ducked under Tim’s arm as he blocked a second swing and inserted the blade of my tonfa right into the guy’s thigh. With a howl, he dropped the axe to the ground and grabbed hold of his leg. Two points for our team.

Turning, I watched as the other two guards disarmed the second assailant in a much more brutal manner. Tim quickly secured ours to the nearest tree and then came back to me.

As we headed around the building I heard the clang of metal on metal and turned the corner to see Chase in action. The moves he made during sparring were nothing compared to when he had his rage on. Actually, it wasn’t rage, it was a methodical trouncing and it was beautiful to watch. He fought with twin blades, each were the length of my leg and probably the width of my arm. The sheer strength he put behind them staggered anyone that made contact.

I could have stood all day and watched him beat them down, one at a time, but the grunt that came from behind me made me remember this wasn’t a weapons demonstration but the real deal. Liking my hide just the way it was, I spun around and ducked down ready to take on whatever was coming my way.

Not having time to look around and see if my shadow-slash-blocker was handy, I readied for the man heading my way. He at least brought a reasonable weapon to the game. I was almost happy to see a good ’ol pig sticker in his hand and not some medieval blade.

A few times he got too close for comfort, as fun as being able to fight full out without having to worry about cops dragging my ass in was, I decided it was time to get down to business and remind him it wasn’t polite to stab a lady. Not that I felt I was a lady and above this sort of thing, in fact I might just travel all of Alterealm after this and seek out all the bad guys, I just wasn’t in the mood for the pain of an injury.

His blade came so close to trimming my hair on one swing I could feel the air move beside my head. That was it for this one, I decided. Timing it right, I waited until he advanced again and let him think he had me on the run, so he’d loosen his stance just enough. With a quick spring up, I spun and landed a kick on his temple and down he went a satisfying yelp. Dropping down, I jabbed him in the stomach with the end of the wand just to make sure he stayed put before I looked around for back up to secure him.

Tim appeared out of nowhere and practically hogtied the guy to a nearby fence post. That man needed to enter a rodeo for sure, he had impressive speed and skill with those tie straps.

Surveying the action that seemed to be going on all around me now, I paused only long enough to make sure Tim was finished and had my back. I didn’t want to get the guy in shit by taking off, and I felt a little more secure knowing he was nearby.

Chase was up against one of the biggest guys I’d seen since discovering there was another realm and for half a second I thought of going to aid him and even the odds a bit, but before I could decide how to do that a loud clang right by my ear brought me full circle. Tim had just blocked someone trying to take my head home as a souvenir. The lethal King was on his own as I set out to assist my shadow in taking out the S.O.B. after my head.

This dude with glowing eyes wasn’t using a battle axe but he had a katana and the blade looked clean and sharp. When Tim took a blow to his hip, I didn’t waste any time with drama, I grabbed my raptor and dropped to one knee and threw it. It embedded itself into the guy’s side and down he went. Tim recovered and stumbled over to pounce on the guy and use a good portion of his large self to crush him into the ground. With a knock to the head, that one wouldn’t be getting up any time soon. Sliding over, I pulled my raptor free and help Tim tie the unconscious attacker. “You good?” I asked him. He touched a hand over the gash on his hip and grunted as he got to his feet.

With a nod to me, we turned to see what other damage we could manage. There were fewer standing then when we started. With eyes wide I caught a bit of Victor’s action as he took on the guy in the blue jacket. I understood now why he was justice. He was flawless in his execution and anyone that thought to try and escape him would be sorry. Tim bumping into me brought my attention back. He was holding his side and looking a little green now. Shit, my blocker wasn’t going to make it at this rate.

Spotting a clear path, I pushed him in that direction so I could get both of us to someplace safe to assess his injury. Before we could reach safety, another maniac came at us with a saber, almost as long as I was tall, with crazy shining from his glowing eyes. At home my raptor was a serious weapon, if I planned on fighting here I think I needed to upgrade to something much larger.

Tim deflected the first swing from the new opponent and then dropped to one knee. I had to hustle around the downed guard to block the next swing with the tonfa. Thankful this wand was made of metal and not a wooden practice one, or the saber may have sliced right through it and my arm. There was no time for reflection on what he was going to do next, no time to get either my dagger or raptor ready as I danced in front of Tim trying to keep both of us in one piece.

I felt the sting of the blade in my thigh from a lucky upswing from the man wielding his blade like a scythe but I didn’t look down to see how much flesh was missing. Tim managed to get back into a crouch and bought me the seconds I needed to get my dagger in hand. When the blade came towards me again I ducked down to roll but the slice out of my thigh muscle prevented me from completing it. I felt heat go through my side as the gleaming metal cut through me. Pain screamed from my nerves and I stumbled, trying to keep the attacker in sight as I collapsed onto the ground.

Dropping the dagger, I slapped my hand over the pulsing wound and raised my arm, hoping the metal wand would be enough to deflect any further strikes. I could see the crazed one hovering over me, the victory in his eyes pained me more than the bleeding flesh on my body. He had the advantage and I knew it as the blade came down, almost in slow motion I could see it. Just when I thought I’d be in more pieces than I wanted, another blade intercepted the swing and Chase stepped over me, backing the attacker off with the skill of his actions.

I wanted to get up and help, but my body wasn’t responding. A war cry sounded from someone and I turned to see Victor grasp the man from behind, his hand swiftly running a razor thin kukri blade across his throat. “The judgment is death for injury to the Huntress,” Victor hissed. The saber fell from the man’s hand and his body slid to the ground leaving a trail of red on the dirt.

Dropping his weapons, Chase fell to his knees on the ground beside me.

“Is Tim alright?” I panted and tried to push up to see the guard lying a few feet away from me.

Chase didn’t even turn to look. “He’ll live.” Lifting my hand from my side, I watched the concern on his face turn to fear.

“Don’t be mad at him…” I gasped trying to stay focused through the dizziness that suddenly hit me.

Victor appeared behind Chase and looked down at me. The same look of fear slid over his face. “Get her back. We’ll clean up the mess here.”

Chase nodded, without looking away from me.

I watched with blurred vision as he stood up and put his blades back into the straps on his back, then he looked around. “Find Leone and get him here now.” There was ice in his tone.

All at once all my strength was gone and I dropped onto my back, squinting up at the King towering over me. I watched as he knelt and felt even dizzier as he gathered me up into his arms.

“You’re going to need help.” Victor’s voice came from somewhere, he sounded far away.

“Get Troy to my rooms as quickly as possible. I’ll transport us there as soon as we reach the tree line.” Chase’s voice echoed in my ears.

I wondered for a second if I’d taken a blow to the head, everyone sounded so strange. Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on how my body was feeling, nothing came back to me. The pain throbbed through me but it was like the rest of me wasn’t there.

“Keep those eyes open, kitten, no napping right now.” Chase’s voice softly came to me in my dream.

Looking up, I could see his face, but it wasn’t very clear. The motion of his walking felt like we were going up stairs. Through the fog that kept moving over me the first inkling of worry managed to grab me. I was really hurt this time. Steri-strips and some tape weren’t going to do the trick this time out. I tried to lift my head and look around, had someone helped Tim or did they leave him lying in the dirt? I wanted to ask about him, but my tongue and brain couldn’t coordinate to say it out loud.

Leaning into the warm body holding me, I closed my eyes again for a second as a wave of nausea threatened to take me. Breathing through I opened my eyes again slowly and then blinked, I was seeing a bedroom.