Rise (The Order of the Krigers #1)(73)

Voices drifted toward us. Anders went rigid, and I did my best to stay still, curled between the rocky wall and him. Someone in the distance yelled, and the sound of boots pounded past us. After a few minutes, they faded away.

“We need to get into one of the smaller tunnels,” Anders whispered. “We’re too exposed here.” He peeled away from me and stepped out of the crevice. He nodded for me to join him. “Stay close to the walls and move fast.”

We ran deeper into the mines. When the ground flattened, we came to a circular area with half a dozen tunnels that jetted out. Anders picked one to the left and I followed, wondering if he knew where he was going since we didn’t have Askel to guide us.

Torches hung every thirty feet, providing light. The last time we were in the mines, the tunnels had been pitch-black. The sound of boots faintly echoed around me. After a minute, the sound intensified. There weren’t any places to hide.

Anders glanced at me. “Be prepared,” he mouthed.

I nodded and clutched the bo staff with my sweaty hands, ready to face the soldats. Shadows of men carrying swords danced on the stone walls, growing larger the closer they came. Channeling the power from the core of my body, I forced it down my arms and to my weapon. It responded, humming with power. I envisioned a cup of water, planning to slowly pour a little bit out. If I could control the amount of power I unleashed, these men wouldn’t die.

Lifting my bo staff, I held it before me, ready.

Six soldats came into view. The first dropped to the ground. The remaining men scrambled to unsheathe their swords. Four more collapsed. The last man standing turned to run. He couldn’t be allowed to alert others. I was about to zap him when he, too, fell.

Anders lowered his blow dart. Each one of them had a dart sticking out of his neck. He squatted and retrieved his darts.

Six men lay unmoving on the ground. “Did you kill them?”

Anders paused a moment before answering, “Yes.”

“How can you kill so many without remorse?” I tried to keep my voice low so others wouldn’t hear me. “I was going to knock them out, but you didn’t even let me try. Do you always go around killing for no reason?”

His face reddened, and his eyes narrowed making him look dark and furious. I took a step back, away from him, dropping my bo staff. He swiftly grabbed my neck, jerking me toward him. I shoved his chest, but his grip tightened. He lowered his forehead to mine, our noses brushing, the heat of his breath caressing my face.

“Let me go,” I demanded.

“Not until you stop acting ridiculous.”

“Did it ever occur to you that these men have families? They’re doing what they have to in order to survive. They probably hate Morlet as much as you do.”

“I know,” Anders said. “You forget I’ve been around a lot longer than you have.”

Our foreheads were still touching, and his skin was hot against mine. He infuriated me, and I wanted to clobber him.

“Is this what you think of me? That I’m a cold-hearted killer?” he demanded. “Is that why you agreed to marry Vidar?”

“What does Vidar have to do with this?”

He chuckled, the sound harsh. His lips moved to my ear. “I had to kill those soldats to protect you. If I didn’t, when they woke up, they’d hunt you down,” he whispered. “If you knew me, understood me, you’d know I detest killing.” Anders released me and stormed away.

I ran after him. After several silent and uncomfortable moments, I asked, “Couldn’t you have given them a stronger dose of medicine so they’d sleep longer? Allowing us to escape?”

“No,” he replied in a clipped voice.

“Why?”

“The sleeping medicine only lasts an hour at most,” he said. “That isn’t enough time for us to rescue the Krigers and flee the castle.” He sighed. “I don’t kill for the fun of it. There is always a calculated reason.”

I had tried numerous times to get him to open up to me, but he was always so withdrawn.

“This is war,” he continued. “People—on both sides—are going to die tonight.”

That was true—deaths were inevitable in war. However, I wished he didn’t kill as a first line of defense. Yet, he hadn’t killed out of hate or spite. He’d killed to protect me. Although I didn’t like Anders’s methods, we both wanted the same thing—to end Morlet’s reign.

We came to another circular area where six tunnels jetted off. Anders motioned for me to follow him, and we headed into one of the dark ones where I bumped into him. His hands gripped my arms.

“Something is wrong,” he whispered in my ear. We stood only five feet or so from the tunnel’s entrance.

“What do you mean?”

“The tunnel we need to take to reach the dungeon is the only one lit. Morlet must know we’re here.”

“Do you want me to try and contact him?” I didn’t want to speak to Morlet, but I would do it to ensure our safety.

Anders’s hands tightened. “No,” he said. “That’s not necessary.”

“What are we going to do?”

“We’re going to take the tunnel we need to. Stay behind me and be prepared to fight. I’ll do my best to protect you.”

We went back to the mouth of the tunnel and stayed there for a moment, watching the open area. Once Anders was certain it was safe, we headed into the only lit tunnel.