Rise (The Order of the Krigers #1)(11)

“You stupid idiot,” he said, seething with rage. “You’re going to the executioner for this.” He grabbed my arms and hoisted me to my feet, dragging me to where the other soldats stood waiting.

The men pushed me and the girl forward, and we started walking down the street. The girl cried and pleaded with them to release her while I fumbled with the rope around my wrists, trying to untie it. There was no way I was going down without a fight.

A body suddenly fell from the rooftop, landing in front of us with a bone-chilling thud. The girl screamed and tried running away, but the men held her in place while they withdrew their swords. The man who had fallen was dressed in a red soldat uniform. He held a bow in one hand and wore a quiver filled with arrows on his back. Blood pooled around his head, seeping onto the street.

The three soldats looked at the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. One of the men grabbed his neck and then crumbled to the ground. Another did the same. The last man took off running and then he, too, collapsed to the ground, a small dart protruding from his neck.





Chapter Three


Anders rounded the corner and strode toward me, as if stalking an animal. The girl screamed and ran away. I stumbled backward. With my hands still bound behind my back, I sprinted awkwardly down the street. A moment later, strong arms snaked around my waist, and Anders pulled me into a narrow alleyway between two buildings.

“Why are you running away?” He slid a knife from his boot and cut my bindings.

“Why?” I shrieked, shoving him away from me. “You’ve killed at least six men tonight. Six. You’re crazy.”

His eyes narrowed. “I saved you.”

“By killing people. You’re no better than the king.”

Anders growled and took a step toward me, making my back hit the wall. “We need to get out of here.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“You need to meet Vidar. He can protect you, and he’ll explain what’s going on.”

I crossed my arms, wishing he’d back up.

He leaned forward, invading my space even more. “Would it make you feel better if I told you Vidar wasn’t an assassin?”

My eyes narrowed. “What makes him so special?” Vidar obviously wasn’t a Kriger since eleven of the twelve sat in prison. So who was he and how was he connected to all of this? Why did Anders claim Vidar could protect me—especially if I was a Kriger endowed with powers?

His eyes flickered, but his face remained blank, unreadable. “Nothing. Nothing at all.”

He was hiding something from me. “Why are you helping me? What’s in it for you?”

“Vidar and I have been helping Krigers for years.” He put his hands on either side of me, pinning me against the wall, our faces only inches apart. “We need you,” Anders whispered, his penetrating eyes staring into mine.

“Why?” I demanded, feeling vulnerable. He could whip out a dagger and slice me open from navel to throat, or kiss me. His hardened features revealed nothing.

His intense eyes remained focused on me. “We want to train you so you can join the other Krigers and save the kingdom of Nelebek.”

Right now, I needed to save my father; I’d worry about the kingdom later.

“We don’t have time to discuss this,” he said. “Every moment we stand here, Morlet is strengthening his ability to sense your location.” Cold fear slithered down my spine, and my hands tingled. “I’m not sure how far his reach extends, but I believe it’s two or three miles.” His hands dropped to his sides. “We need to hurry.”

“But my father—”

“Is safe and taken care of.”

“How can I be certain Morlet doesn’t have him?”

“The men from the brothel are part of a secret organization whose sole purpose is to aid the Krigers. They will make sure your father is safe.”

I hoped all he said was true. Looking again into his brown eyes, an odd sensation filled my body, and something inside me whispered to trust this man. A fierce strength radiated from within him.

“Let me get you to safety,” Anders gently said, his face softening. “Afterward, I’ll come back here and check on your father. I will ensure his well-being and bring you proof.” He closed his fist and placed it over his heart, sealing his promise.

That odd feeling washed over me again—urging me to trust him. “Fine. I’ll go with you.”

Anders’s shoulders relaxed, and he gave a curt nod. “Stay right behind me.”

Moving to the end of the building, he observed the street before waving me forward. We took several smaller streets, careful to avoid areas heavily populated with soldats. At one point, we saw a few men exiting a building two blocks away. Anders flattened his body against the wall and froze. I did the same, trying not to make a sound. Luckily, they didn’t notice us and moved on to another street.

We made it to the wall surrounding the capital without incident. I had an eerie sensation someone was watching me. My body tingled as Morlet’s power reached out, penetrating into me.

Anders felt along the wall, pushing several stones in a particular area until he found one that wiggled loose. Thrusting it forward, it fell to the other side. He did the same to the surrounding blocks, opening a space large enough to crawl through.