Page 62 of The Iron Hex

Eventually he stumbled out into a clearing and saw Eira on the ground in the middle of a small camp, a man tying a cloth around her mouth as another tied her hands behind her back. Hugo could see the fear in her eyes across the clearing as she noticed him. She wouldn’t be able to cast magic tied up like that; she wouldn’t be able to do anything.

“Do nottouchher,” he yelled as he charged directly into the man who had just finished tying her hands, launching him to the other side of the clearing, his back striking a tree with a satisfying crack.

“Well, well, well, we didn’t think we’d draw you out here so quickly,” the other man said, pulling a dagger out of his sleeve and pointing it in Hugo’s direction. What did they mean byso quickly?

“This doesn’t have to get bloody,” Hugo said. “Let her go, and we’ll leave, no harm done.”

The masked man chuckled, the sound muffled behind the black cloth covering his mouth.

“I’m not afraid to get bloody,” he said as he lunged toward Hugo.

Hugo had expected that and he dived to the left, putting himself between Eira and the highwayman. He lashed out, his sword slicing the front of the highwayman’s jacket before the man could jump back.

“You’re worth a pretty penny, you know?” another voice from behind him said. “The wanted posters didn’t mention agirl, but I’m sure when we turn you in, they’ll want your little accomplice too.”

Hugo looked over at the other man, who had picked himself up from the forest floor and was now circling Hugo, dagger out. The wanted posters... Shit. Were these men bounty hunters for the Iron Empire? Or simply opportunistic highwaymen, looking for easy coin for turning in a fugitive? He decided it didn’t matter—they were his enemies, no matter what they called themselves. Hugo was grateful the posters didn’t have Eira’s information, or the fact that she was a witch, on them yet... but his fugitive status had put her in danger yet again, and he hated himself for it.

“I’m sure the poster explained how dangerous I am,” Hugo growled. “Let us go and I’ll let you both live.”

“No, thanks. I think we can take you,” one of the men chuckled. “And we want what you’re worth.”

So be it, Hugo thought as he swung at the bounty hunter that was trying to flank him, hitting the man’s arm quickly before he could react to block him.

The man screamed, blood pouring out of his bicep as Hugo swung again, the wounded man rolling and diving out of the way this time, warm blood splashing Hugo’s bare hands.

Hugo heard the sound of metal singing through the air and he spun around to block the second man’s attack, knocking the dagger out of the highwayman’s hand and catching it. The other man pulled out a second dagger with his other hand and swung it toward Hugo’s neck, and Hugo threw up his arm to block it. Metal sank into the flesh of his arm, and pain seared through him. Hugo grinned—pain meant adrenaline, and adrenaline had a way of sharpening his fighting skills like nothing else.

Hugo wasn’t proud of what he’d done for the Iron Empire, but he’d been good at it. He still was. He focused on the man he’d just disarmed and rained down blows with his sword. There wasn’t much the highwayman could do to parry with just a dagger, and the swing of Hugo’s sword over and over again pressed him to the ground, looking up at Hugo with fear and anger in his eyes until he heard Eira’s muffled scream.

“I’ll kill her,” the other man, the one he’d all but forgotten about, taunted. Hugo stepped on the prone highwayman’s throat until he choked, gasping gagging sounds emitting from him involuntarily as Hugo turned to the one threatening Eira, sword pointed in their direction.

“If you harm a hair on her head, I’ll crush your friend’s throat,” Hugo panted, blood running down his arm and dripping from his fingertips. He held a dagger in one hand and his sword in the other, both still raised as he readied himself to spring.

“I think I’ll kill her just for you threatening us,” the man snarled, placing his dagger at Eira’s throat. Hugo could hear her panicked whimpers from where he stood. He watched her wriggle and try to loosen her bonds, the blade cutting into her neck each time she moved.

In one swift motion, Hugo dropped his weapons.

“Kill me instead,” he said. He watched the fear in Eira’s eyes grow, and she started shaking her head as she realized he was going to let them kill him and leave her with them.

“Ransom doesn’t say we get the money if you’re dead,” the man said. Rage built in Hugo with each moment the man had his hands on Eira. Did they know she was a witch? Why would they have tied her up like that if they didn’t know?

“They’ll give youmoreif I’m dead,” Hugo shouted, hoping it would be tempting enough bait.

“All right, nowthatsounds interesting... or at least valuable.” Hugo had him, and he knew it. The man pushed Eira carelessly to the ground and started to head in Hugo’s direction, taking the bait.

The moment he did Hugo moved into action, reaching into his belt for his hidden dagger and throwing it as he stomped on the other man’s throat. Hard. The choking sounds stoppedas Hugo watched the airborne dagger lodge itself in the other man’s chest, wet gurgles sputtering from his bloodied mouth as he dropped to his knees and fell just ahead of where Eira was crumpled on the ground. For good measure, Hugo picked his weapons up again and jammed the tip of his sword into the bounty hunter under his boot before running over to Eira.

Hugo quickly pulled down the cloth around her mouth before pulling her into an embrace, her head cradled against his pounding heart. “Are you okay?” he asked, bloodied hands burying themselves in her hair as she gasped into his chest.

“I thought for a second you were going to leave me alone with them,” she said, pulling away and looking up at him, her face wet with tears. Hugo let go of her head, wiping his hands on his riding pants quickly to get as much blood off them as he could, feeling guilt about the blood he’d just left in Eira’s hair. He gently placed both of his hands on her beautiful face as he carefully wiped her tears off of her cheeks, then her chin, then her nose, then, finally, her lips.

“I would never let them hurt you,” he said, his eyes never leaving hers. Hugo wanted nothing more than to kiss her, to show her just how much she meant to him. Instead, he held her for a moment longer, his heart still racing from the adrenaline, before untying her and walking back to the tavern.

31

Rhona

Lord General Kerrigan watched from the parapet as Rhona and several of her fellow knights trained in the cold air of the morning. It was an Iron Empire tradition to train with real swords; any injuries that came from training showed unpreparedness, a need for more training. Rhona had a few scars to show for her early days with the retinue, back when they were just the Iron Resistance. Rhona and her compatriots did this every other morning, but rarely did Lord General Kerrigan watch.