Page 123 of The Crown of the Dark Prince
Everywhere I looked, the world was painted in red.
“Thea!” Iris’ voice cut through the chaos, sharp and unyielding.
I whipped around, heart pounding. She was already off her horse, her blade flashing with deadly precision as she cut her way toward the castle entrance.
I fumbled as I slid off my horse, nearly falling as my boots hit the blood-slicked ground. My legs felt like lead, my body sluggish as I forced myself to move. My vision tunneled, narrowing on the crimson coating my boots. I was on the bridge. This fucking bridge would haunt me for the rest of my days.
I swayed, nausea clawing at my throat as I took in the carnage around me. The clash of steel. The roar of fire. The screams of the dying. It was too much—too fast.
A sudden shove from behind sent me sprawling forward.
“Move!” Rankor bellowed, his voice cutting through my haze.
I hit the ground hard, knees slamming into the stone. My palms scraped against the rough surface as I scrambled to push myself up, but my limbs felt weak, disconnected.
Above me, Rankor’s sword swung in a deadly arc.
A soldier fell, his blade clattering to the ground. His head hit the bridge with a sickening thud, rolling to a stop at my feet.
I couldn’t look away.
The body collapsed a moment later, fresh blood spattering across my chest. I was drenched in it now, soaked to the bone.
Rankor grabbed me roughly by the arm, hauling me to my feet with a strength that seemed effortless. “Get in the castle!”
He shoved me toward Iris, his movements quick and deliberate, already stepping into the next strike.
My legs faltered beneath me, but somehow, I found the strength to run. Duck. Leap. Dodge. My breath came in shallow gasps, my chest heaving as fear clawed at me.
Ahead, Iris hurled a blade over my head, the rush of air sharp against my cheek as it embedded itself in a soldier. She didn’t even pause to look back.
“Let’s go!” she shouted, her voice steady and commanding, as though death did not surround us.
We sprinted across the bridge, leaping over bodies and dodging swinging swords. Every step felt like a struggle against an invisible force pulling me back.
By the time we reached the grand entryway of the castle, my legs were trembling. My chest burned as I gasped for air, each breath tasting of blood and ash.
Members of the Order flanked us, their faces grim and unreadable as they wiped blood from their blades. They moved with precision, their focus unshaken.
Inside, the blood was just as bad.
Streaks of it marred the white marble floor, smears turning the once pristine hall into a grotesque canvas. The metallic tang was so thick I could taste it, bitter and suffocating.
“Thea!” Iris’ voice snapped me back to the present. She was calm, deliberate. “Where are they?”
I forced myself to close my eyes, to shut out the chaos around me. I reached deep into the untouched well of power inside me, sending it outward in waves. It stretched through the castle, searching, hunting, until—
“Grand ballroom,” I rasped, the words heavy on my tongue.
Iris nodded, her gaze sharp as it flicked to the Order members around us. “Let’s move.”
They surged forward with practiced ease, their movements a stark contrast to my faltering steps.
Enemies emerged from the shadows, their blades glinting in the dim light. The warriors around me dispatched each one swiftly, the clash of steel ringing through the air.
To my left, a soldier lunged, driving his sword into the belly of an Order member.
A scream tore through the air, high and raw.
