CHAPTER FIVE
Xander stepped through the doorway that led to the prison cells. His sword was already in his hand. The four guards present glanced up as one. They were all seated around a wooden table in the small room that was their station.
At the other end of that room was a staircase leading down. He intended to clear the path that led to those stairs. He eyed each guard in turn. “I don’t suppose we can skip the fight, and you boys let me go about my business?”
They all rose at the same time. The first drew his sword and charged. Xander ducked under the blade and faced the second guard. His foot struck out and caught the man in the knee. The third guard swung from Xander’s side.
Xander lifted his sword to block. Metal clanged against metal. The fourth had his blade aimed for Xander’s heart. Xander grabbed the chest guard of the third one and pulled him around so that the fourth’s blade slid into his stomach.
Then Xander pivoted around and slashed his sword down the fourth guard’s back. Two down. Two to go. He turned as the first guard thrust his blade at Xander’s face. Xander bent backward to avoid the strike.
Then he twirled his body and came upright to the first guard’s left. He blocked another strike by the second guard. His free hand slid the dagger out of his belt and met flesh.
Xander turned back to the first guard. The only guard left. “You ready to run yet?”
The guard’s hands tightened on his sword. He wasn’t fleeing. He swung hard with his weapon. Xander ducked under and turned his back into the guard’s chest. He flipped his sword and shoved it backward between his own arm and side. It met its mark.
Tristan stepped into the doorway. His brow rose. “Very impressive.”
“How did you know I could take four?” Xander asked.
“Please,” Tristan shook his head. “I saw you fight. Not to mention you backed an entire tavern full of Northerners off with one word. I don’t think anyone could do that without serious skill. They were afraid of you.”
Tristan snatched the key off its peg before he raced down the stairs. He slid to a halt in a hallway. Cells lined both walls with various prisoners sprinkled throughout. His eyes scanned quickly. And landed on Walt three cells down on his left.
He hurried to the cell and unlocked the door. “Walt, you okay?”
Walt stared at him. Then broke into a grin. “That’s my boy! What took you so long?”
“Sorry, I had something to take care of first,” Tristan chuckled at the greeting.
Walt left the cell behind but pulled up short in the hallway. “You got my girls?”
Tristan grinned. “What kind of rescue would this be if I left your girls behind?”
Walt laughed and slapped him on the back. “Not much of one, I have to admit.”
“Anyone else you want to break free while we’re down here?” Xander asked.
Tristan looked around and met the eyes of the assassin he’d tackled on his first day in the city of Lochlain. “Ahhh,” he retreated a few steps. “Not him. Definitely not him.”
They burst out of the prison tower at full sprint. A commotion erupted behind them. Alarms were sounding all over the castle. Tristan slid to a halt in the outer courtyard. He turned to Walt. “Go with Xander. He’ll make sure you get out.”
Xander scoffed. “Not again.”
“It’s all right,” Tristan told him. “I’m not going to ask anything else of you. Just get him out of here.”
Walt stopped. “Not leaving without you, Tristan.”
“None of us are getting out of here without a distraction,” Tristan said. “I’m the distraction. Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan.” He turned away from them and ran. “Kind of,” he muttered to himself.
A Royal Guard burst out of a doorway on his right. “Here! The intruder is here!”
• • •
Shaylin glanced behind them as their horses raced down the mountain as fast as they dared in the dark. No men followed them. Horns were being sounded in alarm back at the castle.
“I’ll come back for him,” Kale promised.
Shaylin faced forward and closed her eyes. “You’ll be too late,” she whispered. “They’ll kill him tonight.”
Back at the castle, Tristan was cornered. He stood on the edge of one of the highest towers looking down. He swallowed hard. He hoped he’d bought Xander and Walt enough time to get out.
He stared down the mountain side with a strange calm filling him. From behind him, he heard a man speak.
“Tristan, I thought you were dead.”
Tristan turned sideways to see him. “Don’t feel bad. That seems to be a common assumption.” He eyed the commander of the army. He’d only met him once during his stay with the royal family. “Did you know? Were you part of it?”
“Know what? Why are you running from my men?” Crispus asked.
“Because they’re your men. Not the king’s.” Tristan glared at him. “Penley killed the king, and now you follow his orders.”
“Northern raiders killed the king,” Crispus stated coldly. “This is a bold accusation you make.”
“Because Penley told them to,” Tristan shot back. Then he smiled. “Hope you enjoy your time as commander while you can. It won’t last much longer.”
Crispus’s eyes narrowed as his mouth thinned. “Kill him,” he ordered.
“Maybe tomorrow,” Tristan taunted. Then he turned back to the night air and jumped.
• • •
They were nearing the bottom of the mountain and the valley that held Ryder’s home village when Kyra happened to glance up. She gasped. “What is that?”
A large, dark circle flew over their heads. It slowly drifted down and hit the ground in the distance ahead of them. When they reached it several moments later, Kale dismounted quickly and drew his sword. He eased toward the mysterious creature.
