“And I might be able to save her if you let me,” he responded without looking up. His sister fell silent as he continued to examine her friend. It’s a deep vein, and above the leg where I can’t use a tourniquet to stop the bleeding, he noted mentally. He couldn’t effectively apply pressure there either, which meant the woman would be dead in a short span of minutes. Will glanced up and caught Laina’s gaze on his face. Behind the anger he could see she was frightened. As she looked back down at her friend, tears began to well.
And she’ll be dead because of me. Because I thought she was an assassin rather than a guard—because I decided, in my infinite wisdom, to interfere where I wasn’t wanted. He summoned one of his remaining two regeneration potions from the limnthal and quickly unstopped the vial. He poured a few drops on the wound, then held the tiny bottle to her lips and tilted it up. Some spilled, and the woman choked, but enough got down her throat. It was potent stuff, as he knew from prior experience.
“What was that?” asked Laina, her voice thick with desperation.
“A regeneration potion,” he said simply.
“Will it work? She’s lost so much blood.” Her voice cracked near the end.
“It brought me back from the edge of death,” he told her calmly. “It just needs a minute to do the job. It will exhaust her, but after she rests, she’ll feel better than she did before it happened.” Even as he spoke, the color began to return to Darla’s cheeks.
Without warning, Laina shifted subjects. “You murdered that man without a moment’s hesitation.”
“I don’t know what he was, but he wasn’t human,” Will informed her. “And he was heading for you. You didn’t hesitate to try and do the same to me.”
His sister’s eyes never flinched. “You nearly killed Darla, and I warned you first. I didn’t want to do it.”
Will’s emotions were conflicted as he stared back at her. On one hand he admired the girl for her conviction, as well as her bravery in defending her friend, while on the other he was irritated by her obvious dislike for him. Added to the mix was the fact that he was guilty and embarrassed for nearly killing an innocent person. But I also saved Laina’s life, he reminded himself.
Just what was a person supposed to feel at such a complicated moment? He had no idea. As he struggled to find words, Laina spoke again. “You could have warned me. I thought you were attacking me.”
There hadn’t been time, but he asked anyway, “Would you have believed me?”
“Probably not,” she admitted. Then she gave him a serious look. “I have to call the constable. You killed someone.”
“Something,” he corrected.
“You can say it was self-defense. They’ll probably believe you, especially if I testify on your behalf.”
“I was defending you, not me,” he replied dryly, “so I don’t think it’s technically self-defense.”
“Either way, you won’t hang for it,” said Laina. “But you still have to answer for assaulting Darla.”
“She shot me first,” snapped Will, his patience thinning.
Laina shook her head. “You pulled your sword out, then she shot you. I saw it.”
A new voice entered the conversation. “I was going to shoot him anyway.” It was Darla. Her words were clear though her voice was weak. “I thought he was after you. We misunderstood each other.”
Laina went on, “But you did save her life, so perhaps we can pretend it didn’t happen.”
His sarcasm was thick as he accepted. “That’s very gracious of you.” He froze as his eyes caught a flash of turyn across the street, from not one, but four separate places. Four men appeared, rising from the ground as though it was no more solid than water. Each of them had three elementals, one of earth, one of fire, and one of air. They were dressed in dark gray tunics that covered what was probably a chain shirt and gambeson beneath. More people? How many were watching this house?
The men moved cautiously toward him, taking different vectors so he couldn’t keep his eyes on all of them. “Put the sword down and kneel,” ordered one of them in an authoritative tone.
Will got quickly to his feet. The gate that opened into Laina’s front yard was still open. He moved in front of the two women and spoke to Laina from one side of his mouth. “Help Darla inside and close the gate.”
“Neither of you move,” barked the stranger, then he focused on Will again. “Don’t make me repeat myself. Drop the weapon and kneel, now!”
He was moving his head back and forth, trying to keep all of them in sight, though it was impossible. “Or what? Who are you?”
“Your worst nightmare, child. Surrender or you might not walk away from this.” The man was close enough that Will could see his eyes now—they were cold and hard.
“I’ve seen several nightmares. You aren’t even close to making my list,” Will shot back.
Laina’s hand touched his arm. “Will, stop. They’re the king’s men, the Driven.”
He had no idea what that meant, but her tone implied they were part of some special force. “They aren’t wearing any livery or insignia,” he replied cautiously, weighing his options. He didn’t want to fight if they were servants of the king, but he still wasn’t convinced.
“Enough of this,” said the commander impatiently. In the blink of an eye a source-link snapped out, and to Will’s surprise, managed to connect to him.
Without thinking, he snarled and wrested control of the link away from the man. He paralyzed the fellow before he could react and watched him fall, feeling a sense of satisfaction. One of the others sent something hard flying at his head, but he blocked it with a point-defense shield and then turned to drive his sword at the man who was rushing at his back. Almost by pure chance, his blade skipped up the front of the man’s chest and sank into his unarmored throat. The unfortunate soldier fell back, blood spraying from the wound.
The fourth was about to unleash a spell, something involving air from what Will could see, but there wasn’t much he could do about it. If it’s a wind-wall or something similar I’m dead, he thought grimly as he tried to create a force-lance, but he knew he’d be a second too late.
“Unleash that spell on my son-in-law and I’ll see you dead, lieutenant.” The voice belonged to a fifth man, who had only now chosen to reveal himself, rising from the ground just as the other had before. It was the king.
Will didn’t know whether to be relieved or terrified. This can’t be happening.
King Lognion walked resolutely toward them and the remaining soldiers—the two who weren’t wounded or paralyzed—became still while somehow also conveying a sense of respect and deference to their sovereign. From the corner of his eye Will saw Laina drop into a deep curtsey.