Rise (The Order of the Krigers #1)(72)

I dropped to my knees, stunned. “You killed him.” My bo staff hummed with power, responding to my anger. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself down.

“This is war,” Vidar said. “It’s kill or be killed.”

The door to the blacksmith shop clicked shut. “Where’s the blacksmith?” Anders asked.

“Don’t know,” Vidar responded. “Most likely dead.”

I scrambled to my feet. Anders wouldn’t look at me. There was a coldness to him that made my skin prickle with fear. He hurried over to Askel and pulled his lifeless body into a dark corner, then he did the same with the soldat. Vidar helped him rearrange a few things to make sure the dead bodies were concealed.

“We’re at war with Morlet—not his army,” I said. Both Anders and Vidar turned to look at me. “That man was probably forced to work for the king. He could have been a father, like mine. You didn’t have to kill him.”

Vidar grabbed my arm, his eyes alight with rage. “Morlet is the king. He controls the army. You must understand that. I need to know that you’re ready—that you can fight and kill if necessary. I won’t risk other men’s lives if you’re not capable of doing this.”

Staring into his blue eyes, I honestly didn’t know. Could I kill another person?

“If you’re not ready, we can postpone this,” Vidar said. “However, you did promise your father you would end it.”

The kingdom of Nelebek needed the Krigers. Morlet’s tyrannical reign couldn’t continue. “I can do it,” I said, making my choice.

“Good,” he said, releasing my arm. “I need to go. Anders will take you to the dungeon. I’ll meet you there.” He kissed my forehead and left.

“I have an idea,” Anders said. “Give me a moment to prepare.” He went to the corner where the dead bodies were hidden. When he disappeared from sight, I started pacing. The next time I faced a soldat, I’d have to act quicker. There was no reason to kill. I could knock him out instead. We’d be in such a hurry that Anders wouldn’t be able to check if they were alive or not.

“Let’s go,” Anders said. He was wearing the dead soldat’s uniform. We left the blacksmith’s shop. Outside, the air was crisp and the sky quickly turning dark. “Use your bo staff as a walking stick,” he instructed. “If anyone asks, I’m escorting you to the dungeon for questioning.”

“Even though we’re going the wrong direction?”

“Yes,” he said, pulling the hat low on his head. “I’m just doing another round before I take you in.”

He avoided looking at me. “Fine,” I said as we headed toward the mines.

“Why did you agree to marry him?” Anders asked.

My shoulders stiffened. The girl from the brothel must have told him. I wanted to explain that I didn’t want to marry Vidar, that I was only marrying him because my father wanted me to, and because Grei Heks said it was inevitable. Instead, I said, “Now is not the time.”

We neared the end of the jam-packed apartment buildings and hid in the shadowy alcove of a doorway. The entrance to the mines was located approximately fifty yards away.

“Keep your weapon at your side, so it blends in with your body,” Anders whispered in my ear. “I’m going to hold your arm like I’m escorting you.”

“We’re going to walk out in the open?” I asked, horrified. The land from here to the mines was flat and void of any structures. Soldats watching the area would easily see us.

“Yes,” he replied. “It’s the fastest way. Make sure you stay by my side.”

Before I could respond, he took hold of my arm and dragged me from the doorway. We headed straight across the open land to the large, cave-like entrance of the mines dug into the side of a small hill. It was almost completely dark out except for a soft glow coming from the entrance.

Being so exposed made my skin crawl. At any moment, someone could scream that I was the Kriger Morlet sought. However, we reached the mines without incident.

“That was easy,” I said as we neared the twenty-foot by fifteen-foot entrance. Several torches hung on the dark gray rocky walls. The floor sloped downward as we made our way into the mines.

The usual sounds of metal chiseling and men talking were absent. I held my bo staff before me, ready to use it. All the workers had gone home for the evening since the citywide curfew was in effect. However, my father had told me soldats were stationed near the entrance the entire night.

Anders glided alongside me without making a sound. His eyes roamed over every inch of the cave looking for trouble. I opened my mouth to speak, but he held a finger to his lips and froze. A second later, he shoved me into a crevice in the wall, shielding my body with his. He took my weapon and held it flat against me. The black uniform he wore blended in with the gray rocks.

“Someone’s coming,” he whispered in my ear. “Whatever you do, don’t move.”

Holding perfectly still, I tried to calm my breathing. My hands started to throb with pain, so I clenched them into fists, working through the awful burning sensation.

Anders grunted from my power. “Slide your left hand to your bo staff,” he whispered.

I moved my hand between our bodies, and my fingers immediately found the smooth wood of my weapon. The pain went away, and my body instantly relaxed.