One of the shards whips past the giant, catching his cheek. Red blood wells up on his still while he drops his ax, stumbling back while he presses a hand to his face. He holds up his hands. “Stop! We are leaving!"
The Enduares stop, but the one with the shards lets them float in the air.
“Where is the slave woman? She was in the hallway before this started,” the Enduar grunts.
Mikal pants and looks frantically around. Noticing for the first time I am not in sight. My heart shatters.
The prince squeezes my throat again, and I choke. Even though there are more than fifteen paces between us, Mikal's eyes meet mine. Recognition of what is happening passes over his eyes, and I see a fierce determination there that makes me proud and fearful all at once.
“Here!” he shouts and starts towards me. For a moment, I think it will be all right. Mikal will live. Then, the giant hits Mikal over the head and he falls to the ground.
I scream into his hand, and the prince squeezes me hard enough for something to pop. Agony explodes in my body while fresh tears stream down my face. My heart thunders in my chest like a herd of wild horses.
"Mikal," I gasp against the prince’s hand, too quiet to be heard. He is picked up and carried by the giant.
Out of sight—away from me.
The Enduares are at the entrance of the hallway in a moment. “My king,” one calls back as Keksej growls.
“Stay back! Or I will snap her throat,” he taunts, and the Enduares freeze.
One of the Enduar hunters turns and shouts something in a tongue I don’t understand.
“Don't worry, my tiny flea,” the prince says, quieter this time. “The king wants you alive, but I have my own plans for you, my little tart."
I rally my strength and push against his chest while ducking down, managing to wriggle out of his grip for a moment before he grabs me again, this time harder. I bite his hand hard enough to draw blood, and he yelps back. He towers over me, his yellow eyes gleaming with an intensity that makes my skin crawl. I know there is no way I can defeat him alone, but there is something inside me that defies all logic. Mikal is all I have left in the world.
A new sound comes from the hallway, but my attention is focused on my captor.
“Fuck you.I am not yours,” I snarl at Keksej, scrabbling for something to use as a weapon. He's close enough that I can reach for his belt, where he keeps a small array of minor weapons. I cut my finger while grabbing a small knife.
He lunges forward, picking me up and crushing me into him. “Such fire in you," he chuckles, his mouth hot against my ear. “I’m sad I was never able to finish taming you. It will be sweet to remember you this way—to tell Rholker what he was missing.”
With a scream loud enough to tear my throat apart, I swing the small knife around, connecting with the side of Keksej's face. He yelps in surprise, his grip on me loosening momentarily again. I take the opportunity to slip out of his grasp and run after Mikal.
I have to make it out. I have to.The Giant Prince comes after me, and I look back to see the dim light show off his furious features and slitted eyes. While turned around, I run into something hard. As solid as stone.
Armored arms wrap around me, and I scream for Mikal once again.
I struggle, but the hold on me is too tight. I look up and see the Enduar King. His braided silver hair hair is slick with sweat. He looks down at me with a hardened expression.
"Stay still," he orders.
A sob wracks my entire body. I try to struggle again, but my body is too weak. The last few days have been too much.
He holds me closer, but it doesn't feel like the way that Keksej held me. He is... mindful of my ruined back.
"Please,"I beg. "Please let me go. I need to find my brother."
“You have asked for war. Is that what you want? To ravage the land once more?” Prince Keksej yells.
The Enduar King ignores me as he stares down the giant. “You attacked my people first. You threatened war the second you hurt this woman under my roof.”
The First Prince looks incredulous. “All this for that bitch?” He starts laughing. It’s an ugly, bloody sound.
The king stands strong. “I will say it only one more time—I won her. You decide how far you want to take this, Keksej.”
The ridiculousness of this entire night strikes me hard. Why are the humans important to them? Why am I?