Page 29 of Royal Hunt
Ellis waved his arms at the humans who pressed against the barrier.“Back off! We have to work together! You won’t have a chance that way! Get behind us instead!”
They laughed at him, calling him names and flicking rude gestures. I winced at each utterance of ‘drunk’ and ‘playboy’ that flew from their lips.
Ellis scowled and turned away, his shoulders tense. I didn’t blame him. It was commendable he’d even tried to reach out to them. After all, they’d murdered his entire family only a day ago.
Quite a bit of compassion for a self-professed degenerate.
“10. 9. 8. 7. 6—”
I hovered uncertainly between the two groups, unsure of where I belonged. The one clearly had no use for me and wasn’t going to let me help. The other one was full of morons. Decisions, decisions.
“3, 2, 1. GO!
Eleven
The humans exploded into movement, diving onto the pile as soon as they were able to cross the barrier. I watched as a few large men grabbed stacks of furs, and tripped over each other as they tried to make off with their prizes. The fae met them in the middle, and then something horrible happened.
The fae didn’t go for the supplies. They went for the humans.
The barrier held, but once you crossed the center, you were fair game. One of Trenton’s guards slid down the wrong side of the barrier, a pile of furs scattering before him. His scream pierced the air, and a green-haired fae cut him down, laughing as the guard bled all over the furs. Ruining them.
Rage and purpose filled me, and I bolted for the center. I heard Gregory screaming my name, but I ignored him. I’d failed to do anything to save Hector and Rowan. I’d failed to help the royal family. I’d failed to even keep myself out of these goddamn death games.
I’d get a fur blanket even if it killed me. Ellis would need it, even if the other heirs didn’t.
Strong arms came around my chest and waist, yanking me back. The air whooshed out of my body as they held tight, and I fell backward onto a hard, bony body.
“Let me go! I have to get supplies!” I tried to scramble up.
Ellis held me down firmly, stronger than he appeared.
“You’ll get your damn furs. Viana made sure to add it to the list after you walked away. Apparently it’s our ‘duty’ to look after all of you since you’re technically still our subjects. Even if you tried to depose us.”
The disgust in his voice was deserved, and I stopped struggling. I sat up, pushing my hair out of my face. It was a tangled mess.
On the supplies pile, nobles fell left and right as fae attacked them viciously. They shouted with glee as they mowed down humans like they were annoying pests. I watched as one fae slit the Achilles tendons on both legs of a shrieking man. He tumbled to the ground clutching a bag of apples and tried to run off, only to fall face first into the dirt. He tried to crawl back to our side, but the fae grabbed him by his hair and dragged him back to their side to finish him off.
“We need to help him! He—”
Ellis hushed me. “Look,” he said instead, pointing.
While the fae were busy hunting and making sport of the nobles desperately grabbing for supplies, I saw heirs sneaking here and there. Choosing their spots, ducking in, and getting out. Not grabbing the best supplies, but the ones closest. The ones that were unguarded. Things not everyone else was going for.
They were using the nobles as human shields. As a distraction. I saw red.
“Let go of me!” I pushed off Ellis and raced toward the pile. The fae nearest me had skin that was blue, his hair pure gray. He happily bludgeoned the human guard next to him, not even sparing me a glance as I raced toward him.
Because I didn’t matter. I wasn’t a threat.
I bellowed anyway, ramming my body straight into the smirking fae. It was like slamming into a stone wall.
I saw stars, momentarily stunned. The fae sneered, then dropped the bloodied man in favor of feistier prey. His hand tangled in my hair and yanked, bringing my face level with his.
“Foolish human,” he growled. My eyes were glued to his pointed ears, his blue skin, and eyes so gold they shimmered. His body was nothing but muscles that rippled with surprising grace as he moved. I had none of those things.
Another hand grabbed me, pushing me down. A dagger flashed, chopping through the hair that the fae held clenched in his hand. I squealed and fell backward into Ellis’s arms, a few of my braids flying to the ground. I looked up just in time to watch Nessian stab the fae in the throat. Hot blood sprayed across my face, filling my nose with its coppery scent.
“COME ON, MOVE!” Ellis hauled me down the pile, and I blindly reached out to grab anything I could get my hands on to take with me. I caught the edge of some fabric and pulled. As Ellis tugged me down, I craned my neck back to watch Nessian get attacked by two more fae. I screamed in warning, but the triplet princes were immediately there to even the odds.