He reached the edge of it and saw it was cloth. He frowned as he kicked at it with the toe of his boot. Suddenly the cloth moved. The center of it rose to the height of a man and let out a cry of victory. Kale stumbled backward.
Then the cloth tussled and jumped as it neared Kale until the edge finally flew away. Tristan burst out from under the cloth. “Wooooooo!” he let out another cry of victory. He stumbled forward on shaky legs and laughed. “I can’t believe that worked!”
Kale gaped at him. “Tristan?! What is this contraption?”
Tristan grasped his arm for balance as his foot caught on a rope attached to the cloth. “I call it a parachute.”
Shaylin jumped from the horse and flew toward him. She threw her arms around him. Tristan caught her in mid-flight and was shoved back a step. But he managed to keep his footing.
Kale continued to stare at him. “You flew!”
Shaylin released him suddenly. Slightly embarrassed, she retreated a step. But Tristan just grinned at her. He shook his hips and executed some kind of dance step, then he pumped his fist back and forth from his stomach. “Who’s the man?” he called out loudly. He pointed at himself with both hands. “This guy!” He let out another war whoop.
Shaylin felt laughter bubble up. Kale stepped up to her side. “He flew!”
Tristan stopped and pointed at him. “That’s right. I can fly.” He executed another dance move. “You can swing your sword around all you want because I can fly.”
Suddenly he stilled. His hand lifted to his heart and patted his chest as he tried to keep his last meal down. “Oh, man. I think I’m going to be sick. The rush is subsiding now. I’m really light headed. Delayed effect. Passing out. Sorry.”
Tristan slowly tipped back, then hit the ground flat on his back. “Oh!” Shaylin cried. “Tristan, are you all right?”
When she knelt beside him, he was unconscious. “Tristan?”
• • •
Shaylin ran the cool cloth over Tristan’s face. His head rested in her lap. She’d been fussing over him since they’d stopped. The dawn had come and gone. It was full daylight now.
Kyra
sat at his side, peering down at him. “How do you think he did it?” she asked. Her eyes flicked up to her sister’s. “He flew, Shaylin.”
“I don’t know,” she muttered. “I just want him to wake up.”
Even as she said it, his eyes fluttered open. He stared up at her, then groaned. “Am I dead?”
“I certainly hope not,” Shaylin replied.
He groaned again, deeply this time, as he sat up. “Easy,” Shaylin told him. “Be easy.” She frowned at the back of his head. “Why do you keep dropping at my feet?”
“Ahh,” he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “I’m going to go out on a limb and blame the brick this time.”
Shaylin’s eyes narrowed. Tristan turned his head to look at her. A grin tugged at his lips. Kyra laughed. Tristan probed his forehead where the brick had connected. “Did you at least catch me this time?”
Shaylin refused to allow the chuckle freedom. She kept her face passive as she tossed the cloth at the back of his head. “I didn’t even try this time.”
He laughed, then groaned. “Oh, ouch. Don’t make me laugh. It hurts.”
Walt popped into his line of view and studied his forehead. “Boy, you got a hard head.”
Tristan put a hand on Walt’s face and pushed it out of his line of view. “Thank you, Walt.”
Walt let out a booming laugh before he walked away. Rhea crouched in front of Tristan. “How do you feel?”
Tristan pointed at his forehead. “My head hurts. Your daughter hit me in the face with a brick.”
“Hmm,” was Rhea’s only reply as her eyes flicked to Shaylin’s annoyed ones. But she smiled. “I’m glad you are all right.” She squeezed his hand. “Thank you, Tristan.”
When she rose and left him to recover, Tristan glanced at Shaylin again. “Might make it feel better if you kiss it.”
“You deserved it,” she stated righteously as she shoved to her feet.
“What?” his mouth fell open. “I came to rescue you.”
“You shouldn’t sneak into a woman’s private bed chambers,” she informed him.
When she marched off, Tristan turned his eyes to Kyra. “I think I’m growing on her.” At her confused look, he chuckled. “I mean that I think she’s starting to like me.”
“Oh,” Kyra laughed. “Perhaps,” she evaded teasingly. Her smile fell. “You said my brother was alive.”
Tristan nodded. “I also said I’d take you to him. I’m nothing if not a man of my word.”
• • •
Penley stared through the bars of the cell in the castle prison. The assassin stepped silently forward. A frown marked Penley’s mouth. “I believe we may be able to come to an arrangement.”
The assassin inclined his head. Penley continued. “The man who stopped you, his name is Tristan.”
The assassin’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Tristan,” he whispered the name as he committed it to memory.
“I am willing to free you,” Penley told him. “In return, I want Tristan dead.”
A smile touched the assassin’s lips. “This I will gladly do.”
Thank you for reading REIGN OF RESURGENCE: THE EDGE!
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Keep reading for a sneak peek of the next episode of REIGN OF RESURGENCE…
THE SQUEEZE
Having retreated to the temporary haven of Rowen, Tristan struggles to defend the family he is beginning to see as his own. But a siege threatens their budding rebellion almost before it begins.
Available January 19th!